These free count and color worksheets give preschool and kindergarten children five pages of practice with the numbers 1 to 5. On every row a child counts a small group of pictures and colors in the same number of circles beside it. There is nothing to write and nothing to remember – the answer stays on the page as something the child can see.
This is the gentlest counting pack on the site. The pictures sit in a neat, evenly spaced row and there are never more than five, which means a child can check their own work simply by looking from the pictures to the circles and back again. It is usually the first worksheet a four year old can finish without an adult sitting beside them the whole time.
What Is in This Free Count and Color 1 to 5 Worksheet Pack
- Five printable worksheets, five counting rows on each page.
- Every page covers the numbers 1 to 5, with different pictures each time.
- Five circles beside each row, so the row is full when the answer is five.
- Pictures lined up evenly, so nothing distracts from the counting.
- A name and date line at the top of every page.
- Five separate PDFs – no sign-up, no email address, no cost.
The 5 Count and Color Worksheets
Page 1 runs in order from one to five; every page after that shuffles the numbers. One page is a full session for most four year olds.
Worksheet 1 – Count and Color the Circles
The first page runs straight through in order: one apple, two bananas, three cars, four cats and five dogs. Starting in order lets a child watch the amount grow by exactly one each time, which is worth noticing before the numbers get shuffled.
Worksheet 2 – Count and Color the Circles
From here the order is mixed. This page asks for two dolphins, three eggplants, five elephants, one fox and four frogs, so working down the page by adding one no longer gets the right answer.
Worksheet 3 – Count and Color the Circles
Giraffes, grapes, a hamburger, juice and horses. A page where the pictures vary a lot in size, which is a useful reminder that how big something is has nothing to do with how many there are.
Worksheet 4 – Count and Color the Circles
Jellyfish, an apple, motorbikes, mushrooms and mountains. Some of these pictures are small and detailed, so this is the page where careful pointing matters most.
Worksheet 5 – Count and Color the Circles
Oranges, owls, pancakes, pigs and pandas. The last page of the set.
Why Coloring Circles Beats Writing the Number
Most counting worksheets ask for a numeral in a box. That is a fine exercise, but it hides mistakes: a child who writes 3 when there are four pictures has left nothing behind that shows the error.
Coloring circles leaves the answer visible and comparable. It also separates two skills that get tangled together at this age – knowing how many there are, and being able to form the numeral – so a child who cannot yet write a 4 is not held back from the counting itself.
When Children Are Ready for These Worksheets
These pages suit children from about three and a half to five years old. A child only needs to be able to say the number words in order; the worksheets teach the rest. If counting to five is already easy, move straight on to the 6 to 10 set linked at the bottom.
In American classrooms this is early kindergarten counting work: counting objects to tell how many there are, and understanding that the last number counted gives the total (Common Core K.CC.B.4 and K.CC.B.5). Nothing has to be written, so the pages suit children who are still learning to hold a pencil.
How to Use These Worksheets
- Print one page on ordinary paper.
- Ask your child to count the pictures out loud, touching each one as they go.
- Before the crayon comes out, ask “so how many circles?” The answer should come without recounting.
- Color the circles from the left, one for each picture.
- At the end, look down the page and ask which row has the most.
Three Things to Watch For
Coloring every circle
A child who colors all five circles on every row has understood the coloring but not the counting. Cover the spare circles with a finger and count the pictures again together.
Counting again when you ask how many
If a child counts “one, two, three” and then starts again from one when you ask how many there are, they have not yet realised that the last number is the answer. This is called cardinality, and it arrives with practice – keep asking the question rather than correcting them.
Coloring circles at random
Coloring the right number but scattering them is not wrong, though filling from the left makes the rows easy to compare afterwards, and comparing is the next thing worth learning.
Printing Tips
- Choose Actual size or Fit to page so the boxes stay big enough for a young child to write in.
- Each page fills one sheet and works on both US Letter and A4 paper.
- Printing in greyscale saves ink, though the pictures are easier to tell apart in color.
- Slip a page into a plastic wallet and use a dry-wipe pen to reuse it with more than one child.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age are these count and color worksheets for?
About three and a half to five years old – preschool, pre-K and early kindergarten.
Does my child need to write anything?
No. There is nothing to write on these pages, only circles to color.
What comes after 1 to 5?
The 6 to 10 set, linked below. It uses the same layout with larger groups.
Do I need to sign up to download these?
No. Every PDF downloads immediately, with no account and no cost.
Can I use these in my classroom?
Yes, they are free to print for home and classroom use. Please do not sell them or re-host the files elsewhere.
More Free Counting Worksheets
- Free Count and Color Worksheets 6-10 – the next step up
- Count and Color the Circles 1-5 – same numbers, scattered pictures
- Free Learn the Numbers 1 to 10 Worksheets – Ten Frames and Tracing
- Free Counting 1 to 10 Worksheets – Count and Write
- Free Circle the Larger Number Worksheets – Compare Two Groups
- Free Ten Frame Worksheets for Kindergarten – Count to 10