Try this activity with your kindergarten, first, second or third-grade students. Use the four levels to reinforce ways to represent numbers, along with number sense and place value skills. Take advantage of the different levels to individualize instruction and reach all your students.

Hot Cocoa Numbers

Hot cocoa numbers is an open-ended color, cut, and paste activity. The pieces are over-sized to allow space to complete some of the math tasks.

Get Started

First, choose the number range(s) most appropriate for your students.

The Four Number Ranges

1. 1-10: number word, tally marks, dice, quantity, pennies, one more, and one less
2. 11-20: number word, tally marks, double ten frames, one more, one less, ten and _more, 10 + _ = _, and tens and ones
3. 11-99: number word, one more, one less, ten more, ten less, tens and ones, expanded form, round to the nearest ten
4. 100-999: number word, ten more, ten less, one hundred more, one hundred less, hundreds, tens, and ones, expanded form, round to the nearest hundred

Next, decide how you will construct the craft. Choose paper or card stock. Print the mug on white paper and color it with crayons. Or print it on colored paper. Leave the mug sheet intact or cut out the mug.

Cut around the dark outline of the marshmallows, spoon, and cinnamon stick. Or to make cutting easier, cut on the dotted lines. The first way will look more attractive.

Glue the pieces onto the cut-out mug, the intact mug sheet, or a 12 x 12″ piece of construction paper or card stock.

Finally, determine how to give your students a number. Let your students pick a number or assign one. Here are some ideas.

Assign the same number to everyone, verbally assign individual numbers, or write a number on each printed mug. Give your students a range of numbers to mentally choose from. Put numbers in a bag to draw. Use any number cards or flashcards you already have or write numbers on slips of paper.

Get Prepared

Once you have decided everything, simply print the corresponding two pages. Provide crayons, scissors, and glue along with 12 x 12″ paper, if needed.

If your students are completing this activity independently, you may want to make a sample to assist with “reading” the directions for each math task.

Put it Together

To begin, write your number on the mug. Complete all the math tasks on the mug and the separate pieces.

Then, color the mug (optional), spoon, and cinnamon stick. See if you can convince your kids that the marshmallows can remain white!

Next, cut out the mug (optional) and the separate pieces.

To complete the craft, arrange the mug along with the marshmallows, spoon, and cinnamon stick. Glue.

Don’t forget to display your hot cocoa numbers!

Looking For More Resources?

Check out the newest place value addition to my TpT store, Marshmallow Pals- Hundreds, Tens, and Ones, a perfect companion for the hot cocoa numbers activity.

It is a small group winter themed roam the room activity for second and third graders that reinforces representing three-digit numerals in different forms; base ten, standard form, expanded form, and number word. It also provides practice with rounding to the nearest ten or hundred, ten less/ more than a number, and one hundred less/ more than a number.

Be sure to click on the Winter, Numbers & Number Sense, and Numbers & Place Value links to find more resources in my store to enhance your instruction.

Read more blog posts (and discover more freebies!) about number sense and place value.

Download your free copy of Hot Cocoa Numbers from my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking on the highlighted words.

And yes, after whipping up a cup of hot cocoa and smelling it while I took photos, I enjoyed sipping it while cozying up with a good book!

Title image photo is by Natalia Mamysheva.

The post Warm up with a Free Hot Cocoa Number Activity appeared first on Just Ask Judy.