Number Tracing Worksheet: Trace and Find the Number 12!
On this page, children ages 3-5 trace the two-digit number 12 and then hunt for it among a grid of other numbers, building both handwriting control and the visual discrimination needed to tell similar numerals apart. Recognizing 12 in different positions in the grid helps children understand that a number keeps its identity even when its neighbors change. This is an important step toward confident number recognition beyond rote counting.
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Counting to 10, made for your child
A maths pack with your child's name in it: pictures that explain, practice at three levels, puzzles and story sums about them. Print a new set whenever they finish.
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Curriculum
How to use this worksheet
First, guide your child to trace the number 12 in the dotted boxes, noticing how the curved 2 differs from the straight-line 1 beside it. Then look together at the grid of numbers below and ask your child to search row by row for every 12, coloring each one they find. Count the total number of 12s found together at the end to reinforce the connection between finding a number and counting a quantity.
Materials needed
- Pencil
- Crayons
Extension activities
- •Gather 12 small toys or buttons and count them out loud together to connect the numeral to a real quantity.
- •Look for the number 12 on a clock face and talk about what happens at 12 o'clock.
- •Have your child trace 12 with their finger on your back or palm and guess the number.
- •Practice counting out loud from 1 to 20, pausing to clap extra loud on 12.
Tips for parents and teachers
Some children reverse the order of the digits and write 21 instead of 12, which is a normal and common mix-up at this age rather than a sign of a problem. Point to the tens digit first and say 'this one comes first' to help anchor the order. Keep the grid search light and game-like rather than a test, since enthusiasm matters more than speed.
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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