Snowflake Making Ten Clip Cards

I love using clip cards with my students!  They are a fun, hands-on way for my students to learn and, as a big bonus, they also help with fine motor skills .

These snowflake making ten clip cards are the perfect way for young learners to practice ways to make ten – an important math concept for kindergarteners and first graders.

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Getting Ready

To prepare this activity, I first printed the cards on cardstock.  The download (found below) includes both a color and black and white version of the cards.  I printed the color cards on white cardstock, but the black and white version would look great on a blue cardstock.

I knew that little hands would be clipping these cards, so I made sure to run them through the laminator, too.

After laminating, I cut out the cards.  Then, I grabbed some clothespins for my students to use to clip the number.

To make the cards self-check so that students could work on the activity independently, I put a dot on the back of each card on the correct answer.

Then, I grabbed a dry erase marker for my students to use to help them count how many more to make ten, but you could also use manipulatives.

Snowflake Making Ten Clip Cards

To find the correct answer on each card, my students had to count how many more snowflakes they would need on the ten frame to make ten. To help my beginners, I had them use the dry erase marker to fill in the missing snowflakes on the ten frame and then count the number drawn.

We then said aloud, “___ and ___ is 10.”  This oral repetition is so important for students; it holds them accountable for their work and helps them better understand the math concept they are working on.

When my students determined how many more snowflakes were needed to make ten, they grabbed the clothespin and clipped the correct number.  They then turned the card over to check their answer.

My students continued finding how many more to make ten for each card until the entire stack was complete.

Extension Activity

These snowflake making ten clip cards also lend themselves to differentiation in your classroom.  Here are some ways that you can differentiate these cards for your students:

–> For beginners, have students record the ways to make ten:  ___ and ___ is 10

–> For children who are ready for extra challenge, have students record the equation:  ___ + ___ = 10

Grab Your Download

Snag your activity and then hop over and grab our Place Value Cover Up for more math fun!