Looking for different ways to teach those tricky teen numbers? These teen number worksheets and activities are perfect for your first grade or kindergarten students!
Teen numbers can be such a confusing concept for little learners! It takes them a lot of time and practice to get comfortable with the concept of bundling ten ones together to make a whole new unit. It helps to start by showing and modelling this process over and over again and in different ways.
The following worksheets and activities will help cover all the parts of teaching teen numbers:
- Counting from 11-20
- Building teen numbers
- Solving simple addition equations
These printable activities cover these skills in engaging ways, usually through play, movement, or building something. As students practise and interact with teen numbers in different ways, they'll be strengthening their neuronal network for this concept, making it easier and easier until they know teen numbers like the back of their hand.
This sort of gradual, intentional approach is so much easier for you and them, and they'll have much more fun working in small groups or on their independent work!
Tip! Before you teach teen numbers, your students need to have a strong concept of the tens place. I love to use this Friends of Ten display to reinforce all the different ways to make ten out of single digit numbers. It makes a great bulletin board display as well!
13 Teen Number Worksheets & Activities
Some of the activities below focus directly on teen numbers while others cover 1-10 as well for extra practice and to consolidate their learning. Several can be used for numbers beyond 20 as well, so you can teach one activity and use it throughout the year as your students learn and grow!
1. Disappearing Digits
These printable worksheets are the perfect no-prep activity to practice number order up to 10, 20, and beyond. They have just some of the numbers that are supposed to be there, and your students need to fill in the blanks for each missing number.
I like to keep these in plastic sleeves and gradually change out the cards as my students get more and more comfortable with number order.
2. Number Paper Chains
This isn't quite a worksheet, but it's one of the very best ways I've found to teach teen numbers! Start by making a paper chain of ten using all one color. Then, add however many additional chains in a different color to reach your teen number. This shows very clearly that each teen number starts with 10. The second digit refers to the number of ones.
I've compiled instructions and printable number tags for this fun activity so you can try it with your own class.
You don't have to stop with the teen numbers, either! You can use this for the 20s, 30s, and beyond as well. It's great for small group instruction, but it's especially powerful as a whole-class activity.
See this activity in action here:
3. Number Wheels
These task cards range from 1-20 and require your students to figure out which of the different images shows the right number. These are great number sense activities and are wonderful for independent practice.
4. Build a Fence
In this interactive game, students use popsicle sticks to build numbers up to 20, practising those tricky teens as they go!
5. Dot-to-Dot Worksheets
These teen numbers worksheets feel more like colouring than math! Your students will follow the numbers in order to complete a drawing. There are different levels of these to help young students count from 1-10, 1-20, and 1-25. They're fantastic for morning work, fast finishers or your math centers!
This set of worksheets is only available as part of The Hive!
6. Number Bonds to 20
Number bonds are a fantastic way to understand your students' math concepts and to help them understand that each addition equation is a way of putting two parts together.
On The Hive, there are several different number bond activities that have students add two numbers to reach 20!
7. Monster Eyes
These free printable worksheets feature a variety of different monsters who need help adding their eyes. Your students will need to count to add the right number of eyes using pop-poms, googly eyes, or another manipulative. This is so much fun and great practice with those teen number words!
8. Bingo Boards
These bingo boards include single digit numbers and teen numbers! As you play a round of bingo, your students will interact with these numbers in a fun and meaningful way and learn different representations of numbers along the way.
There are also loads of Number Bingo options on The Hive.
9. Base 10 Task Cards
These printable boards show a specific number, and ask your students to show that number using base ten blocks. The cards go from 11-50, so you'll be able to use this place value activity for a long time! You may also like the next set for 50-100.
10. Playdough 10 Frame Number Mats
Have your students practise building the numbers 1-20 using ten frames and playdough! This fun worksheet is a great way to consolidate those math skills while supporting fine motor skills at the same time.
11. Number Match Ice Cream Game
Build the number listed on the ice cream card using the representations of different numbers on your scoops! Get this digital download here.
12. Build a Tower Task Cards
Your kindergarten kids will use these task cards and unifix cubes to build towers with specific numbers of cubes. This is so much more than an interactive worksheet and really consolidates different representations of numbers, like dice, ten frames, and numeral form.
You may also like the addition, subtraction or doubles/near doubles versions!
13. Hang the Number
Students hang numbered pieces of clothing on a clothesline, trying to get the numbers in order. This is one of my favourite teen number activities because it is so hands-on and interactive! It's great for partners, too.
Want all of these activities?
Many of these teen number printables and activities are available for free as part of The Hive! You'll be able to pull them up at a moment's notice and even assign them to specific parts of your day.
The best part? The Hive also contains interactive apps you can use with your young learners to practise these 2-digit numbers, like:
- Part Part Whole
- Hundreds Square
- Base Ten Blocks
- Number Line
- Ten Frames
- Dice
- Dominoes
- Abacus
- Popsicle Sticks
- Teddy Bear Counters
- Dominoes
- & so much more!
There are even instructional videos about counting two-digit numbers you can use anytime to teach your students these skills!
The Hive makes it so much easier to teach your students using the best evidence-based practices without spending hours searching for the right resources or creating activities yourself. It's a game-changer!
Sign up for a 7 day free trial of The Hive today!
