find and show play dough counting mats for pirate treasure hunting theme

Play Dough Find and Show Numbers 1-20: Pirate

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool kindergarten Early Elementary

Type of Resource: PDF

Number of Pages: 10

Join the Life Over C’s Club to Access

Tell Me More Button

Already a member? Login below:

Coordinating Activities

What's Included:

  • 2 Sets of Find and Cover Activities: 1-5 and 1-10

Required Materials:

  • Paper, Printer, Ink
  • Pocket Chart
printer icon

Never Worry About Ink Costs Again

Do you always worry about how much it costs to print and activity?

Do you find yourself not choosing activities in color because they cost too much to print?

Then, HP Instant Ink is for you!!

We love using HP Instant Ink for so many reasons... but here are a few:

  • Never have to worry about running out of ink and having to order ink before I can print an activity.
  • No extra cost for printing in color.
  • One low price every month.
Learn More About HP Instant Ink Here

Find and Show Numbers 1-20 Pirate Theme | Play Dough Math Mats

Set sail for hands-on math fun with this playful pirate-themed number sense activity! The Find and Show Numbers Pirate Mats give preschool and kindergarten students a chance to build numbers 1-20 in an interactive, engaging way. Perfect for math centers, small groups, morning tubs, or even sensory bins, this pirate treasure chest activity helps kids make meaningful connections between numerals and quantities using play dough or counters.

What’s Included:

  • 1 Pirate treasure chest mat (without writing lines)
  • 1 Pirate treasure chest mat (with a number tracing/writing line)
  • 20 Number cards (1-20, with colorful gems and pirate icons)
  • Optional number word reference bank (one–twenty)

Skills Covered:

  • Number recognition (1–20)
  • One-to-one correspondence
  • Counting and cardinality
  • Fine motor development (through play dough manipulation)
  • Number writing (optional extension)

Learning Standards Addressed:

This activity supports the following foundational skills from Common Core and Texas Pre-K Guidelines:

  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4: Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities
  • CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A.3: Write numbers from 0 to 20
  • Texas Pre-K Guidelines: Domain V – Mathematics: Counting skills, number sense, and verbal counting

How to Use:

  1. Print the mats and number cards on cardstock or laminate for durability.
  2. Students choose a number card and place it on the “Choose a Number” space.
  3. Using play dough, mini erasers, or any math manipulative, they fill the treasure chest with the correct number of “gems.”
  4. For added writing practice, use the mat with lines so students can trace or write the number.
  5. To extend the activity, hide number cards in a pirate sensory bin or around the classroom for a math treasure hunt!

This activity is the perfect way to bring fun, treasure-filled math to your classroom while supporting essential early numeracy skills!

More Resources