Addition with Everyday Objects — Kindergarten

Children add here by counting what they can see. Each line lays out a little set of a key, a button and an umbrella, 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 everyday objects 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 everyday objects 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 everyday objects 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 musical instruments, or try addition with shapes. You can also browse every addition worksheet or the whole everyday objects collection for kindergarten — each sheet prints cleanly in black and white or plays online for free.