Skittles Count and Compare! {FREE Printable Pack}

As kids begin to learn their numbers and count and understand cardinality (the number of items in a set), they will then be able to compare things. This becomes evident early on if you have more than one child, because they are quick to notice if brother or sister “has more than me!” While serving as referee in those sibling squabbles over more or less is not fun, this is an important math concept to master! And it starts with hands-on visuals which allow kids to see that one pile is bigger or smaller than the other. This Skittles Count and Compare math lesson is a fun (and tasty!) way to let kids practice comparing groups of numbers and can be adapted depending on the age of your kids!

*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

To Use the Skittles Count and Compare:

There are multiple printable mats included in this download, so you can use this as a quiet independent activity, or as a partner activity.

Individual Lesson Ideas:

One of the mats in this lesson pack simply offers two circles for different colors of Skittles, as well as cut out color words and “greater than” “less than” and “equal to” signs.

This is a fun way for young kids to work on learning color words as well as being introduced to these math symbols.

To use, simply give each child a handful of Skittles and let them play with the mat, comparing different colors to each other. They can then use the cut out pieces to make a number sentence at the bottom of the mat.

Another independent activity that you can use with older kids has questions at the bottom for them to compare and write in the correct symbol.

I laminated all of the mats so that we can write on them and then erase to use again.

Partner Lesson Idea:

A third mat in this printable pack simply has the two circles to compare Skittles counts and asks “Who has the greatest number of Skittles?” This would be a fun way for kids to pair up and see who can grab the largest handful (using gloves if you’re a classroom teacher, or simply pour a handful for each student).

Students can then compare their handful, as well as compare the different colors. Who has the most red? The most yellow? etc.

This printable pack also includes black and white versions of each of the “count and compare” mats if you are looking to save ink!

However you are able to use this, I hope it will be a fun, hands-on activity for your kids! And of course, if you don’t want to use candy, you can always use counting bears, pom poms or some other manipulative to count and compare! 🙂

{Click HERE to go to my shop to download the Skittles Count and Compare Activity!}

*This is included in my huge Skittles Hands On Math Bundle! Get these activities and so much more for PreK-1 grade!*

Looking for more fun ways to do math with Skittles? Be sure to check out these posts:

• Skittles Count and Graph (simple graphing lessons)
• Skittles Pattern Cards
• Skittles Multiplication
• Skittles Fractions

Have FUN!