If you’re like me you have so much stuff in your classroom. I mean, it’s totally acceptable to be a teacher hoarder. We really are our own support group. #proudteacherhoarder. We all know how the thought process goes…. “I should throw that out…” “I’ll use it this year…” “I’ll put that in the closet because I might need it in 21 years…” And you end up with containers of toilet paper rolls (guilty!) and tubs of wooden cubes. The wooden cubes that multiply each night. True story. They just keep coming and coming and coming…so, I decided to finally use those 1.45 billion wooden cubes to make number cubes. Ya’ll know I’m a big believer in simple, fun and engaging activities…so these number cubes meet all those criteria.
Here’s what you need:
1 inch wooden cubes (or foam cubes work too)
Sharpie
To make these I wrote numbers to 20 on the stickers and stuck them to the cubes. BAM. Done. Now you have number cubes. The cubes in the picture are from my classroom and were made about 4 or 5 years ago and they’re still going strong.
OK. Now you have number cubes, so what do you do with them?!
Simple.
Roll and graph numbers and number words. Or roll and make ten frames.
Students will roll a number cube, say the number and graph. Our class rule is that you keep rolling and graphing until one of the numbers reaches the top! Let students use special crayons or smelly markers for even more fun and engagement. I used my Mr. Sketch Scented Crayons in these pictures! Students are working on number recognition and number words and graphing!
You can also use the number cubes for counting and making ten frames.
I found these Crayola Stampers at Target and grabbed them because I knew they’d make a great ten frame activity!
Roll the number cubes, say the number and then make the ten frame! Of course you don’t need the stampers for this to work. You can use crayons, markers or pencils. You can seven use Q-Tips dipped in paint to make ten frames!
Click the images to go to the FREEBIES page and get your number cubes freebies!
