Counting has never been sweeter! Our Counting Cupcakes Craft: Numbers to 10 is a fun and hands-on activity designed to help students practise their counting skills while engaging in a creative task. Perfect for early years classrooms, this craft allows students to demonstrate their understanding of numbers 1 to 10 in a highly visual and interactive way.

Using the included cupcake templates, students will paint, decorate, and represent a chosen number using items such as pom poms, tissue paper, sequins, or stickers. Each cupcake becomes a visual display of number knowledge as students count out and place the correct number of decorations to match the given numeral or number word. This activity supports one-to-one correspondence, number recognition, and fine motor development all in one!

With multiple representations of numbers (numerals and number words), this resource is flexible and easily differentiated. The completed cupcakes make a colourful classroom display using the included banner, and the activity is perfect for numeracy rotations, small group work, or independent practise.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Recognise and identify numbers from 1 to 10
• ✅ Demonstrate one-to-one correspondence when counting objects
• ✅ Match numerals and number words to quantities
• ✅ Develop fine motor skills through cutting, gluing, and decorating
• ✅ Follow instructions to complete a multi-step task

What’s Included:

• Printable cupcake templates featuring numbers 1 to 10 (numerals and number words)
• Decorating suggestions and teacher instructions
• Classroom display banner to showcase finished work

Materials Needed:

• Printed cupcake templates
• Pom poms, buttons, sequins, or stickers
• Scrunched tissue paper or craft paper
• Paint, crayons, or markers
• Scissors and glue

How to Use:

1. Print and hand out a cupcake template to each student.
2. Assign or allow students to choose a number from 1 to 10.
3. Students decorate the cupcake using the correct number of items to match the number shown.
4. Encourage students to count aloud as they add each decoration.
5. Display completed cupcakes with the provided banner for a fun, visual number wall.

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use during numeracy rotations to reinforce counting concepts.
• 💡 Set up as a small group craft in a fine motor workstation.
• 💡 Include as a culminating task after a unit on numbers 1–10.
• 💡 Pair with a story or poem about cupcakes for a cross-curricular activity.
• 💡 Encourage peer feedback by having students explain how they counted their decorations.

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Pre-cut templates for younger students or those needing fine motor support.
• 💛 Provide a range of decorating options to meet sensory needs and keep students engaged.
• 💛 Use the finished cupcakes to assess one-to-one correspondence and numeral recognition.
• 💛 Display the cupcakes in order to create a classroom number line or wall chart.

Counting Cupcakes Craft: Numbers to 10 is a colourful, creative, and curriculum-aligned way to bring early number concepts to life through play and hands-on exploration!