Snag your set below and then hop over to join The Plato Pack so you can get your hands on THOUSANDS of other time saving centers and teaching tools you’re going to love.

Getting Ready

When it comes to prep work, it doesn’t get much easier than this!

First, print off the game board you want each of your math groups to play. The set includes three different versions so you can easily practice subitizing (instantly recognizing) the numbers 1 to 6, adding to 12 OR doubling a number.

OPTIONAL: If you’d like to give your sheets a fun pop, print them on colored paper. You can even theme it up by choosing a shade to go with the time of year like orange in the fall or pink for Valentine’s Day.

Then grab your basket of dice and either markers (if you’re going to have students mark their answers on the paper) or cover up manipulatives like mini erasers or counting chips.

Playing the No Prep Dice Games

When it’s go-time, students will roll their dice and mark the matching number on their mat before rolling again.

If you’d like to make the game more interactive, partner students up and have them take turns rolling and covering.

Once all of the spots are covered it’s time to clear the board and start again!

Grab Your Dice Games

Your students will LOVE these games as much as you’ll love skipping all of that prep work. Click the blue download button below to snag your set and then hop over to join The Plato Pack so you can get your hands on THOUSANDS of other time saving centers and teaching tools.

The post 3 No Prep Dice Games appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

These fun printables are great way to build number recognition and counting skills with preschoolers and kindergarteners.

Getting Ready

These fall ten frames were a cinch to prep. I simply printed, grabbed crayons and that was it!

You will want to decide if you are using the sheets for morning work, small groups or math centers (or any other use that is helpful) so that you know how many copies you will need.

If I use them in math bins, I always run off extra since someone inevitably takes the last one, and I don’t want to be without supplies in the middle of math centers.

Fall Ten Frame Printables

The first printable was great to use in a math bin because it got my kids working on number recognition.  It had them really focusing on one-to-one correspondence as they read the number then counted and drew “leaves” in the ten frames with their crayons.

It is challenging for many students to count and draw at the same time – so it was a great stretch exercise for them.

Plus, some of my kids enjoyed being creative with their leaves and how they designed them (blue, purple – they had fun with it!)

The second printable I found worked really well for morning work as students arrived because it gave them a quick review of counting skills and number writing.

Students quickly counted up the leaves in the ten frames or subitized them (recognized the total without counting one by one). Then, they wrote the total on the leaf.

We work hard on developing our number sense skills like number recognition, counting, subitizing, and one-to-one correspondence, and these fun printables gave us some extra practice in a quick, easy-prep way!

Grab Your Download

Ready to build number sense with ten frames with your kids too? Grab your copy of these fun activity sheets by clicking the button below and then hop over to snag out Number Formation Pack!

The post Fall Ten Frame Printables appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

This autumn-themed counting center does just that as kids practice number recognition and ten frames with playful crows!

Getting Ready

Prepping this game was fairly quick and simple, which is helpful when I’m getting math centers or small groups ready for the week.

And, as a bonus, half of the supplies are reusable so after prepping this year, I will only need to re-copy the recording sheets to play again next fall.

I first printed out the crow number cards, laminated them and cut them apart on the solid black lines.

Then, I printed off enough recording sheets for my students who would be playing the game with me in a small group, plus a few extras in case we ran out.

I placed those items, along with some crayons, into a tub and we were ready to play!

Crow Counting Fall Math Center

With most math centers in my room, I like to introduce them with small groups before putting them out for kids to play independently, and that is what we did with this game as well.

We took turns picking up a crow card (and aren’t these such friendly-looking crows?) and reading the number.

Then, using a crayon, we counted one at a time while filling in a ten frame with dots until we reached that number.

This was great practice for not only our oral counting, but our one-to-one correspondence as well, as sometimes kids have a hard time making just one mark for each number.

If you want to add in an extra challenge, you could have kids write the numeral next to the crow as well to work on number formation.

