Who’s ready to storm the castle with some number towers? ♜♜♜ This fun activity is a simple way to practice sums with manipulatives. Note: This is not meant to be used as a worksheet, but rather as a manipulative game. Click here for our video on how to make the most of this activity.
What you need:
- paper + access to a printer (don’t have one? we like this model)
- scissors
- manipulatives (blocks like these Unifix cubes or something that can stack works best for this activity, but you can also “stack” objects like coins or beads two-dimentionally on a table or surface)
- Tower Numbers Printable
What to do:
There are many ways to play with this activity, but here is a great way to start. Demonstrate the first problem for your child by using manipulatives to arrive at the correct answer.
For example: Consider the equation 2 + 5. Show your child 2 white blocks. You can count them and put the blocks together. Then, do the same with 5 red blocks. Talk to your child about joining them together. You can say, “Let’s put 2 and 5 together. If we take two and add five more, how many do we have altogether? Let me see…2 plus 5? Let me count them.” Show them to count each block only once. Once you add them together say, “Two plus five equals seven!”
Some children will have a hard time counting a block only once. In this case, it helps to have small cups or bowls and literally move the blocks from one to the other to be sure your child only counts them once. Once you have the blocks counted, build them into the tower.
And remember: Make it fun! For example, if your child loves imaginary play, pretend the worksheet is a directive from the king!
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