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Ultimate List of Printable Math Manipulatives & Games

November 10, 2016 By Jimmie Quick 23 Comments

Ultimate List of Printable Math Manipulatives & Games for Homeschool

Charlotte Mason espoused using concrete objects for math lessons, and I totally agree. I know that Emma learned math concepts much faster and with more enjoyment when there was a hands-on element rather than mere numbers on a page. She used math manipulatives all the way into fifth grade, and I admit that we still have some math cubes on the shelf just in case. Also, I made a deliberate effort to keep the math toys accessible to her for free play at any time.

Don’t be in a hurry to move your children from concrete objects to mental math. Using manipulatives in no way negates the math learning!

When you need a math manipulative right now, these free printable templates can come to your rescue. Although not nearly as sturdy as a purchased wooden or plastic set, paper manipulatives can serve their purpose well. They are instantly available, easy to print and cut out, and disposable after they’ve been used for a few weeks. You can customize them with colored or even patterned paper. You can involve your kids in the assembly process, making the job easier while piquing their interest in the activities.

Print them on cardstock for better durability. Laminating is another great way to extend the life of these freebies. And some printables can be inserted into page protectors and used with whiteboard markers. Just wipe off and reuse.

I recommend this article — How to Make the Most of Math Manipulatives (PDF) by Marilyn Burns — to help you get the biggest educational value from your hands-on activities. (This article is written from a classroom perspective; so adjust as necessary for the homeschool environment.) A web version of part of that larger article can be found here: 7 Musts For Using Manipulatives.

I’ve listed what you can find at each site in case you’re looking for something specific.

1.  Houghton Mifflin Math (pdf)

This site has so much it can be overwhelming. Here’s how to navigate to the printable manipulatives: choose a grade level, then Teaching Tools. Repeat this process with various grade levels to find different printable games and hands-on manipulatives. To make it easier, here are the links to each grade.

  • grade 1
  • grade 2
  • grade 3
  • grade 4
  • grade 5
  • grade 6

2.  Hand Made Manipulative Instructions (html)

  • Pattern Blocks
  • Base-Ten Blocks
  • Base-Five Blocks
  • XY-Blocks – Set of X, X2, XY, Y, and Y2 blocks.
  • Attribute Blocks
  • Rods
  • Color Tiles
  • Graph Paper

3.  SEN Teacher (pdf)

  • nets (3D models)
  • clocks
  • number cards
  • coin worksheets
  • coin cards
  • coin fans
  • math spinner
  • coin dominoes
  • volume cubes
  • place value cards
  • number lines
  • graphs

4.  Ellen McHenry’s Basement Workshop (pdf)

printable games for grades 1-5

5. Kentucky Center for Mathematics (most files in both pdf and doc formats)

This site does require you to log in with an email address, but the files are free.

  • compass
  • hundreds chart
  • numeral track
  • fraction rulers

6. Mathematics Enhancement Program (pdf)

  • Number Cards
  • Number Lines
  • Sign Cards
  • Shape Cards
  • Shape Cards with dots

7.  Game Boards from Tim’s Printables (pdf)

http://www.timvandevall.com/templates/blank-board-game-template/

game board templates in both color and black and white for creating your own games

8. Printable Manipulatives by Ron Larson and Robyn Silbey (pdf)

  • Fractions, Decimals, and Number Lines
  • Place Value Charts
  • Functions and Coordinate Graphs
  • Geometry
  • Graphic Organizers
  • Algebra Tiles
  • Base-Ten Blocks
  • Integer Counters
  • Tangram
  • Rongram
  • Pattern Blocks
  • Math Card War
  • Papers

9. Mathematics Blackline Masters Grades P to 9 (both pdf and doc)

This is a Canadian site that has nearly every printable manipulative you can ask for. Here are a few examples:

  • fraction circles, pieces, and strips
  • grid paper
  • nets (3D models)
  • dominoes
  • multiplication charts
  • measurement strips
  • number lines
  • number charts
  • pattern blocks
  • tangrams

10. Printable Math Games at Learn With Math Games (pdf)

A few printable math games with directions, divided by math concept.

