After Number Worksheet: Butterfly Fun!
This worksheet targets a specific early-numeracy milestone: understanding that every number has a number that comes immediately after it in sequence. For ages 4-6, practicing 'what comes next' strengthens the mental number line children rely on for later addition, since knowing that 7 comes after 6 is the foundation of counting on.
Part of the pack
Month 7: Preschool Skills Through Play | Ages 4-5Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Point to the number printed on the first butterfly and ask your child to say it aloud. Ask them what number comes right after it, encouraging them to count up from the given number if they're unsure. Have your child write that next number in the blank space provided on the butterfly. Continue butterfly by butterfly, and once the page is complete, read through all the number pairs together to check they follow in sequence.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Eraser
Extension activities
- •Line up number cards and remove one from the middle of the sequence, asking your child to figure out which number is missing.
- •Practice with a number line on the floor made of chalk or tape, having your child jump to the number that comes after a given spot.
- •Play a quick verbal game: say a number and have your child immediately say the next one, going back and forth.
- •Count a stack of blocks together, then add one more and ask what number comes next.
- •Create your own butterfly-themed cards with different numbers and swap them with a sibling or friend to solve.
Tips for parents and teachers
If your child hesitates, encourage them to count from one up to the given number rather than trying to recall the answer instantly, since counting on is the actual skill being built. Watch for common trouble spots like the transition from 9 to 10 or across decades, like 19 to 20, which often need extra practice. Keep the pace relaxed and celebrate correct answers to build confidence with number sequencing.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Every RaisoActive worksheet is designed and checked by the founder before publishing.
Published · Last reviewed
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