Desert Number Puzzles 1-12

Desert number puzzles for 1 to 12: students build each cactus from three pieces, joining a numeral, a picture of that many cubes to count and the number word.
Year groups
Nursery–Reception (Early Years), Year 1 (Key Stage 1)
Pages
3
File type
PDF
Preparation
Print ready

Updated Sep 27, 2026

Subject
Summer, Seasons, Phonics, Holiday & Seasonal, Language Development, English
Topic
Number Recognition, Counting Objects
Resource types
Activities
Preparation
Print ready

From the author

About this resource

This resource contains a set of desert themed puzzles designed to engage Nursery and Year 1 pupils in a thorough exploration of numbers and counting objects from 1-12. Built around an appealing desert theme, this engages students to practise counting and recognising numbers up to 12. With its bold, and brightly coloured cards, these simple puzzles layouts, Year 1 and Nursery children can stay engaged and have fun with counting!

What is Included:

  • 3 piece puzzles where students can match numbers, number words, and objects

How to Use:

Students will look at the different cactus puzzle pieces and will build a cactus by matching the number, the number word, and the correct number of objects. The cactus should be built with the largest piece at the bottom and the smallest piece at the top.

When these Puzzles:

  • Task Box Activities - These puzzles can easily be stored in task boxes and provide for easy set up, clean up, and storage.

  • Maths Centre - The puzzles can be placed inside a maths centre for students to work alone or with a partner.

  • Morning Tubs or Baskets - The puzzles can be placed in a morning bin for students to do while they wait for their classmates to arrive.

  • Small Group Activities - The teacher can pull aside a small group of students who need practice with counting and number recognition to work on these puzzles.

  • Quiet Time Activity - In the Nursery classroom, these puzzles are a perfect activity for non-nappers to work on quietly.

Skills Assess by these Puzzles

  • Students can practise number recognition and counting up to 12.

These desert number puzzles are low prep. They just need to be printed and cut apart. The teacher can laminate these puzzles for durability if desired. Once created, the puzzles can be laminated for durability, making this activity reusable.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

  • Match numerals 1–12 to their number words and to a counted set of cubes

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