Looking for an entertaining way to teach multiplication? It’s time to make a DIY skip counting mat.
Math has likely evolved since you were a kid, making it feel like a daunting chore to try and teach things like multiplication. Since teachers use different approaches now, even the basics feel a little fuzzy when trying to recollect from your childhood. It can feel like you are relearning math just to help the kids in your life learn.

(rawpixel.com/Freepik)
But one thing you may remember is learning to count by multiples. Chances are, you studied times tables and could recite them effortlessly. You probably still can, and it goes all the way back to your elementary learning days. Adding the same number over and over again and learning to count by threes, fours, and fives. This is essentially skip counting, an essential foundation for learning multiplication.
Now it’s your turn to pass this knowledge on to the kids in your life. But you are going to make it fun because that is your style (and you know it yields better learning results). So let’s learn how to teach skip counting by DIYing a skip counting mat and how using my free bubble letters and numbers printables will help.
Skip Counting Explained
Skip counting is essentially counting by multiples. If you are counting by Fours, you start at ZERO; skip one, two, and three; COUNT FOUR; skip five, six, and seven; COUNT EIGHT, and so on. Do it enough times, and it will etch itself on your brain for a lifetime. It’s a handy skill to have in your back pocket for everyday math and counting.
Why Skip Counting?
Skip counting is an effective way to teach counting, build the foundation of multiplication, and help kids develop skills that will encourage speed and efficiency when tackling math problems.
Skip counting helps people do things like count money and tell time faster. By doing this, students learn their times tables and how to recognize number groups. It serves as an integral foundation for learning endless math concepts, making it a crucial part of the math learning journey.
The Best Way to Skip Count
There are a million ways to teach skip counting. However, one of the best ways to make new information stick is to get kids’ bodies involved. This is where a skip count mat comes in. This tool allows kids to learn while jumping and counting, resulting in a great time and new knowledge.
Kinesthetic learning (teaching in conjunction with movement) has endless proven benefits. It helps concepts stick, and it motivates kids to learn because it’s fun.
When learning is fun, it helps them comprehend better because they are physically experiencing it.
When they comprehend better, that helps them retain it.
When they retain more, it helps them recall it in the future.
When they can recall the concepts they learn, your children will develop into more confident and excited learners.
DIYing Your Skip Counting Mat
You can buy a skip counting mat, but they are very expensive for something that you can make on your own for a fraction of the price.
You will likely want to make a series of skip counting mats, one for each number you are counting by. You’ll start with a large piece of durable paper or cardboard and plan out a series of squares. These squares need to be large enough to accommodate a child’s feet (around 12 inches works great) and spaced far enough apart so kids can easily hop from box to box.
Once you have the squares, you get to fill in your numbers. Use the free printable bubble letter and number stencils to draw cute and readable numbers in each box. Between the number squares, you can even write out the numbers they are skipping over, which creates a nice visual.
For example, if you are making a mat for 7s, you will start with a square for zero, followed by the numbers 1 through 6.
Then, you’ll add another square for 7, followed by the numbers 8 through 13.
After that, you’ll make a square for 14, followed by the numbers 15 through 20.
Then, you’ll need a square for 21, and so on.
Using Your New Skip Counting Mat
When you’ve filled in all the numbers, it’s time to put it to work.
- Start by having kids jump from large box to large box, counting each time they land. When they repeat the activity over and over, hear themselves say it, and feel their bodies do it, the knowledge will begin to stick.
- Once they have mastered counting by multiples, you can use the mats for multiplication. For example, to find the solution to 7×4, you’ll go to the seven mat, start on zero, and hop four times. You’ll land on the answer: 28!
- You can also learn division! For 28 divided by 7, you’ll start on 28 and count how many hops it takes to return to zero. Four hops, and that’s your answer.
Skip counting mats are a valuable tool for teaching math, and taking the time to make one will lead to a memorable and fun math experience. The kids in your life will have a great time learning to skip count and be proud of the new skill they learned in the process.