Skip Counting by 2s, 5s and 10s: Games and a Printable Chart

Skip counting means counting forward in equal jumps: 2, 4, 6, 8 or 5, 10, 15, 20. It looks like a rote chant, but it is one of the most useful early math skills. It builds number sense, prepares the way for multiplication, speeds up counting of coins and groups, and shows children that numbers follow patterns.

This guide covers how to teach skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s, the order that works best, a printable chart, and games that keep it fun.

Why skip counting matters

When a child counts a pile of 30 socks one by one, mistakes creep in. When they count in pairs (2, 4, 6…), they get to the answer faster and check it more easily. That same thinking underlies multiplication: 5 jumps of 2 is 5 × 2.

Skip counting also builds early algebra. Each sequence has a rule (“add 5 each time”), and spotting rules is the foundation of patterns later on.

Teach in this order

1. Tens first. Counting by 10s (10, 20, 30…) is the easiest to see, since only the tens digit changes. It also reinforces place value.
2. Fives next. The numbers end in 5 or 0 in a regular pattern, and clocks and nickels make it real.
3. Twos last of the three. The sequence is easy to count but the numbers are less distinctive. It connects to even numbers and to pairs.

Move on only when the child can count to at least 50 or 100 smoothly in each, both out loud and in writing.

Use the hundred chart

A hundred chart is a 10 by 10 grid of the numbers 1 to 100. It turns skip counting into a picture. Print the free hundred chart or use the on-screen hundred chart tool.

Try this three-color pattern hunt:

• Color every 10th number (10, 20, 30…) in one color. They form a single column on the right.
• Color every 5th number in a second color. They make two columns, one at the 5s and one at the 10s.
• Color every 2nd number in a third color. They make alternating columns.

Then ask:

• What do you notice about the columns?
• Which numbers got more than one color? Why?
• What is the ones digit of every number you colored in the 5s? (Always 5 or 0.)

Children often spot that all numbers colored for 10 also got colors for 5 and 2. Let them wonder why. It is an early taste of factors and multiples.

Game 1: Hop along the number line

Draw a number line on the floor with tape or chalk, or on a long strip of paper. The child hops, jumps or moves a counter in equal steps and says each landing: “2, 4, 6, 8…” Switch the jump size and ask, “Where will we land after 5 hops?”

Game 2: Missing number chant

Write a skip counting sequence with gaps: 10, 20, __, 40, __, 60. The child fills them in, then says the whole sequence. Make harder versions by starting somewhere other than zero: 35, 40, __, 50, __.

Starting at 35 and counting by 5s is the same skill. The difference is that it breaks the “just recite from memory” habit.

Game 3: Coin count

Skip counting meets money here. Use real or play coins:

• Dimes count by 10s.
• Nickels count by 5s.
• Pennies count by ones, but you can group them in 5s or 10s.

Put out 7 nickels and ask, “How much?” Count: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 cents. Mix dimes and nickels and the child learns to count the bigger coins first and then switch, a real-life skill.

Game 4: Pairs and socks

Dump out a basket of clean socks or shoes. “How many shoes?” Match them in pairs and count by 2s. For 5s, trace hands on paper and count the fingers: three hands is 15 fingers. For 10s, count ten-finger groups or bundled sticks.

Counting real groups ties the chant to something the child can touch.

Game 5: Beat the clock

Set a timer for 60 seconds. The child counts by 2s as far as they can, and you note the last number. Try again later in the week and see if they beat their score. Racing a past score, not another child, keeps the game friendly.

For a classroom, pairs can take turns counting while the partner checks against a hundred chart.

Game 6: Skip count and clap

Everyone sits in a circle. Count by 5s aloud, but clap instead of saying the 10s: “5, CLAP, 15, CLAP, 25…” Change the rule for 2s: whisper the odd jumps and say the even ones loudly. Changing how you say the numbers keeps attention on the pattern.

Common mistakes to watch for

Losing track partway. If a child goes from 40 to 55 by 5s, use the chart to show the gap. Point to each number as they count.

Counting from the wrong start. Counting by 2s starting at 1 gives odd numbers (1, 3, 5…). Ask, “Do you notice these are different from the 2s you did before?” It is a good moment to introduce odd and even.

Reciting without meaning. Ask, “What number is after 6 hops of 5?” If the child must recite from the start each time, they are chanting, not yet seeing the structure. Show the jumps on the chart or number line and ask them to predict before counting.

From skip counting to multiplication

Once counting by 2s, 5s and 10s feels automatic, you can introduce multiplication as repeated jumps. “3 jumps of 5 is 15” becomes 3 × 5 = 15. The times tables tool and our free multiplication charts build directly on this idea. Many children find the 2s, 5s and 10s tables easy for exactly this reason: they already know the chants.

If you want regular, low-pressure practice, the practice section has counting and multiplication skills with instant feedback. The patterns and algebra topic page collects skip counting activities alongside other pattern work.

Frequently asked questions

When should children start skip counting?

Many children can count by 10s and 2s in kindergarten and Grade 1, and by 5s in Grade 1 and 2. Starting before they count to 100 reliably is not necessary. Build on whatever smooth counting they have.

Is skip counting the same as learning times tables?

It is a stepping stone, not the same thing. Skip counting builds the idea that multiplication is repeated groups. Learning times tables then moves from “count up the jumps” to knowing facts quickly. The first makes the second much easier to understand.

My child can count by 5s but not by 2s. Is that a problem?

No. Many children find 5s easier because they know the clock and coin patterns. Use the hundred chart to color the 2s and notice the even and odd rhythm. Pairs of objects such as shoes, mittens and eyes give the 2s a real-life anchor.