6 Ideas for Making Ten

I'd love to share with you 6 ideas for using our free Let's Make Ten addition poster with your little learners! This printable teaching resource can be found in our store and is provided in color and blackline. 

free addition activity

making 10 poster

I made it primarily to be a reference poster/visual as you guide students through the combinations that total 10 - 1+9, 2+8, 3+7, 4+6 and 5+5. Ask students to make the groups with counters or other math manipulatives.

addition snakes

Here are some other ways to use it:

1. Matching Puzzle

  • print 2 copies of the color poster
  • laminate
  • cut the snakes out of one page
  • encourage students to match the snakes to the other poster which can be used as a puzzle base mat

adding to ten

2. Clip the Dots

  • have students use clips, clothespins or pegs of different colors to show the 2 numbers on each snake
  • this will help emergent students with 1:1 and counting in addition to making 10
  • great fine motor activity too
clip to ten

3. Make 20

  • extend your advanced learners by asking them to take 2 snakes to identify the numbers needed to 'make 20'
making 20

4. Play Dough or Buttons

  • in similar fashion to the clips, ask students to place play dough balls, buttons or math manipulatives directly on the snake to build each combination
adding to 10

5. Get Creative

  • let students paint or color the blackline version to show each pair of numbers
  • circle dot stickers would be fun too
creative math

6. Hole Punch

  • combine counting and fine motor
  • great for tactile learners
  • cut the blackline page into strips
  • let students punch holes in the snake to show one of the numbers in the combination
fine motor addition
We hope you love these additional ways to get even more value out of using one of our favorite freebies!
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