After winter break is usually the time we transition from numbers to ten into those tricky teen numbers. As teachers we spend the first part of school focusing on numbers to 10. We spend months and months working to help our students develop number sense. As a result, our hope is that they will have developed a deep understanding of numbers, their quantities, and their relationship to other numbers

But sometimes introducing teen numbers can feel like we are starting all over again. Some students really have a difficult time grasping teen numbers. As with every skill we teach, it's important to provide students will lots of hands-on practice. And if you're like me, you love to incorporate holidays and seasons into your lessons.

So, that's just what you'll find with this Mitten Match Teen Numbers freebie. There's no recording sheet needed, so this activity is great for morning tubs, early finishers, and of course, math centers.

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Mitten Match: Teen Numbers Freebie

Preparing the activity:

To prepare the activity you will need to print and laminate the activity mat. You want to print, cut apart, and laminate the mitten cards. You may want to print this activity on card stock so that you can use it for many years. Regular paper just doesn't last as long! I purchase my card stock on Amazon.

Students will also need small manipulatives for this activity. You can have students use pom-poms, cotton balls, mini erasers, or math cubes.

Ways to use the activity:

The Mitten Match teen numbers freebie can be used three ways.

Activity 1: If you're just beginning to introduce teen numbers, you might want to use this as a simple matching activity. You won't need the ten frame activity mat for this activity.

Activity 2: Students can turn the cards face-down and play a memory matching game with a partner. You can use this activity with or without the activity mat. You could have students show the number on the ten frame after they make a matching pair.

Activity 3: Similarly to Activity 1, students will work independently to match the mitten cards to make a pair. However, they will take it one step further. They will place the pair of mitten cards on the top of the activity mat. They will use manipulatives to show the number on the ten frames.

You might want to start off by using this teen numbers freebie as a simple independent matching activity or partner memory game. Once students have become familiar with the mitten number cards, you can make this activity brand new by adding in the ten frame mat.

You can also keep the activity fun and fresh by simply switching out the manipulatives students use.