Understanding the concept of place value (the number 74 has 7 tens and 4 ones, for example) is important for children to develop a solid sense of numbers. Our place value activity mats are a hands-on way to practice reading, writing and counting numbers from 1 to 100. They’re great to use as number of the day practice, morning work or math centers.

And they’re a perfect complement to our Place Value Cover Up!

Getting Ready

I printed off the color version of the place value mat and numbers (below) and laminated them for extra duribility. Then, I printed the black and white versions onto colored paper to make them a little more exciting.

I gathered dry erase markers, pencils and some buttons (although they were not essential) and we were ready to go!

Place Value Mat Activity

First, we shuffled the number cards and placed them face down. We chose two at random and put them in the place value boxes at the top right of the mat. If a zero is drawn, it needs to go in the “ones” or right-hand box, but otherwise any number can go to the right or the left.

We took a look at the number and read it out loud. Then we searched to find that number in the box to the left and circled it when we were successful.

We needed to deconstruct the number to fully understand the true value of it so we took the number in the tens box and circled that many plant pots. The number of pots told us how many tens, but the number of flowers in the plant pots told us the true value of that number. For example, 3 pot plants was the same as 30 flowers.

We wrote that number in the “tens” box at the bottom and then followed the same process for the number in the “ones” box – circling the right number of flowers and then writing that number into the “ones” box.

Some children chose to make a check mark in the boxes below the pot plants and individual flowers to mark them off. Others numbered them as they went.

Finally, the original number was written into the correct box at the bottom right of the place value mat, then the following numbers were written in to encourage counting on from any number.

Grab Your Set

Click the blue download button below and then hop over and snag our Place Value Cover Up!