Which numbers can the dots use?

1 to 10, 1 to 20, 1 to 30 or 1 to 50, counting by 2s to 50, by 5s to 100, by 10s to 150, or the alphabet from A to Z.

Where do children start?

At the green dot, at the top of the picture. The numbers go round clockwise, and every number sits just outside its dot.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. The answer key shows the finished outline in red, with the colour picture it was drawn from.

Which pictures are there?

An apple, a pear, a heart, a star, a moon, a house, a fish, a duck, two dinosaurs, a butterfly, a mushroom, an umbrella, a pumpkin and a ghost.

Dot to Dot Printables: Count to 10, 20 or 50, Skip Count and A to Z

Counting with a picture at the end

Dot to dot practices number order: children have to find what comes next, again and again, and the picture only appears if they get it right. Skip counting by 2s, 5s and 10s and the A to Z pages use the same idea for times tables and the alphabet.

Pick a level

1 to 10 and 1 to 20. Nursery and Reception.
1 to 30 and 1 to 50. Reception and Year 1.
By 2s, 5s and 10s. Year 1 and Year 2, before times tables.
A to Z. Alphabet order for any age.

More puzzles

For a hidden picture made with colours, try colour by number. Number tracinghelps children who are still learning to write the numbers.

Curriculum links in England

ReceptionChildren count aloud beyond 20 and recognise the pattern of the counting system.
Fine motorThe Reception goal includes beginning to show accuracy and care when drawing.
Year 1Pupils count to and across 100, and count in multiples of 2, 5 and 10.
AlphabetYear 1 spelling includes naming the letters of the alphabet in order.

A dot to dot isn’t part of the curriculum, but it rehearses number order and pencil control together, which suits Nursery, Reception and Year 1 in England.

Year 1 children count across 100, not just up to it, so on the count-by-10s pictures slow down at 100, 110, 120 and read the numbers aloud. The 2s, 5s and 10s pictures also lead into Year 2, when those steps become the first times tables. Joining the dots with a ruler is good practice for older children, who use rulers for lines and measuring from Year 2.

Summarised in our own words from the EYFS statutory framework (early learning goals) and the National Curriculum in England: mathematics programmes of study (DfE).