Tens and Ones
Build each number using tens and ones. Tap to add a ten-rod or a unit-cube — and watch the number grow.
Build each number using tens and ones. Tap to add a ten-rod or a unit-cube — and watch the number grow.
About this activity
To make 47, a child sets down four ten-rods and seven unit-cubes and sees 'forty' become something real rather than a digit. Numbers run from 12 up to 95 — including the round tens 30, 50, 70, and 90 — built one block-tap at a time, in a free, interactive Grade 1 math activity that plays in the browser with no sign-up.
The big idea is that a two-digit number is made of tens and ones. To build 47, the child uses four ten-rods and seven unit-cubes, and seeing the four rods makes the 'forty' concrete rather than just a digit. The round numbers like 70 and 90 reinforce that a zero in the ones place means there are no loose cubes at all — only complete tens.
It is aligned to Common Core 1.NBT.B.2 — understanding that a two-digit number is made of a number of tens and ones. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.
What's inside this activity
- Designed for Grade 1 learners (ages about 6–7)
- Common Core strand: Number & Operations in Base Ten
- Aligned to Common Core standard 1.NBT.B.2
How to play
Read the target number, like 47.
Tap to add ten-rods and unit-cubes until the blocks make that number.
Watch the number grow; move on with no timer and no score.
What your child practices
- Build a two-digit number with the right number of tens and ones
- Connect the tens digit to ten-rods and the ones digit to unit-cubes
- Understand round numbers like 70 as a count of complete tens
- Read and make two-digit numbers up to 95
Learning goals
Understand tens and ones in two-digit numbers — the focus of Common Core 1.NBT.B.2
See that the tens digit counts groups of ten and the ones digit counts singles
Build the place-value foundation for adding and subtracting within 100
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Tens and Ones activity teach?
- Tens and Ones is a free interactive activity for Grade 1, focused on Number & Operations in Base Ten. Children play it right in the browser — no printing, login, or setup required.
- Is Tens and Ones free to use?
- Yes. Tens and Ones is completely free, with no signup and no paywall, on any tablet, laptop, or classroom whiteboard.
- Which ages is this activity for?
- It is designed for Grade 1 (Number & Operations in Base Ten) and works well for whole-class, small-group, or independent practice.