We kept picking up crows, reading the number and filling in ten frames until all of our 10 frames from 1-10 were filled up. Such an easy and fun fall math center!

Grab Your Download

Ready to work on ten frames and counting with your kids as well? Grab your copy of this autumn-themed counting game by clicking the button below and then snag our Number Formation Pack!

The post Fall Crow Counting Math Center appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

They’re even great for a back to school activity!

Getting Ready

These printable ten frame activities couldn’t be simpler to prepare. I printed them out and grabbed some crayons I had on hand. That’s it! I was ready for some serious ten frame fun!

Apple Ten Frames

I used the first printable in a math bin during math workshop because I knew it would take a little longer for kids to complete than the second activity.

My kindergarteners love anything that lets them color and use crayons, so they were very happy to fill in “apples” on each ten frame. They simply read the number and then used their crayons to color the ten frame to match.

We used green, red, and yellow crayons to make it even more “apple-like.”

For the second printable, I used it as a morning work activity for my students so that they could have a quick review of counting and number writing.

We work hard on number recognition, especially in the fall as school starts, so counting the apples and writing the numbers was a great opportunity for us to practice number identification, counting, one-to-one correspondence and number writing, too!

Grab Your Download

Ready to print the activity sheets for your own kids?! Grab your free copy of the apple ten frame printables by clicking the blue download button below and then hop over and snag our best -selling Number Formation Pack too!

The post Apple Ten Frame Printables appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

These apple tree math dice games are sure to be a favorite for your learners this fall too as they roll and color their way to number sense and fact fluency. The games are perfect for Pre-K and Kindergarten, and even early 1st grade students.  They will build up their counting, addition, and subtraction skills!

And speaking of addition skills, try out these awesome Editable Math Fact Games!

Getting Ready

One of my favorite things about roll and color dice games is just how EASY they are to prep. You simply print, grab some dice and crayons (or any coloring tools).

And that’s it!  You are ready for a fun math center activity with your kids.

The best thing about these print-and-go games is that there are three levels of the game to play.  So, you can change it up depending on the needs of your kids.  Or rather, start off with one version and work toward the harder ones.

Apple Tree Math Dice Games

I printed out all of the options for my kids since I would be playing with small groups.  However, a great morning work or more independent option for kindergarteners in the fall would be the “apple counting” version of the game.

With this version, all kids need to play is one die.

They simply roll the die, count the dots and color the numeral that shows the total.

It is great for beginning counters, and if you have students who need to work on number recognition, or for early Pre-K, grab some numbered dice like these ones and simply have them read and color the number that matches 1 to 6.

In most of my small groups, we played the “Apple Addition” version, because we were ready to help each other work on the skills of adding and counting on.

Students rolled two dice, counted the total dots, and then found and colored the apple with the answer.

You can use dotted or numbered dice for this, but I find that regular, dotted dice work best for younger learners who still need the support of counting.

“Apple Subtraction” is a great challenge version of the game for those who are ready and for first graders who have built up their subtraction fluency and want a fall review.

It requires a few more steps because after the dice are rolled, you must decide which number is larger,  Then, set up the subtraction equation with the dice.

No matter which version you decide to play with your kids, they are sure to have a blast rolling and coloring their apple trees!

Grab Your Download

Ready to roll, solve, and color some apples?! Grab your copy of the apple tree math dice games by clicking the button below and then hop over and snag our Editable Math Fact Games!

The post Apple Math Dice Games appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

It’s the perfect compliment to our 30 Science Experiments you can find in our shop!

Getting Ready

Since this science activity involved water, we decided to do it outside, but it would have also been perfect for bath time.

Before heading out the door, we gathered a few simple supplies to perform our leak proof bag trick:

• Zipper storage bag
• Water
• Several sharpened pencils

We filled the zipper storage bag about 2/3 full of water. After squishing out the air, we made sure the zipper was sealed tight.

I asked my kids what they thought would happen if we stabbed a pencil through the bag. I always love to have them make a hypothesis and then see if it really happens. Sometimes the results can be surprising!