11. Laura Candler’s Math File Cabinet (pdf)

These samples from Laura’s books are gorgeous! She offers freebies in these categories:

  • Whole Numbers
  • Decimals
  • Graphing & Statistics
  • Fractions
  • Geometry
  • Time & Measurement
  • Problem Solving
  • Misc Math

This post is featured on The Massive Guide for Homeschooling Math. Click to see more great math posts.

The Massive Guide for Homeschooling Math

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Filed Under: living math Tagged With: games, links, manipulatives, math, printables

Comments

  1. Mary says

    April 13, 2011 at 7:24 am

    This is a great list! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Sherry says

    April 13, 2011 at 7:44 am

    Fantastic list, Jimmie! Thanks so much. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Phyllis says

    April 13, 2011 at 8:24 am

    You are right -this is the ultimate list. What a resource!

    Reply
  4. Palmy says

    April 13, 2011 at 9:50 am

    Wow! Great list! Thanks…

    Reply
  5. Marika says

    April 13, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    Thank you very much!

    Reply
  6. Katrina says

    April 13, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Omigosh! I think I love you for this list. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Cindy says

    April 13, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    Jimmie! Come post at Math Monday Blog Hop:

    http://love2learn2day.blogspot.com/2011/04/math-monday-blog-hop-1-and-giveaway.html

    We’d love to have you on the list!! 😉
    Cindy

    Reply
  8. Joyce says

    April 13, 2011 at 3:47 pm

    Wow!!! I can only imagine how much time you put into this. Great resource, sharing.

    Reply
  9. Natasha says

    April 13, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    Wonderful Resources! Thank you so much for compiling and sharing this!

    Reply
  10. Cindy says

    April 13, 2011 at 8:46 pm

    Yea! Thank you for posting on Math Monday!! 😉

    Reply
  11. Kendra says

    April 14, 2011 at 5:59 am

    Oh I adore all the stuff by Marilyn Burns I’ve read so far. She has some great books entitled A Collection Of Math Lessons for varying ages. I never thought I’d say this about math books, but you could seriously curl up with them they are that good!

    Reply
  12. Nadene says

    April 15, 2011 at 10:48 am

    Ooh wonderful! I’ve bookmarked your list and these wonderful sites. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  13. Umm Umamah says

    August 30, 2011 at 1:35 am

    Oh thank you so much for this awesome posy. I will link it up on my homeschool resource website. Love it ! Thank you once again.

    Reply
  14. Sharla says

    September 16, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together and to share it. This will save me a lot of time!

    Reply
  15. zina toliver says

    January 16, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    I am very impressed. This is a very creative way to teach. I can learn a lot from this site myself. Thanks for the knowledge

    Reply
  16. shandulah says

    February 13, 2012 at 10:12 am

    Thumbs up for the list.*****

    Reply
  17. JC says

    March 16, 2012 at 7:12 pm

    Great site! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  18. Rebecca says

    April 3, 2012 at 3:00 pm

    Jimmie!!! Thank you!

    Reply
  19. Rachel says

    August 12, 2012 at 11:13 pm

    Love this!!! Thank you so much for sharing the compilation.

    Reply
  20. math games says

    June 27, 2013 at 1:33 pm

    This is a great list. My 8 year old is an avid reader and devours books. I’m always looking for more good ones to engage him.

    Reply
  21. Rania says

    August 5, 2014 at 11:07 pm

    This is a super fantastic list.
    I would like really to thank you for taking all your time to share all these resources.
    I loved all the resources you are very creative.

    Reply
  22. Matt says

    May 31, 2015 at 7:58 pm

    What a great list of resources! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  23. Alden says

    June 1, 2020 at 10:19 am

    Thank you so much for this amazingly comprehensive list!

    Reply

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