Adding 10 and subtracting 1 – these Halloween number sense activities are little treats that your students will love to play.
All of these math lessons are ready to use, come with cute downloads and are super easy for kids to understand. Let me know what you think by commenting below!
Which games meet the Big Ideas of Number Sense?
- Spooky 10s (Sense of 10 and Place Value – the foundation for mental calculations and place value)
- Counting Bones (One to One Correspondence – every object is counted one time in a sequence)
- Roll a Number (Subitizing – recognizing how many are in a set of numbers without counting every object)
- Pumpkin Concentration (Cardinality – the last number is the quantity for the set)
- Arrange the Hats (Conservation – groups of objects/numbers can be rearranged and are still the same amount and Inclusion – a subset is part of a larger set [number bonds])
These spooky beginning number sense activities will keep tiny goblins working all month long on the basics of beginning mathematics. They’re also good for a center or quick intervention group!
Spooky 10s
Copy enough of these spooky cards for each student to have one. Choose a beginning number, such as five. Go around the room and each student has to either add ten or subtract one, according to the card they have.
+10 Cards
-1 Cards
Differentiate by beginning with numbers in higher place values.
You can even start with negative numbers or fractions (if you are teaching intermediate students).
Counting Bones
Get a few bags of candy bones and have the students sort them according to type.
Then place the bones on their Fifty Chart as they count them.
Students can color in each box up to the last one to record their learning. They can also count on to find out how many more they will need to make 50.
Roll a Number
This game is for two students. You will need:
- one die
- one 50 Chart (from Counting Bones above)
- colored counters for each student (2 different colors, one color per child)
Each student takes a turn rolling a die (or pair of dice if you want to make it more challenging). They place their counters on the 50 Chart as they roll. Once they reach 50, ask the students to look at their counters and predict who has more. Then they need to add up their counters.
Encourage sorting the counters into groups of five and ten, instead of counting one by one.
Pumpkin Concentration
Match the dot cards with the number. It’s one of our favorite Halloween number sense activities because it’s so quiet (you know what I mean!)
Arrange the Hats
Use the witches hats to make different number bonds of 10. Record the number sentences on large paper that the students can decorate afterwards.