What are Manipulatives
If you are a kindergarten teacher, you probably know what math manipulatives are. However, if you are a parent, you might have already used manipulatives with your children, without even knowing it. Manipulatives are physical objects, varying in size and shape, that kids can use in hands-on activities to learn math skills (counting and cardinality, operations in base ten, measurement, geometry, etc.). Using objects that children can play with will ensure a better grasp of math concepts, because they get involved directly, rather than just watching the adult explain.
There are a lot of objects that you can use as manipulatives, some of them bought, some recycled or found in nature. Here’s a list of some of my favourite manipulatives:
- bear counters
- mini-erasers
- plastic animals
- pattern blocks
- unifix cubes
- counting chips
- buttons
- beads
- cards
- straws
- dry pasta (bows, shells)
- beans or chickpeas (here’s how to dye pasta and beans)
- stickers
- popsicle sticks
- buttons
- bottle caps
- beads (wooden, plastic, metal)
- plastic coins
- lego blocks
- acorns
- twigs
- rocks
- sea shells
- horse-chestnuts (check out these fun ideas on how to use horse-chestnuts in activities)
- straws
- pipe cleaners
- small shapes made with hole punches
- magnetic coins (used with a magnetic wand)
- pompoms
- other small things from different games (jumping frogs, dice, shapes, etc.)
How to store manipulatives
I bought a divider box from a craft store for under 3$. They are very easy to find online or at craft stores (search for divider boxes, jewelry tool boxes, or fishing tackle boxes). If you have larger manipulatives, I suggest storing them in zip lock bags or labeled boxes.
Here are some other blog posts you might like:
What I Have in My Teaching Suitcase
Pompom Math Game
Number Sense with Ten Frames
Fun and Clever Ways to Use Clothespins in the Classroom
Potatoes – Aren’t they great?
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