These printable Fish Cracker activities can be used with “Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Colors”. It’s fun to use these activities with an Ocean Theme.
You might not want to do all of these fish cracker activities with your class — just pick and choose the ones you prefer. The Fish Cracker Sort & Count might be more suited to Pre-K and the Fish Cracker Counting Sheet might be more suited to Kindergarten, but that is entirely up to the individual teacher and group of children.
Fish Cracker Activities: Sorting & Counting
Children sort fish crackers by color onto the colored fish on the mat. When they are done, then have children count how many fish of each color and write the number on the fish. These could be laminated and used with dry erase markers if you don’t want to print one for each child.
There is also a black and white option included to save colored ink.
Download: Fish Cracker Sorting
Fish Cracker Activities: Counting Sheet
Children place one fish on each fish on the paper. You might want to have them color the fish the same colors as the crackers.
Then they count how many they have of each color and write or stamp the number in the space. It would be a good idea to underline each color word with the same color marker for non-readers.
Children could also stamp the fish with bingo dot markers to represent the colors of their fish crackers.
Download: Fish Cracker Counting Sheet
Fish Cracker Activities: Graph
This is similar to the Counting Sheet, but in a graph style. Graph and count how many fish of each color. Optional: Have children color the graph. This comes in color or black and white.
Fish Cracker Activities: Patterns
This set includes the patterns: AB, ABC, AABB, AAB, and ABB. Print these out and laminate so they can be wiped clean if they get messy. The cards can be cut into individual cards or just leave four to a sheet.
Download: Fish Cracker Patterns
Duplicating a Pattern
On these printable pattern cards, children can place the fish crackers on top of the colored fish to duplicate the pattern.
Extend the Pattern
On these pattern cards, the colored fish show the start of the pattern. Children will extend the pattern, or “finish the pattern”, by placing the fish crackers onto the blank white fish.
Black and White Pattern Pages
The black and white pattern pages can be used for children to record their own patterns. You can have them color the fish or use bingo dot markers.
I hope you enjoy using these Fish Cracker Activities with your preschoolers and kindergarteners! Find more Ocean Activities here and more Pattern Activities here!
You’ll Also Like This Ocean Visual Discrimination Pack from my shop:
Get the Ocean Visual Discrimination Pack here!
Originally posted May 2011 – Updated May 2022
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How strange, I did a colored goldfish cracker graphing activity with my kindergartners this morning! And while I would swear up and down there are 5 colors like you have here, there were only 4 in the packets my kids opened. What I thought were red and purple were all one reddish purplish color instead. I wonder if we got defective packages…? In any case, wish I’d put that activity off a day so I could incorporate some of these. Next time!
I found out during a “One fish two fish red fish blue fish” activity that the pepperidge farm gold fish crackers have two different kinds of colored fish. One is called “natural colors”, they are not as bright, more earthy colors. I learned this as the last min. and had to go with m & m’s. LOL Not sure if this is what you came across but wanted to mention it, just incase. I’m careful to read the outside of the package now!
These are awesome! However, we just sorted colored goldfish crackers yesterday, and there are indeed only 4 different colors (reddish/purple, orange, yellow and green).
The pkg I used also had 4 colors, but we made it work. We used the Fish Cracker Counting sheet and just wrote a zero for purple. (The kids noticed there were only 4 colors and called the reddish-purple fish red, another group might identify it as purple.) The only place I can see it being a problem is on the pattern sheet with patterns including both red and purple. Thanks–I think these are fantastic!
Hmm, I wasn’t aware the crackers had 4 colors. I could adjust the printables when I get a chance, but you had a great idea, Stacey, just put a zero for purple. Thanks for making me aware of it!
I love all the fish activities! I plan on using your ideas for our Ocean Unit:) Thanks for Sharing!
At the grocery store, I discovered you all are right. The Goldfish are now only in 4 colors instead of 5 (minus purple). They are making new Neon colors & that’s where you’ll find the purple. So, I guess you could buy both Goldfish Colors & Goldfish Neon Colors & mix them, or just put in a zero for purple.
