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Teaching math to third graders and upper elementary students can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it often requires creativity and hands-on tools to keep young learners engaged. One of the most effective ways to reinforce key math concepts is through the use of manipulatives—physical objects that students can touch, move, and interact with to better understand abstract ideas.
From visualizing place value to understanding fractions, manipulatives help make math more concrete, engaging, and accessible. If you’re looking to refresh your math toolkit, here are 20 must-have math manipulatives for your classroom that will support student learning and make your lessons more interactive and fun!
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Base Ten Blocks are a classic tool for teaching place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Students can use them to physically build numbers, helping them see the value of each digit in a number. They’re also great for modeling and understanding regrouping.
Enjoy our FREE printable Base 10 Blacks.
These colorful rods are an excellent tool for teaching a variety of math concepts, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and fractions. By arranging the rods in different ways, students can visually compare quantities, find patterns, and explore ratios.
These magnetic wands with bingo chips are perfect for B-I-N-G-O games in all subjects. Using these can turn worksheets into low-prep or no-prep math activities. I love using magnetic wands with magnetic bingo chips to play our Ice Break Games in TPT.
LEGO bricks are a fantastic tool for visualizing multiplication because they allow students to physically build and manipulate numbers. You don't need to buy the expensive name brand ones. These are half the price.
Fraction Circles and Strips are fantastic for introducing and visualizing fractions. Students can use them to understand how different fractions fit together, how to compare fractions, and how to add or subtract fractions with like denominators.
The hundred chart is a visual tool for teaching number sense, addition, subtraction, and skip counting. It can be used in various ways, such as helping students understand number patterns or practice counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Enjoy 20 FREE Hundred Charts from us!
7. Number Lines
7. Number Lines
Number lines are useful for showing relationships between numbers and for teaching concepts such as addition, subtraction, and ordering numbers. Students can physically mark points on a number line to visualize the relative positions of numbers.
Tangrams are a set of seven geometric shapes that can be rearranged to form various pictures. These are great for exploring geometry, symmetry, and spatial reasoning. They also encourage critical thinking as students figure out how to fit the pieces together.
They come in plastic, wood. and my preference foam (quieter).
Dice are versatile manipulatives for teaching addition, subtraction, multiplication, and even probability. Whether you’re rolling dice to generate numbers for math problems or using dice in a math game, they are a fun, engaging tool for classroom activities.
There are 6 sided dice, foam dice, and 10 sided dice.
Unifix Cubes are simple yet effective tools for teaching counting, addition, subtraction, and even multiplication. They can be linked together to create numbers, represent addition problems, or model measurement and volume.
A set of movable clock faces is essential for teaching time concepts in upper elementary. Students can practice telling time, understanding elapsed time, and even learning about angles and fractions with these interactive tools.
I really like these dry erase clocks.
Students love this interactive set with puzzles.
These little bear-shaped counters are perfect for making equal groups and arrays for multiplication and division. They come in a variety of colors, which makes them great for teaching patterns and grouping, too.
This set has 310 for under $10.
Play money is perfect for teaching real-world math skills such as making change, counting money, and understanding the value of coins and bills. Students can practice using different denominations in hands-on activities that reinforce financial literacy. Real coins are a big hit in my 3rd grade.
This is a favorite in my class: Jumbo Magnetic Money!
Measuring tools are essential for teaching units of measurement, length, area, and perimeter. Students can practice measuring objects around the classroom or create their own measuring activities to build confidence with measurement concepts.
A measuring wheel is a versatile tool that can make measurement concepts like area come alive for third graders and upper elementary students. It’s not just for measuring long distances—it can be used in creative ways to teach a variety of math and science concepts.
We use this outside to measure! It is the only one I can find on Amazon under $20.
Math Tiles are squares that students can use to model addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. They also help with the visualization of area and perimeter and can be used for patterning and problem-solving activities.
Our game Make 30 uses tiles in a fun game format to practice addition and subtraction. Great for centers! FREE Number Cards-5 styles HERE
Bonus Tip: This set has numbers and hundred chart. I just flip them over if I don't want to see the numbers.
Magnetic numbers and math symbols (like +, -, x, ÷) are perfect for using with a whiteboard or magnetic board. They’re great for showing math operations in real-time, allowing students to move and manipulate the numbers as they work through problems.
18. Geometry Shapes Set
18. Geometry Shapes Set
Having a set of 2D shapes and 3D shapes—such as cubes, pyramids, spheres, and cones—helps students visualize geometric concepts. They can use these shapes for classification, building, and exploring angles, faces, and vertices. This 3D set has activity cards.
I love this Brainometry Set with 3D figures.
20. Playing Cards
20. Playing Cards
A deck of playing cards is another excellent tool for teaching multiplication. Cards can be used to generate numbers for multiplication problems, practice facts, and play games.
I buy mine at the dollar store or thrift stores.
Hands-On Learning: Let students physically manipulate the objects as much as possible. This active engagement will help solidify their understanding of mathematical concepts.
Collaborative Activities: Pair students up or have small groups work together. This encourages collaboration and discussion as they share strategies and solve problems.
Incorporate into Games: Use manipulatives in math games to make learning fun and interactive. This motivates students to practice skills they might find challenging.
Link to Real-World Examples: Whenever possible, connect the manipulatives to real-world situations, such as using play money to simulate shopping or measuring ingredients in a recipe.
Incorporating these manipulatives into your third-grade and upper-elementary lessons will not only deepen students' understanding of mathematical concepts but also make learning more fun and engaging. By turning abstract ideas into something tangible, you'll be empowering students to build a strong foundation for future math success. Happy teaching!
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