Number Building with Loose Parts Number Math Idea

Reading, writing, and recognizing numbers is an important part of mathematics. Explore number building with this easy math idea that uses junk drawer items to form the shapes of the numbers. Simple but fun, challenge your kids to use the materials provided for building numbers

Number Building Math Activity for Kids

This might seem like a pretty easy idea and really it is just that. Learning numbers is basic STEM work. Playing with numbers is a fun math idea to get kids thinking and doing. My son is just learning to write numbers and recognize numbers up to 100. This math idea is great for number building in a creative way. Trace the numbers with a finger first to feel the shapes before making numbers.

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Supplies Needed for Number Building:

Paper and marker to write out numbers. Junk drawer items! Our supplies included a couple rubber bands, clothes pin, a couple bolts, washers, and nuts, random LEGO pieces, bottle cap, and some sort of twisty thing.

Don’t provide too many of the same thing! This math idea is also a neat challenge to get inventive with the materials on hand! Example: I had two rubber bands available which made creating the number 100 way too easy, so I took away one!

This number building math idea was completely spontaneous and just goes to show that having a messy table is great for learning {sometimes}! We have a lot of random parts to things on our table. My son noticed that a couple pieces looked like a number 7. What other numbers could we make? I opened the junk drawer and pulled out a few extra items.

I wrote large numbers with a marker on pieces of paper. He used the items I provided to make the numbers. There’s quite a bit of creativity built into this number making activity. You have to get inventive with the pieces you have available which can be tricky but adds a nice problem solving element to the activity.

I wrote out random numbers 1-100 for him to identify. He traced the number with his finger and then created them with the loose parts. Fun math and fine motor play and a great simple STEM activity. Also this number building activity is terrific for visual processing.