Before and After Numbers Worksheet: Counting Bananas!
Figuring out which number comes immediately before and after a given number strengthens children ages 4-5's understanding of number order and the counting sequence, a concept that's more abstract than simply counting objects one by one. Coloring a matching number of bananas for each answer adds a concrete, visual check, letting children confirm their number sense by physically representing the quantity. This worksheet bridges rote number-sequence memorization with real quantity understanding.
Part of the pack
Month 10: Learning & Development | Ages Up to 4Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
Look at the first given number together and ask your child what number comes right before it, then what number comes right after it, saying the full sequence out loud (for example, 'four, five, six'). Have your child write the before and after numbers in the blank spaces provided. Next, have them count out and color that many bananas to match the number they just wrote, checking that the banana count matches the numeral. Repeat the process for each number sequence on the page, encouraging your child to say the sequence aloud each time before writing.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Practice counting forward and backward out loud in the car or during a walk, stopping at random numbers to ask what comes next.
- •Use real bananas or banana stickers to build physical number sequences on the table.
- •Play a 'what comes before and after' game using house numbers or page numbers in a book.
- •Create a number line on the floor with sticky notes and have your child hop to the number before or after one you call out.
- •Draw your own fruit and write a new before-and-after number sequence to solve.
Tips for parents and teachers
Children often find 'before' harder than 'after' since it requires counting backward, so give extra support and repetition on that half of the task. If your child colors the wrong number of bananas, count them out loud together afterward rather than simply pointing out the mistake. Reciting the full number sequence aloud, not just the answer, helps cement the order in memory more than writing alone.
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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