Using the sharp end of one pencil, I quickly pushed it through the bag. It went in one side and out the other – without spilling a drop!

To make it even more fun, I held the bag of water over my son’s head while I pushed more pencils through it. He was so scared he was going to get a shower at the park!

Once my kids saw that the bag wasn’t going to explode all over them, they were courageous enough to push some pencils through themselves. We added quite a few! We even squished the water gently around the bag and turned it upside down without spilling a single drop of water.

The Science Behind It

Plastic bags are made of a polymer called low-density polyethylene. Polymers are long chains of molecules. The tip of the pencil squeezes between the chains without breaking them but the chains’ flexible property helps to form a temporary seal against the edge of the pencil. This enables a pencil to pierce the bag without losing even one drop of water!

More Science

Want even more science kids will love?  Head over to our shop and snag our 30 Science Experiments – complete with a no prep journal to record results!

The post Leak Proof Bag appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

Asking a simple question like, “What number comes next?” does just that.

Snag your freebie below and then hop over to take our 5 Day Challenge to set yourself up with STEM centers that you students will love all year!

Getting Ready

Prepping the number sequencing  math center was a cinch!

I printed the pumpkin cards on cardstock to give them durability and copied one record sheet for each child.

Then, I separated the pumpkin cards with my paper cutter and placed them in a pile in the center of the table.

We were ready to play!

What’s Next?

My first grade son, Grant, loves math challenges so he was eager to get started.

I showed him how to grab the top card in the deck and name the number shown.

Then, I demonstrated how to write the number in the pumpkin and then write the three numbers that come next.

Starting with a small number helped build his confidence but the challenge kicked in when he pulled his next number: 103.

He wrote the number in the next pumpkin and then he looked at a hundred chart to figure out the next three numbers in the sequence: 104, 105, 106.

One number after the next, he worked his way through the pile.

Extension Ideas

This activity is great for differentiating because you can easily stretch it or make it easier.

For students who are ready for a challenge, simply give them the entire stack of numbers.

For kids who are newer to counting, pull just the cards from 1 to 20 and have them say the numbers that come next instead of writing them down. Giving them a hundred chart or number line to refer to can be a helpful tool too.

Grab Your Download

Click the blue download button below to snag your free copy and then hop over and take our S Day Challenge to set yourself up with amazing STEM centers your kids will beg to repeat!

The post Pumpkin Number Sequencing appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

And speaking of STEM centers, make your classroom STEM ready this year by taking our 5 Day Challenge!

As a first grade teacher, I’m always looking for ways to assess my students and make sure all their progress throughout the year is “sticking.”

These math practice cards were the perfect way for me to quickly ask my students a variety of math questions and get a sense of what they had learned.  My students thought it was a fun little challenge, and I was easily able to get the check in I needed.

Getting Ready

To prep the math practice cards, I started out by printing them onto cardstock for extra durability.  Then, I laminated the card stock, cut the cards out and hole-punched the upper left corner of each so I could organize them all on a one-inch binder ring.

Doing this made “flipping” through the cards easier and ensured that none of the cards would get lost!

Using the Math Practice Cards

Once I had the practice cards prepped, I simply called students over to my teacher table one at a time and used them as a quick skills review.

I read the questions out loud since I wanted to assess their math abilities and not their reading skills.

I had a whiteboard close by and told my kiddos they could use it if needed, but most of my students just answered verbally.

To record the results and any notes, I went old school:  I had a clipboard with a piece of paper on it and wrote down each students’ name.

If they struggled with anything, I made a note.

If they got everything correct, I just put a smiley face.

Very high-tech, I know!

After calling over each of my students (which took about two days during our math time), I looked over my notes and searched for any patterns.

I noticed that a handful of my students had issues counting from 101-115, so I made sure to take time to review that tricky concept for the next few days, along with a few other small things.

