Hands-On Place Value Activities for Students

Place value is the foundation of number sense—it helps students understand that a digit’s position in a number determines its value. This foundational concept begins with the ones and tens places and expands as students grow in their understanding. Using hands-on place value activities for students is one of the most effective ways to build this understanding, especially as they learn that digits range from 0 to 9. When we reach 10, a new place value is added to the left.

Understanding that digits increase in value as they move left—and decrease as they move right—is key. Early exploration of these ideas helps students grasp how numbers grow and change.

Place Value Positions: From Ones to Hundreds

The digits 0–9 are the building blocks of all numbers. Helping students make a tangible connection between counting and numbers can be done with tools like cubes, place value blocks, or even their fingers.

Start with the ones place, where students count individual units. Once they understand counting up to 9, they learn that the next number—10—requires a shift: a 1 in the tens place and a 0 in the ones.

Building on this, students explore the tens place, grouping units of ten and visualizing them with ten-stacks or rods. These hands-on tools help reinforce the idea that 10 ones become 1 ten.

Once tens and ones are mastered, students can transition into the hundreds place, recognizing that 10 tens form 1 hundred. From here, they’re ready to expand into even larger place values—thousands, ten-thousands, and eventually millions.

Concrete-Representational-Abstract Model

To help students truly grasp place value—not just memorize digits—educators often use a progression model that moves from hands-on learning to abstract understanding.The Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) model is a research-based instructional strategy that helps students build deep mathematical understanding. It starts with the concrete stage, where students work with physical objects like base-10 blocks to explore number structure. Next, in the representational stage, they draw or use visual tools such as place value charts to model numbers. Finally, in the abstract stage, they work with digits and symbols alone to solve problems and explain their reasoning. This gradual shift supports long-term retention and a strong sense of number.

At-Home Learning Connections

Students can build a strong understanding of place value both in the classroom and at home. While having access to formal math manipulatives (like base-10 blocks or place value disks) is helpful, using everyday objects can be just as effective, especially in the concrete stage of learning.

🏠 At-Home Ideas (Concrete Stage)

• Use silverware, buttons, cereal pieces, or coins to count groups of ten and discuss how numbers build.
• Toy cars, books, or dolls can become engaging tools for exploring quantity and place value grouping.
• Building bricks or stackable blocks (non-branded options) are perfect for modeling tens and hundreds. Stack 10 single blocks to form a “ten,” and then group 10 “tens” into a “hundred.”

Classroom Learning Extensions

Just as families can support place value learning at home, teachers can deepen that understanding in the classroom with structured activities and targeted tools. Using the CRA model, educators can guide students from hands-on experiences to representational drawings and finally to abstract number work, reinforcing concepts every step of the way.

🏫 Classroom Connections (Concrete + Representational)

• Teachers can reinforce these same ideas with base-10 manipulatives, linking home activities to classroom learning.
• Use a place value mat labeled “Hundreds, Tens, Ones” and have students place items (blocks or drawings) in the correct column as they build numbers.

✏️ Representational to Abstract Transitions

• After students build with objects, have them draw what they created—circles for ones, lines or rods for tens, and squares for hundreds.
• From there, transition to the abstract stage: writing the number symbolically (e.g., 3 hundreds + 4 tens + 7 ones = 347).
• Encourage discussions like, “How many tens do we have? What happens when we have more than 9 tens?”

Learning is not contained to just one room. It can also be taken outdoors and any of the concrete objects like silverware or coins can be swapped for leaves or rocks.

Want to Take Place Value Activities Further?

For a fun and effective way to reinforce these concepts, check out my Comparing and Ordering Numbers Game Mats. They cover place value from hundreds to millions—even decimals—making them perfect for both classroom use and at-home practice.

👉 Pin it for later!

Save this post on Pinterest so you can come back when you’re ready to try these place value basics in your classroom. Want to learn more essential math skills? Check out our guide on measuring angles with a protractor here!

Have a favorite place value activity or at-home trick? Share it in the comments below!