Addition with Kitchen Tools — Kindergarten

This kindergarten worksheet sets out two small groups of spoons, whisks and a pan on each row, with a plus sign between them and an empty box after the equals sign. Children count the kitchen tools in the first group, count the second group, and write how many there are in all. A row might pair a few with a couple more, so the same skill comes back with a fresh picture each time. The pictures carry the whole problem, so a child who cannot yet read a written equation can still solve every line by touching and counting what is there.

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 kitchen tools 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 kitchen tools 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 everyday objects, or try addition with reptiles and amphibians. You can also browse every addition worksheet or the whole kitchen tools collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.