Lastly, I stuck a Command hook over in my math area, hung the ring of cards on it, and told my class that they could quiz each other with the math practice cards since I had already used them.

There’s always a “cool” factor about putting something new out– especially when it’s on a special hook– so my students got PLENTY of review in!

This activity gave me great information about students’ math progress.

Grab Your Copy

Ready to snag this FREE download for yourself?  Just click on the blue button below and then hop over and take our 5 Day Challenge to set your classroom up with STEM centers your students will love!

The post Cactus Math Skills Practice Cards appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

Then, check out our Editable Math Fact Games in our shop!

I recently bought some mermaid erasers to use as counters, and suddenly anything that gives my first graders a chance to break them out is an instant HIT!  At this point, I would say my students are obsessed with mermaids. One of them keeps saying he is “assessed” – we’re working on that!

To capitalize on their fascination, I whipped up an addition matching game for my brand new first graders.  They needed the extra practice, and I knew this would do the trick!

Getting Ready

To get this addition match up ready, all I did was print out the activity onto cardstock.

I laminated the pages, cut out the puzzle “pieces” and I was done!

Mermaid Addition Match Up

To play, I called over a few students to my small group table.  I told them that they would be the first kids to try out our new matching activity.

Before starting, I asked my first grade friends if they could tell me some strategies to help them solve addition problems.

Hands went up and I called on each student at the table to share their idea.

Using the erasers was the first suggestion (of course!) but we also talked about using our fingers to help us, grabbing a number line and using red/yellow counters.

Then, I showed off the Mermaid Match Up and passed out the pieces with the problems on them to students.

To keep it simple, I just spread the answer pieces with the mermaids on them in the middle of my table.

Each of my students took a different route to figure out the answers (which was great!) and they quickly started grabbing the coordinating answer pieces.

After giving my students time to work the problems out, we checked them as a group as I modeled my thinking out loud.

Since they loved it so much and only solved a few problems at first, we mixed the pieces up and did it again.

Finally, I told my students at the table that they would be in charge of helping out their classmates with this center.  They were the experts and should offer help to anyone who may need it when playing for the first time.

The addition match up was a wonderful way to give them a sense of pride and help me out.

Get Your Free Copy

Want to snag a copy for yourself?  Simply click on the blue button below and then hop over and snag our awesome Editable Math Fact Games in our shop!

The post Mermaid Addition Match Up appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.

When you’re done with this fun activity, check out our Editable Math Fact Games!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Getting Ready

To prepare this hundred chart game, we first gathered a few supplies:

• Laminator (this one’s my favorite!)
• Paper or cardstock
• Brad
• Paper clip
• Counters (erasers, pom poms, or other small items)

I printed the hundred chart (below) and laminated it to make the game durable enough for kids to use over and over again.

Then, I slipped my brad through the end of a paper clip and punched it through the center of the game spinner.

I grabbed our bag of 100 apple mini erasers I found at Target.

If you don’t have erasers, any small item will do as long as you have 100 of them.

Apple Addition Hundred Chart Game

Now, it was time to start adding!

I had my son spin the paper clip on the spinner and identify the number it landed on 2!

He added the same number of counters to his hundred chart as he counted out loud: “1, 2.”

My son spun again and landed on ten.

He placed ten more apples on his board and then we talked about the addition problem to reinforce the math fact he solved: “2 apples plus 10 more apples equals 12 apples all together.”

We talked about each addition problem as we went along and continued spinning and solving until he reached 100 apples!

Hundred Chart Game Extension Activities

If you have different colored counters (red and green pom poms, pink and yellow apple erasers, etc), have your child use a different color with each spin.

When the board is filled, have your student count how many of each color is on the board.

Then, have him add the larger numbers together to confirm that there are 100 apples all together.

Grab Your Set

Are you ready to start adding? Click the button below to grab your free download and then hop over and snag our Editable Math Fact Games in our shop!

The post Hundred Chart Apple Addition appeared first on The Stem Laboratory.