Number Bonds Math Activity Using Mini Erasers
Today we are back again with another common core math activity for the Learning with Manipulatives Series. These are some easy ways to set up number bonds at home to practice math facts. I use mini erasers for this activity. Be sure to see the bottom of this post for more learning activities using mini erasers.
Number bonds, like ten frames, is a math concept that I was not familiar with until my daughter brought home some kindergarten math worksheets from school. If you are new to this concept too, here is a great explanation of number bonds.
My daughter always tells me how much she enjoys checking out the math centers at school so I like to try to create activities for her at home to reinforce what she is learning. I'm not a teacher, though these are activities set up by a parent, at home. They could easily be set up in a classroom or day care as well though.
My daughter is in kindergarten but my son is in preschool and he enjoyed this activity too! After we talked about how to add the erasers to make different numbers, he kept playing with the manipulatives. He pretended he was a chef and I was ordering food. He would ask me how many “cookies” I wanted and he would place them on the plate. Next he asked for a red lid so that he could sort them by color and started making shapes that he called Monster Trucks with them.
Here are the basics of how to set up the number bonds activity, it is super simple and uses some pretty basic materials.
Number Bonds Activity Materials
Mini Erasers
Plastic Lids
Dry Erase Marker
Pipe Cleaners & Tape
Fine Motor Tweezers
Note about materials: Our mini erasers are from Dollar Tree, as are the fine motor tweezers. I purchased 2 sets of mini erasers to ensure I had at least 10 of 2 different designs. Pom poms would also work great. The lids and pipe cleaners are the way I chose to represent the bond between the whole number and the part numbers, but you could also just draw that on a piece of paper, or use lids and just draw lines between the lids. Up to you!
Set Up
Cut a black pipe cleaner in half (use kitchen shears or wire cutters so you don't mar your nice scissors with the wire) and then fold the resulting two pieces each in half. Tape the pipe cleaners to the backs of the lids in the orientation shown. Place enough of two types of mini erasers to equal the largest number you want to practice.
Ways to Play
Write the Whole number (the answer or solution) in the Whole number circle and have your child use the tweezers to transfer various combinations of mini erasers to the Part Number lids. For example, if the Whole Number was 10, you could put 4 erasers in one Part Number circle and 6 in the other Part Number circle.
Write two Part Numbers and have your child transfer the correct Whole Number onto the Whole Number Lid.
Add more mini erasers and instead of writing one of the numbers, use erasers for all of them.
How would you use this number bonds activity set up? Let's hear about it in the comments!
Learning with Manipulatives
Fill the Jar Addition Game with Mini Erasers from Life Over C’s
Sticky Ten Frames from Still Playing School
Construction Site Preschool Letter Sensory Bin from Learning 2 Walk
Mini Eraser Counting Game: Race to Fill the Cup from Mom Inspired Life
Kindergarten Patterns from Sugar Aunts
Valentine's Day Grid Math Game with Mini Erasers from Stir the Wonder
Emotions I Spy Bag from Adventures of Adam
Valentine's Puppies Roll and Cover Game from Simple Fun For Kids
Lots-of-Love Heart Sight Word Game from Raising Little Superheroes
Stack the Erasers Fine Motor Math Game from School Time Snippets
Sensory Heart Tic Tac Toe from Mum in the Madhouse
Adding up to Five Activity from Play & Learn Everyday
Number Bonds Activity Using Mini Erasers from Lalymom
Mini Erasers Busy Box from Teach me Mommy
Great math visual!
Love the use of the two disks. What a great visual way to see the number bonds.