Children learn best when they get their hands on materials. They need to physically move an object to count, add, and take away. Today, I am sharing my 5 favorite math manipulatives.
Dominos
I like to use dominoes in my classroom because they are open ended. You can count them, you can add with them, and you can subtract them. You can work with numbers 1-10 or numbers 10-20, depending on what your kids need. I created my Domino Math Activities to be easy and low prep. Win, win.
Mini Erasers
Do you hoard math erasers? I love them!!! I have three, yes three tool boxes full of them. I like that I can prep a center, like the one above, and then just change the erasers out. The kids already know how to do the activity, so I don’t have to reteach it. They don’t get bored because the erasers make the center fresh and new! You can find my Math Eraser Centers here.
Bears
Counting bears are the best! It’s fun to act out number stories with them. There were two bears walking through the forest. Two more bears joined them. How many bears are there? They are also great for counting. Would you like these Counting Bear Cards FREE? You get them here.
Counting Cubes
Counting Cubes are always a class favorite. Teach advice- ALWAYS talk about how they are not swords. I have counting cubes in one of my STEM Buckets. I let students know they can build towers and make swords during STEM time, but not math time. Snap cubes are great because they grow with kids. Start with 5, then 10. Move on to adding and subtracting. These centers will last year all school. You can get these here.
You can get this FREE Number strip here. It comes in 1-5 and 1-10. This is a simple number sense activity that is perfect for small group or whole group. Your kids are going to love it.
Dice
Dice are another great manipulative that will grow with your students. Start with one dice, then give students a second one. If you only want to work with 1-5 and 1-10, put a little piece of tape over the six!!! BRILLIANT!!! Tip two- the Dollar tree sells foam dice!!! This will cut down on noise. (As I type this, i can hear the dice hitting the table). These activities come from my No Prep Math Centers.
I also have this FREE Roll and Write Math activity for you. Do you see the large foam dice? Now, they also have a 6 pack of smaller foam dice.
