Addition with Accessories — Kindergarten

Children add here by counting what they can see. Each line lays out a little set of hats, belts and a scarf, a plus sign, and a second set, with the total left as an empty box. They count the first set, keep counting on into the second, and write how many accessories there are altogether. Because both groups are pictured, nothing has to be read first — a child works out the answer from the page itself, which is exactly how addition should begin at five and six years old.

Counting two groups and then saying how many there are in all is the first real step into addition. Long before a symbol means anything, a child who combines one pile of accessories with another and recounts the whole set is already adding — and keeping totals within ten means every answer can be checked by counting rather than guessed.

Children who enjoy accessories take to this one quickly, and it works just as well as a quiet morning task or a count-along on the board. When the set feels easy, count a different collection in addition with animals, or try addition with more birds. You can also browse every addition worksheet or the whole accessories collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.