DIY Tactile Counting with Craft Sticks

This fun tactile counting with craft sticks activity for toddlers and preschoolers is super simple to make but are packed with learning potential!

We do a lot of hands-on counting activities that my daughter and the daycare girls really enjoy but I’ve been wanting to make something more hands-on so this simple kids activity was the perfect fit!

  DIY Tactile Counting with Craft Sticks

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Materials Needed:

• Craft Sticks (or Popsicle Sticks)
• Glitter Glue*
• Marker

These are super simple to make! Number each craft stick, add a few blobs of glitter glue along the craft stick for each number and let dry.  That’s it! So it’s so easy to make these DIY counting sticks!

My toddlers like running their fingers over each drop of glitter glue and counting along. I have one toddler that rushes through number sequences when counting then quickly gets confused and frustrated.  

With these counting sticks, she has to slow down and think about each number because she can physically feel each bump as she counts. It’s a perfect way for toddlers to learn to count.

In addition to counting and number order practice we did with these we also combined them with our DIY number cards.  These number cards from our clothespin counting game and together with our new craft stick counters it created a new letter recognition and counting game!

With my preschoolers, we use these for counting practice and simple addition. They draw two of these counting sticks from a bucket and then add them together.

Do you have any DIY counting learning activities?

Looking for more crafts and activities? Check out our index for 100+ plus kids activities! Find activities by theme, materials, skills, age and much more!

*We received our glitter glue free from CraftProjectIdeas.com. You can find their products at your local Walmart or online.