Math activity
Place Value Skyscrapers
Build towers with blocks to understand 'how many.' Count groups of objects and compare which group has more or fewer.
Materials and setup
- blocks or Legos
- craft sticks
- rubber bands
- paper
- pencil
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Build towers with blocks to understand 'how many.' Count groups of objects and compare which group has more or fewer.
Steps
- Give your child 20 blocks or Legos.
- Ask them to build a tower of 5 blocks, then a tower of 3 blocks.
- Which tower is taller? Which has more blocks? Which has fewer?
- Practice counting each tower by touching each block as you count.
- Build towers for numbers 1 through 10 and line them up like a staircase.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Count objects up to 20 with one-to-one correspondence
- Compare quantities using more, fewer, and equal
- Understand that numbers represent specific quantities
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Explore tens and ones using base-10 blocks or bundles of sticks. Build numbers up to 50 and understand that 10 ones make 1 ten.
Steps
- Bundle 10 craft sticks together with a rubber band. Make 5 bundles.
- Show that 1 bundle = 10 sticks. Count together to verify.
- Build the number 23: use 2 bundles (2 tens) and 3 loose sticks (3 ones).
- Practice building 5 different numbers between 10 and 50.
- Draw each number showing the tens and ones on a place value chart.
- Tell a grown-up one thing that surprised you.
Learning objectives
- Understand that a two-digit number is made of tens and ones
- Represent numbers up to 50 using groups of ten and ones
- Record numbers on a simple place value chart
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Master place value to the thousands. Use expanded form, compare multi-digit numbers, and round numbers to the nearest 10 and 100.
Steps
- Write 5 three-digit numbers. Break each into expanded form (347 = 300 + 40 + 7).
- Compare pairs of numbers using >, <, and = symbols. Explain your reasoning using place value.
- Round 10 numbers to the nearest 10, then to the nearest 100. Use a number line to help.
- Play 'Place Value War': flip cards to build 3-digit numbers, highest number wins the round.
- Build a 4-digit number with base-10 blocks or drawings and explain what each digit represents.
- Write 3 real-world examples where place value matters (money, distance, population).
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Read, write, and expand numbers to the thousands place
- Compare multi-digit numbers using place value understanding
- Round numbers to the nearest 10 and 100
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Extend place value understanding through millions and decimals. Explore powers of 10, scientific notation concepts, and how place value relates to our number system.
Steps
- Build a place value chart from millions to thousandths. Write 5 numbers that use all the places.
- Explore powers of 10: multiply and divide by 10, 100, 1000 and describe the pattern in digit movement.
- Compare and order 6 decimal numbers (e.g., 3.45, 3.405, 3.5, 3.045). Explain your strategy.
- Write 5 large real-world numbers (population, distance to planets) in expanded form and word form.
- Investigate: why is our number system called 'base 10'? Write a paragraph explaining how place value works.
- Challenge: research how ancient civilizations used different base systems (base 60 for Babylonians, base 20 for Maya).
- In one sentence, tell a parent or sibling what surprised you today.
Learning objectives
- Understand place value from millions through thousandths
- Apply powers of 10 to multiply and divide
- Compare and order decimal numbers using place value
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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