ME5: Count, Stomp, Clap

1. Overview

“Count, Stomp, Clap” teaches children skip counting. Skip counting is counting by twos, fives, tens, etc. which sets the foundation for addition and multiplication.

“Count, Stop, Clap!”

2. Materials

This game requires no materials. All you need is some free time and the willingness to play.

3. Activity

Tell your child to start counting from 1 all the way to 30. When your child says 2, 4, 6, 8, or any other multiple of 2, tell her to stomp her foot.

Adult: Start counting from 1! When you say 2, stomp your foot.
Child: One…Two [Stomps foot]
Adult: Keep counting. When you get to 4, stomp your foot again.
Child: Three…Four [Stomps foot]
Adult: Keep counting to six and then stomp your foot.
Child: Five…Six [Stomps foot]
Adult: Now count to eight. When you say eight, stomp your foot.
Child: Seven…Eight [Stomps foot]

Take your time teaching your child the rules of the game. Demo how the game is played before letting your child try. Play with the numbers 1 through 10 at least 15 times before adding 11 through 20. This game will take several months to master, so do not get frustrated if the activity seems hard at first.

Once your child masters counting by two, start counting by fives. Follow the same rules counting from 1 but tell your child to clap her hands when she says 5, 10, 15, or any other multiple of 5.

Play with a group of children for more fun. Give each child three free mess-ups. After the fourth time, they are out and must wait until the next game. If none of the children are eliminated after counting to 30, then repeat from 1 again and speed up the pace of the game.

4. Confidence Builder

To make the game easier for your child, print out the “Sight Words Number Board” and circle all the multiples of five (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30) when you’re counting by fives. Draw boxes around all the multiples of two (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc.) when you’re counting by twos. Hold this in front of your child as a guide for when she should stomp and clap. Use this setup for months until your child is confident.

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5. Extensions

Once your child has mastered the game, try the following extensions:

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