5 Fun Ten Frame Activities for Preschoolers and Early Learners
Whether you're introducing counting for the first time or helping children build confidence with early maths, a tens frame is one of those resources you'll reach for again and again.
What we love most about a tens frame is how easily it adapts to your child's interests. One day it's counting pirate treasure, the next it's a Christmas game or a nature hunt in the backyard. Simply swap out the loose parts and you've got a whole new activity with very little preparation.
Here are five simple ways to use a tens frame to encourage counting, number recognition, problem solving and even early literacy through play.
1. Christmas I Spy
Bring a festive twist to counting with a Christmas-themed I Spy game.
Write or place number tokens on your tens frame, then challenge your child to find the matching number of Christmas loose parts.
For example:
Find 1 green Christmas tree.
Find 2 gold stars.
Find 3 candy canes.
This simple activity helps children practise one-to-one correspondence, counting and number recognition while turning maths into a fun Christmas game.
2. Build Early Addition Skills
A tens frame is a fantastic visual tool for introducing simple addition.
Write a number sentence directly onto the silicone frame with a whiteboard marker, then invite your child to use loose parts to work out the answer.
Being able to move and count each piece helps children see how numbers combine, making early addition easier to understand.
3. Take Maths Outdoors
Who says maths has to stay at the table?
Take your tens frame on a nature walk and fill each space with leaves, seed pods, flowers, feathers or small stones.
Children can count their discoveries, sort by colour or size, or create repeating patterns using their nature treasures.
It's a wonderful way to combine outdoor exploration with hands-on learning.
4. Turn It Into a Literacy Game
A tens frame isn't just for maths.
Write letters, sight words or simple symbols onto the frame, then create matching cards using homemade gift tags or pieces of card.
Children can match each word or symbol to its place on the frame while building early literacy skills through play.
It's an easy activity to adapt as your child's confidence grows.
5. Count Pirate Treasure
Learning to count is always more exciting when treasure is involved!
Fill your tens frame with pirate coins, gems or other small loose parts and encourage your child to count, compare quantities or make groups of ten.
This playful activity combines imaginative play with early maths concepts, making learning feel like an adventure.
One Resource, Endless Learning
One of the best things about a tens frame is that it grows with your child.
It can be used for counting, addition, subtraction, sorting, pattern making, literacy activities and imaginative play, all with the same simple resource. By changing the loose parts or theme, you can create fresh invitations to learn throughout the year without needing lots of preparation.
Whether you're learning at home, in the classroom or in an early learning setting, a tens frame is a versatile resource that makes hands-on learning fun.
Connect kids with nature with our Nature Hunt Play Mat! This double-sided, silicone mat is designed for interactive outdoor play. One side features a nature scavenger hunt grid where kids can find items matching textures like bumpy or soft. The other side includes a 10-frame for pattern making and counting, as well as a blank face outline for kids to create nature-inspired faces—perfect for teaching about emotions.
✔️ Double sided
✔️ A3
✔️ Can be used with washable markers
🦘 Designed in Australia by Liz
🍃Connect kids with nature