Invite your little ones to play and learn numbers to ten with our fun activity cards! You can help transition them to a more structured and abstract understanding of numbers with ten frames. They will learn to visualize a clear set and begin to develop more advanced counting strategies as they organize quantities.
To set up a ten frame number play center
- print the ten frame kid activity mats on card or paper
- laminate the activity mats
- provide play dough (we have a recipe here if you want to make some)
- set up a play based learning table
- let your little ones make numbers and talk about them
- they will roll balls of dough and count them into the frame
- encourage and support your students' learning by asking questions that encourage them to talk and count
- if you notice students having difficulty counting, show them how to slowly tap each ball of dough and align it with a verbal count, so they develop 1:1 correspondence
- challenge them with questions like - how many more to make 10?
- help your students develop dough rolling skills - show them appropriate size pieces, how to roll between two palms or palm-to-table
How to set up a play based learning table
- provide an activity that strikes a balance between a clear learning goal and open ended or creative choice and expression
- focus on hands-on activities that integrate your learning content with a little creative expression and fine motor development
- provide time to explain the learning goal to students ahead of time - on a Monday works well and tell the whole class at the same time
- provide space for a small group of students only - perhaps rotating the students each day so the whole class has a turn of each activity
- have all the equipment in ready access for students - here the cards and dough are set out for students with extra in the middle of the play space
- balance practicality and safety with opportunity for students to demonstrate initiative and responsibility - e.g. here the activity can be set up on the table in readiness for students to help with your timetable structure, but students are responsible for packing up and clearing the table at the end of the session
- demonstrate expected behavior and safety considerations for equipment e.g. keeping play dough on the table, how to pack it up
- teach students what you expect - e.g. stay at your activity table until a bell rings
- where possible allow for a shared language experience (choose a few students to share what they have done at their play learning table and recount some of their experience) at the conclusion - although at times tedious for the teacher, significant language and communication gains can be experienced by your little learners
The activity mats in this post are included with other resources in a learning pack we offer in our TpT store. It includes:
- Posters / Flip Cards
- Fun Play Dough Cards
- Ten Frame Number Workbook
Find out more about our Ten Frame Kids Fun Pack on a past blog post HERE
To find the activity mats, hop over to our TpT store:
