Kindergarten Count to 3 Animals Worksheet: Count and Color

Show a five-year-old two snails and ask how many, and the answer often comes before any counting, because two is easy to see at a glance. This kindergarten count to 3 animals worksheet builds on that quick seeing. Nine boxes hold one, two or three animals: cats, snails, a dog, ostriches, birds, fish and butterflies. Under each box, the numbers 1, 2 and 3 sit in a mixed order, and your child has to color the correct number. The box with three cats is already colored as an example. The PDF has two pages: the worksheet, then its answer key.

Why small sets come first

Sets of one, two or three can be seen at once, without counting. Teachers call this subitizing, and it is the ground that counting grows from, so this page keeps every box at three or fewer.

That makes the page a good check. Your child sees "three" at a glance and then counts to confirm it, one animal at a time. When the two agree, the number word starts to mean an amount.

The numbers also move around. For example, 3 comes first under the cats but last under the dog, so the child has to read each numeral rather than color the same spot every time. That is the point of three number choices. Small sets, real reading.

At the table: the dog and the fish

Start with the example. Point to the cats and say, "Three cats, and the 3 is colored." Now move on to the snails.

The dog box is where a slip often happens. The cats had their answer in the first spot, so a child may color the first number again without looking. Instead of correcting, ask, "How many dogs? Show me with your fingers." After that, let them find that number below.

The three fish sit in a neat line, so let your child touch each one while counting out loud. The flying insects in the middle box are spread out, which makes them harder to follow. Ask, "Which one did you count first?"

Finally, check the page against the answer key together. Matching boxes are a reward of their own.

Fish crackers and garden snails

Counting to three fits into the smallest moments. At snack time, hand over fish crackers one at a time and count them together, then hold up your hand and ask, "How many did you get?"

Outside, look for snails after rain or butterflies on a flower. Stop at three. Also, ask your child to point and whisper each number as they go.

The picture book "Fish Eyes" by Lois Ehlert counts bright fish across its pages, so it makes a nice follow-up to the fish on this sheet. While you read, tap each fish on the page.

These moments give animal counting and numbers 1 to 3 a place in ordinary days. When you finish, praise the work: "You read every number before you colored. That is careful thinking."