The set of printable counting mats includes 10 penguins.  Each cuddly penguin is holding a number 1-10 indicating how many fish the penguin needs to eat.

Download the file below and print the counting mats on cardstock.  I recommend laminating the mats before play.  If you don’t have a laminator (grab this one if you are thinking of buying one!), use a plastic page protector or even a ziploc bag to protect the penguins from greasy spots that the fish crackers may leave.

Before playing, have your child count out 10 Goldfish crackers, Swedish fish, or any fish shaped snacks.

This will make it easier for younger children to use a smaller pile of fish to count from.

The activity is simple set up and now it’s time to play!

With each new card, preschoolers can practice counting their fish as they place them on the penguin counting mats.  To help with understanding 1:1 correspondence in little learners, count in rhythm. Place the fish and count a number — place and count, place and count, place and count each fish.

For extra number counting practice, have your child count the fish one at a time as he takes them off of the penguin mat and places them back on the table.

This will also help with number recognition!

My preschoolers are going to love counting with fish.  The bonus will be an extra little snack during the day!

Download the set of PENGUIN COUNTING MATS ———> {HERE}