Place value is an important concept that helps kids understand numbers and how they work. Here are a variety of fun and interactive place value games and activities to help students learn and better understand place value.
Place Value Games and Activities
Why do we need to teach place value? It’s an important step for learning operations. It is necessary to:
- make sense of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of larger numbers
- compare numbers
- line up numbers vertically
- begin regrouping (aka borrowing and carrying)
- understand fractions and decimals
- build confidence in math to be successful in the classroom and beyond
Here are some games and activities to help students with place value.
Hunting For Numbers
This is a great independent activity for place value practice. Students look at a variety of 3-digit numbers and create a graph based on the location of a specific digit in each number (ones, tens, or hundreds place). You can find these place value activities here.
Build a Number Neighborhood
Give each student a house number and a designated amount of space. Students build their house using that same number of base-10 blocks. Once every student has completed their house, take a walk around the neighborhood to admire how each house was created.
Edible Numbers
Combine snack time with some hands-on math practice. Base-10 blocks can be represented with Saltine crackers (hundreds), pretzel sticks (tens), and marshmallows (ones). Be sure to check for food allergies before trying this activity.
Play a Matching Game
Matching games and activities are great because kids already understand how to play. Plus, you can turn the game into an independent or small group sorting activity. This place value game has students finding matches with numbers represented in four different ways: standard form, word form, using place value, and expanded form.
Ordering Numbers
Part of understanding place value is being able to order numbers. This game has twelve sets of cards to represent numbers. Some card sets have the numbers written in word form (nine hundred twenty-two) and others have the numbers written as place value puzzles (2 tens, 7 hundreds, 9 ones). There are also additional practice pages included.
Mystery Number Game
This game can be played with the whole class or with a small group. You can even play it in the hallway while waiting for lunch or specials to start. Think of a number along with a few clues that will help students solve the mystery. Here’s an example:
- I am a 2-digit number.
- I am greater than 70, but less than 80.
- My ones place has a value of 4.
- What is my mystery number?
Parking Lot Wars
Parking Lot Wars is a game for 2 players. Using a paper place value chart, have students build the largest number they can. Students take turns drawing one card at a time. Once students place a card, it cannot be moved. After all place value spots are filled, the player who built the largest number wins. You can find this game along with many other place value activities here.
Place Value Creatures
Cut out paper versions of Base-10 blocks to represent ones, tens, and hundreds. Have students build and create a creature with the shapes. Then have students name their creature with the total amount used to build the creature. This works best for 2-digit and 3-digit numbers.
Decimal and Fraction Art
Give students a 10×10 grid. Allow students to design and color a picture within the space provided. Once the design is complete, students record how much of each color is represented using a fraction and/or decimal.
Number Toss
Need to get your students up and moving? Try a tossing game. This can also be played outside or in the gym for additional space. Ideally, you could use bean bags and hula hoops. However, if you’re short on supplies, a crumpled ball of paper and baskets or bins will work, too. Create a line for students to stand behind. Place the hula hoops (or baskets/bins) at different distances away from the students. The ones should be the closest and the hundreds (or thousands) the farthest. With a designated amount of turns, students toss the bean bag towards the hoops. Once completed, students tally up their total number. For example, Student one had 1 in the hundreds, 3 in the tens, and 2 in the ones. Their total point value would be 132.
Place Value Spinners
Another quick and easy activity with little to no-prep is Spin, Write, Build, Expand. When you place the page inside a dry erase pocket or sheet protector, you can let students practice over and over again without wasting a bunch of paper. If your students love spinners, be sure to check out my Place Value Worksheets with Spinners.
Last Number Standing
Designate how many digits you want to work with and have each student record a number on their white board with that many digits. Students do not show this number, but all students stand up. The teacher calls out statements. “If you have a 4 in the hundreds place, please sit down.” “If your number has an odd digit in the ones place, please sit down.” Keep this going until only one student is left standing.
Number Mastermind
This game is played like Mastermind. The teacher choose a number and writes that many spaces on the board. Students take turns trying to guess the number. Record each number on the board. Next to each guess, use a special code to help students decode your mystery number.
- Closed Circle = correct number, correct place
- Open Circle = correct number, incorrect place
- X = number is not used in any place
Dice Games
Do you have access to dice? Here are a couple of place value games to try. Place Value Play focuses on mental math. Students use dice to create 2-digit or 3-digit numbers and then add or subtract 1, 10, or 100 from each number. Another game is Building Blocks. In this game, students use dice to create 2-digit or 3-digit numbers and then show how each number is represented using Base-10 blocks. You can find all of my Math Dice Games here.
Children’s Books about Place Value
Another way you can help children understand place value is through picture books. Click the picture below to find some of my favorite children’s books about place value.
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PLACE VALUE TOOLS
Here are some tools to help provide hands-on practice with place value. Use these when you’re working with the whole class, small groups, or one-on-one with students.
Place Value Flip Chart
I have used these charts to practice reading large numbers, for mental math (+/- 10, 100, etc.), naming the value of a digit, and more!
Base-10 Blocks
These are a must-have visual for making larger numbers come to life. They are one of my favorite tools for helping students understand regrouping.
Place Value Discs
Use these discs to build numbers, regroup (trade 10 ones discs for 1 tens disc), and to help build the bridge for the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) sequence for instruction.
Carnival Tickets
Not only do these have a lot of benefits for reading large numbers and identifying place value, but they can also be used as a management tool. Read more about how I used these with my second and third graders here.
Pill Organizers and Dice
Because these pill boxes have seven compartments, they can easily be used to practice building numbers into the millions. They are the perfect size for placing dice inside each section. Students can shake and create large numbers.
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I hope these ideas help you create some fun and educational place value activities for your students! Drop a comment below with your favorite place value game or activity.
You might also enjoy:
- Hundreds Chart Activities
- Fact Family Games and Activities
- Fun Ways to Practice Addition and Subtraction
- Fun Ways to Practice Multiplication
- Other Math Ideas and Activities
Happy Teaching!
