🐾 Cool Cat Counts: Building Teen Number Sense with Place Value Crafting!
Let’s face it—teen numbers can be tricky for little learners. They’re not quite as straightforward as counting to 10, and they come with that special structure: a ten and some more. That’s where my newest Math Craft – Cool Cat Counts – comes in with a purrr-fectly fun way to explore place value through art, hands-on thinking, and storytelling!
🎯 Why Cool Cat Counts Works
Cool Cat Counts isn’t just a cute display (though it definitely makes a great one!). It’s designed to help students visually and physically organize numbers into tens and ones. Instead of seeing numbers like 14 or 17 as a jumble of dots or pictures, students build understanding that:
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One ten = a group of ten ones
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The rest are leftover ones
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Numbers can be shown in place value format: structured and easy to interpret!
The craft includes a T-shirt with “Tens” and “Ones” columns, and two legs that represent each part visually using ten-frame-style rods. Students color, cut, and build their cat—but behind the fun, their brain is doing the deep work of number composition.
💡 Getting Started: Tips for Teaching Teen Numbers
Here are a few practical steps to set students up for success:
- 1. Start Small: Explore Single Numbers with Manipulatives
Before introducing the craft, use base-ten blocks or linking cubes. Have students physically build teen numbers—start with a pile of “ones” and ask them to count out the number. Then trade 10 ones for a ten rod! Make a big deal out of this. It's math magic! ✨- 2. Introduce a Place Value Mat (Like the Cat’s Shirt!)
Draw a quick mat with “Tens” and “Ones” labeled. Practice sorting cubes into each side to match numbers. This mirrors the cat’s T-shirt and helps make the leap from manipulatives to recording structured numbers.- 3. Tell a Math Story with a Cat Twist
Storytime math brings joy and deep thinking. Try this one:
🐱 “Cool Cat is on a walk home and finds snacks (use small counters). She collects them along the way... but they’re heavy to carry! So every time she finds 10, she trades them for a big snack bag (a ten rod) to carry more easily!”Use physical blocks to act this out. Count aloud, trade 10 ones for a ten, and place them into the correct part of the mat. Let students play the part of Cool Cat in small groups!
🖍️ Using the Craft in the Classroom
When students are ready, bring out the Cool Cat Counts craft! Each student picks a teen number, writes it in tens and ones on the T-shirt, and then represents it:- Left leg: color a full ten rod
- Right leg: color only the number of ones (leave the rest blank)
- T-shirt: record the number in columns (just like your place value mat!)
📌 Displaying Cool Cats
Create a bulletin board or math wall titled “Cool Cats Count in Tens and Ones!”Line the cats up in order or mix them up and play a Find My Number game. Add speech bubbles for math talk like:
- “I’m number 13! I have 1 ten and 3 ones!”
- “Check out my legs—see how I colored just the right number?”
🎲 Extend the Fun: More Place Value Practice
Once your students meet Cool Cat, keep the learning going with these ideas:
And honestly? It’s just plain fun.
- Roll & Build: Roll two dice (1-6 and 10-20) to make a teen number. Build it with blocks, then draw it on a mini place value mat.
- Cat Coin Trade: Use small cat tokens or counters to collect "snacks" (ones) and trade for a ten when they reach 10.
- Math Journal Prompt: “Cool Cat has 1 ten and 4 ones. What number is she showing?”
- And for even more playful math, pair this craft with my Tens and Ones Games Pack—perfect for number sense, counting, and early place value.
🐾 Ready to Craft Some Cat-tastic Math?
Cool Cat Counts is ready for your classroom—low prep, high engagement, and packed with place value power. Whether you’re just beginning your teen number unit or reviewing number structure, this math craft helps students see numbers in an organized, meaningful way.And honestly? It’s just plain fun.