Developing early math and counting skills is more than just memorizing numbers — it’s about helping children internalize how quantities, relationships, and operations work.
One of the most effective ways to nurture these foundational skills is through maker projects — hands-on, creative, playful activities where learners design, build, and experiment.
In this article, we explore maker projects that reliably boost early math and counting skills, explain the research behind why they work, provide a range of concrete project ideas, share best practices for implementation, and help caregivers and educators integrate them effectively in early learning settings.
Before formal mathematics, young children build number sense — an intuitive grasp of quantities, relative magnitude, and how numbers relate.
Research emphasizes that early math ability is a strong predictor of later academic success in mathematics and reading.
Maker activities support number sense by giving children physical, manipulable materials (loose parts, counters, blocks, beads) to explore counting, grouping, comparing, and combining.
This bridges the gap between abstract numbers and real-world quantities.
Using building blocks, interlocking parts, or modular design projects enables children to reason about shape, orientation, adjacency, and number of components.
Studies have shown that preschoolers’ spatial assembly skill (e.g. block constructions) correlates with later math ability.
By constructing, deconstructing, iterating, and counting parts, children practice one-to-one correspondence, conservation of number, and counting in different ways (e.g., by rows, columns).
When children physically move pieces, count, re-arrange, and re-form, they gain embodied understanding of mathematical concepts.
Maker projects naturally invite trial and error: count parts, assemble the model, test it, deconstruct, count again, and iterate. That iterative loop strengthens conceptual flexibility.
Below are maker project ideas tailored for young learners (preschool through early elementary) that directly support counting, number recognition, number operations, and early reasoning.
Description: Create a “maker mat” (a template or grid) with numbered boxes (e.g. 1 through 6 or 1 through 10). Children roll a die or dice, count the pip count, then place that many counters (beads, buttons, blocks) onto that numbered box.
After several rolls, children can count totals, compare which boxes have more or fewer, reorder, etc.
See also Engaging Parents in Library-Based Maker Programs
This project merges randomness, counting, and design.
An example combining counting and making emerges from combining dice + craft sticks + maker mat.
Description: Provide small Lego bricks (or similar blocks) and challenge children to build towers or structures that correspond to numbers or patterns.
For instance, “Build a tower of 3, then another of 5, and compare which is taller — then count the total blocks.” Or “Make a 2 × 3 rectangle using blocks; now count how many blocks you used.”
This kind of block math project helps children internalize area, multiplication concepts, grouping, and reinforcement of counting. A Lego-based math game is widely shared in early learning activities.
Description: Use an open collection of loose parts (stones, shells, buttons, colored beads, sticks, buttons) and invite children to sort them, count groups, combine groups, or make patterns.
For instance, “Make groups of 2, 4, 6; count each group; then merge them and recount total.” Or “Pick 5 blue buttons and 3 red buttons — how many buttons total? Which color has more?”
Loose parts are especially powerful because they are open-ended, non-prescriptive, and invite creative exploration.
Description: Create number cards or strips labeled with numbers. Provide clothespins or clips (or paperclips) and challenge children to clip exactly that many clips onto each card.
Then they can count and check their work, or mix the cards and ask to sort or count total clips.
This integrates fine motor skills with counting, reinforcing one-to-one correspondence.
Description: Use beads and string (or pipe cleaners) to create bracelets. Ask children to thread specific quantities of beads (e.g. 7 beads, 12 beads).
They can then count the beads, compare lengths, sort by color counts, or merge two bracelets and count the sum. This project is a favorite counting + fine motor math idea.
Description: Give children strips of paper and a hole punch. Ask them to punch a number of holes (based on a dice roll or number card), then count the holes.
Or they might cut (snip) a certain number of segments off the strip and count leftover.
This gives a tactile, visible representation of counting and subtraction.
Description: Create a “parking lot” with numbered spots (1–10). Provide toy cars or blocks labeled with numbers (1–10).
Children “park” the pieces according to their numbers, counting as they place them. Or mix the numbers and ask them to find and park each correctly.
See also What We’ve Learned From a Decade of Library Maker Programs
This combines counting, number recognition, sorting, and one-to-one matching.
Start with small numbers (1–5) and move to 1–10, then expand to 20 or more as children grow more comfortable. Begin with guided tasks, then shift to more open-ended maker challenges.
