Comparing Numbers 0-5: Pumpkin Freebies in Digital & Print!

October is such a busy month with so many opportunities for thematic teaching! With pumpkins, bats, spiders, fire safety, and more, it can be a challenge to fit in all the fun seasonal stuff while still covering each academic standard. Hopefully, this set of freebies for comparing numbers 0-5 with a pumpkin theme will help! This type of activity gives students the fun of the season while keeping them on track with learning.

Comparing Numbers in Kindergarten

As students enter kindergarten, some come with experiences that have led them to develop a solid number sense and others are still pretty unfamiliar with numbers and counting. An important element of counting and cardinality is the understanding that numerals stand for quantities and that each number stands for a quantity that is one more than the number before it. Giving children many opportunities to compare small numbers, like those between zero and five, helps them build up their number sense and their understanding of cardinality. This creates a strong foundation that they’ll need as they conquer more complicated math standards further along in the year.

The comparing numbers activities I’m sharing here are designed to give students exposure to this concept without overwhelming them. Repeated practice like this builds confidence and the playful nature of these activities can help foster positive attitudes about math!

Free Comparing Numbers Activities

I first created this resource during the Covid shutdowns, when digital resources were so important in engaging students and their families at home. These digital activities for comparing numbers can now be used in the classroom at a technology station or can be shared with families for children to work on at home. That can be a great way to include caregivers in the learning process and to give students extra exposure to this mathematical concept! I also have a print component of this pumpkin comparing numbers freebie, so you can reach students in multiple ways.

I’ve pre-loaded this digital comparing numbers activity into three platforms: Boom, Seesaw, and Google Slides. (If you haven’t tried Boom Cards yet, and want to learn about them, here’s a post that will fill you in.) This activity includes an instructional video (great to share with families at home) and several interactive slides for practice. Each task includes audio instructions, so students should be able to work on these independently.

In this activity, students will have opportunities to count and compare quantities of pumpkins as well as chances to practice the more abstract concept of comparing numerals!

The printable version of these pumpkin comparing numbers activities can be used in dry-erase sleeves or page protectors and is great as an independent center.

For children who are just beginning to understand comparing numbers, have them use counters (pumpkin erasers or table scatter are fun, but circle counters or pompoms also work), along with a single die. Students will roll a die, count a set of counters, and write the number on the work mat. They will repeat this for the other section, then will circle the number that is greater. I’ve included a color and black and white version of this work mat.

For children who are ready to move beyond the concrete, I have included a work mat that allows students to simply roll, write numbers, and circle the greater number without the use of counters. I’ve also included two printable worksheets (one for circling the greater number and one for circling the lesser number.

You can find both versions of this comparing numbers activity in my freebie library right here!

More October Learning

I hope your October is full of all kinds of fun seasonal learning. I’m linking some of my thematic fall resources below–I hope you’ll find something useful!

Thanks for reading and happy October! 🎃🍁🍂