Free Number Worksheets for Preschool (Ages 3-5)

Three complete printables on this page: a count-and-circle sheet with 4 questions, big ghost-style tracing for numbers 1, 2, and 3, and an add-within-5 mini set with 3 problems. Everything prints from the browser with Ctrl+P (Cmd+P on Mac). No download, no email. Already counting past 10 comfortably? The kindergarten samples go harder.

How to use this page: work on screen (count the dots out loud, trace a number with a finger) or print. Answers sit in collapsed blocks below each worksheet, so you can peek after, or before if your kid is stuck.

Worksheet 1 — Count and Circle (4 Questions)

Count the shapes. Circle the number that matches. Touch each shape while counting, so nothing gets skipped or counted twice.

● ● ● ●

346

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

567

■ ■

123

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

789

Answers (tap to reveal)

4, 6, 2, 8. If a count comes out wrong, recount together slowly and point at each shape as both of you say the number. Touching the shape on the word is what fixes skip-and-double mistakes.

Worksheet 2 — Trace Numbers 1, 2, 3

Trace the gray numbers with a finger first, then a crayon. Say the number word out loud while tracing. After tracing, write the number twice on the line.

one

1 1 1 1

two

2 2 2 2

three

3 3 3 3

Stroke order (tap to reveal)

1: straight line down, done. 2: curve up and over to the left, slant down to the bottom, line across. 3: two bumps — start top left, curve out and back to the middle, then a second curve out and back at the bottom. Backward 3s are normal at this age and usually sort themselves out with practice.

Worksheet 3 — Add Within 5 (3 Problems)

Count the dots in the first group, count the dots in the second group, then write the total in the box. Fingers work as backup counters.

● ●+● ●=

+● ● ● ●=

● ● ●+● ●=

Answers (tap to reveal)

4, 5, 5. A trick that sticks: count the first group, keep it in your head, then count on from there while touching the second group. "Two… three, four" beats starting the whole count over from one.

Number Skills by Age: 3, 4, 5

The table below lists what most preschool programs aim for at each age. It's a rough map. Every kid differs, and being ahead in one row can come with a lag in another — that's ordinary.

AgeCountingWriting and tracingAdding
3Counts to 5 with help. Touch-counts 2-3 objects.Traces big shapes and lines. Scribble grip is normal.Puts two groups of real objects together. Symbols come later.
4Counts to 10. Counts out 5-10 objects one by one.Traces numbers 1-10. Writes some of 1-5.Adds "one more" to a group: had 3, someone adds 1, now 4.
5Counts past 10. Counts 10+ objects without losing track.Writes 0-9, reversals still common.Adds within 5 on fingers or dots, then on paper.

Four Tips for Worksheet Sessions

  1. Keep it short. Five to ten minutes, then stop even if the page is half done. Stopping while it still feels like a game is what gets them back to the table tomorrow.
  2. Count real things before paper. Snacks, stairs, toy cars, socks. The symbols on the page make sense after a kid has counted things they can actually grab.
  3. Skip the flat "no" on wrong answers. "Let's count that one again together" keeps them in the game and shows you where the count went sideways.
  4. Chunky crayon beats pencil. Small hands hold fat crayons better, and tracing works fine in crayon. Print at 100% scale so the numbers stay big.

What's in the Full Pack

Want all 120 pages? Full worksheet pack →

one-time · 120 pages · number tracing, counting, addition, letter tracing, CVC, sight words, mazes, dot-to-dots, patterns, coloring · answer keys · A4 + US Letter PDF