I loved several of your ideas…I know the children will too! Thank you for sharing!!!
Thanks!
YOU are a MOST AMAZING! teacher, Mentor to me and just a fantastic, THinker, outside the box, CREATIVE, pushing the envelope gal. PLEASE keep sharing, it makes us all BETTER teachers and gives us more opportunities to reach ALL of our students, no matter where they are in their development, skills and abilities.!!! I do SO appreciate all you have done for our profession. Again, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and activities, and lessons with us.
Debbie
Wow, Debbie, thanks so much for your kind words! 🙂
Thanks for the fish printables!!! I love them! I have a little friend this year who has an allergy to red #40 which is in practically all little snacks and juices that are red, orange, and purple EXCEPT the goldfish crackers. I can’t wait to use these next week!
Thanks, Kathy!
They do not make the neon colors anymore which make using the pattern sheets almost impossible. I called and they said those were off the market (2012). Is there a way to post them without the purple or let us know where you got the fish clipart. I would love to make my own with the colors that are in the goldfish box.
Thanks! My kids love using goldfish in their learning. This will go perfectly for the fishing unit I’m planning. 🙂
Thanks Kathy!
I am planning on laminating them and keeping them handy for next year too 🙂
Yes, I found that you can laminate the fish bingo sheets as well. The kids can use a tissue to wipe off the letter/number/shape that is pre-drawn on the sheet with a dry erase marker or dry erase crayons (I prefer the crayons because no harsh smell and my older students that are writing help assist in prepping the sheets for small group activity times) I LOVE these & so do my students! What an amazing job, thanks Karen for always sharing amazing ideas and enrichments!
Thanks, Holli!
Thanks for your awesome ideas! I love the sheets for sorting, graphing, and patterning! It would be great to have a pattern sheet with just white fish to challenge kindergartners to come up with their own patterns too! Just an idea! I love the fish you use, it’s soooo cute! Looking forward to using your ideas in my ocean unit!
Thanks for the suggestion, Dora! I have added that to my to-do list.
Just found your site. I was stuck for what to do with summer school for ones going into kindergarten. I believe I will be having fun with the ocean and the USA. Such great ideas. Just an idea with the pattern ones, have a set that is blank so they can make their own. You rock!!
Glad you found something you can use! Have fun!
I also graph the original goldfish….Finn (smiling fish) and friends (non smiling)….I have also done more/less and probability with them.
That’s a neat idea, Karin, thanks for sharing.
These are all great ideas. I have also used these crackers for graphing but never thought about using them to pattern or do more/less with them. Thanks for sharing your ideas.
Karen, thank you for sharing all your great ideas! These goldfish activities will be fun! I also printed some math grids and know my kids will love the valentine and St. Patty’s Day grids!
Thanks! Hope you & your students have fun!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL IDEAS!
Any ideas on where I could find plastic fish counters? We have some gluten free kids!
I’m not sure, Catherine. Wish I knew! You could try stores like dollar stores or Big Lots. They sometimes have packages of small toys that can be used for counters.
Love the ideas – yet to print and try. I ‘laminate’ as much as I can to extend life of an activity, especially working with little ones. Thanks for sharing Karen C
PS @ Catherine – You could try using plastic bottle caps (from water and juices, they come in variety of colours ). You can write on with permanent marker. I’ve found the chunkier ones come in handy as ‘money’ for my old Fisher Price Cash Till that still has use even without it’s original cash. 🙂
Very interesting and many skills included in such a simple activity. Look forward to including it next scholastic year. Many thanks Karen and keep up the good work!
Hi Again
Just downloaded & had a look at the templates and I thought a way round the colour issue Is to print the ‘Fish Cracker Count’ template on to each of the relevant colour card/paper – R/P/O/Y/G, then cut out each and laminate. Hope this is good for any newbie like myself.
Once again Thanks Karen.
Hi Karen, I just want to say, this is my second year teaching Prek and I am so happy I found your site. You have great things in this site that I lucky to have found.
Thanks!
Alicia Rivera