Children should experiment with different ways to count (e.g. grouping, skip counting, row/column counting) rather than always counting individually. Encourage them to visualize or re-arrange groups for easier counting.
Ask children to take photos or draw what they made, then count again. Prompt reflection: “How did you count? Did you try another way? Which grouping was easier?” This strengthens metacognition.
Embed counting challenges in a narrative: “We are building a farm of animals. You need 4 sheep, 6 chickens, and 2 goats. How many animals total?” This adds motivation and purposeful context.
Keep a stock of diverse manipulatives: beads, buttons, blocks, pasta, shells, sticks, pebbles. Variety keeps interest high and supports flexible thinking.
Rather than telling children exactly what to do, ask guiding questions:
- “How many do you want to make?”
- “How will you count them?”
- “Can you make groups and count those groups?”
- “What if we merged two groups — how many would that be?”
- Studies in early mathematics emphasize that children’s informal mathematical knowledge (including counting, number comparison, subitizing) is a crucial base for later arithmetic and achievement.
- Research shows that early math ability in preschool is a strong predictor of later success through age 15, even controlling for other cognitive skills.
- Evaluations of early math programs (like Making Pre-K Count) show that structured math interventions, when combined with play and exploratory activities, yield measurable gains in math and executive function.
- Maker and makerspace environments in early childhood have positive effects on engagement, creativity, and learner attitudes — environments that support inquiry and experimentation. For instance, creating makerspaces in early childhood settings helps foster child engagement and creative thinking.
These findings reinforce that integrating maker projects into early math education is not just playful — it is evidence-based.
| Maker Project | Core Counting / Math Skills | Variation / Extension Ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Dice & Counter Maker Mat | One-to-one correspondence, addition, comparison | Use two dice for sums, subtract counts |
| Lego / Block Counting | Spatial, grouping, area, counting | Build arrays (2×3 etc.), combine towers |
| Loose Parts Counting & Sorting | Comparison, addition, decomposition | Merge groups, find which has more/less |
| Clip Counting / Clothespin | Fine motor + counting | Use subtraction (remove clips), compare totals |
| Bead Bracelets | Counting, sequence, addition | Combine two bracelets and count sum |
| Hole Punch / Snip Strips | Counting, subtraction | Ask children to remove or add holes, recount |
| Number Parking / Sorting Garage | One-to-one matching, sorting, number value | Shuffle and re-sort, compare parking lots |
- Material resources: Ensuring enough manipulatives for multiple children to work simultaneously can be a logistical challenge.
- Facilitator training: Educators or caregivers must understand how to scaffold and ask guiding questions rather than taking control.
- Overemphasis on speed: Avoid pushing children to count quickly; the focus should be understanding, not speed.
- Balancing structure and freedom: Too much structure reduces exploration; too little may confuse learners.
- Assessment: Traditional tests don’t always capture gains in number sense or flexible thinking, so incorporate qualitative assessment (observations, portfolios) as well as quantitative checks.
See also Success Stories: How Libraries Nationwide Run Maker Programs
- In preschool or kindergarten settings, designate a “maker math corner” stocked with counting tools and maker prompts.
- In libraries or community centers, host maker math challenges (e.g. “Count and Create” workshop) for families.
- At home, caregivers can set up weekend mini maker projects (e.g. bead bracelet counting, loose parts challenge).
- For remote or hybrid learning, send maker kits (buttons, string, dice) and host guided online sessions where children build and count together.
Maker projects offer a powerful foundation to boost early math and counting skills in young learners.
Through playful, hands-on experiences, children internalize number sense, experiment with grouping and combining, and connect abstract counting to tangible objects.
The evidence supports that strong early math capability leads to more successful later learning.
For educators and caregivers, integrating maker-based counting projects — whether dice mats, bead bracelets, block counts, or loose parts explorations — can transform everyday math learning into joyful, meaningful exploration.
With thoughtful scaffolding, reflection, and diversity of materials, maker projects can be a lasting pillar in early math education.
You can start as early as 2–3 years old, using very simple counting with 1–3 objects. As children grow, gradually increase complexity and number range.
A session of 15–30 minutes is often sufficient for focused math exploration. You can repeat or revisit over days. Longer maker sessions may merge with open-ended play.
Use observation & portfolios: note how the child reorganizes groups, whether they use new strategies (e.g., grouping, skip counting), and whether they can explain their counting method. Also give simple counting checks (e.g. “Count these 8 items”) before and after months of maker exposure.
