Learn numbers with blocks
These explainers cover the number ideas that sit underneath the Number Blocks Generator and the Number Blocks Tool. Each one has worked examples and a few practice questions with answers, so they can be read with a child or printed. For grade-banded printable packs, see Worksheets.
Place value explained with blocks: hundreds, tens and ones Why the same digit can be worth 3, 30 or 300, how to show it with blocks, and the mistakes to watch for when children first meet three-digit numbers. For: Ages 6-9, parents and teachers Counting to 100: strategies that build real number sense Rote counting versus counting objects, the tricky decade changes, and short daily routines that help young children count to 100 with understanding. For: Ages 4-7, parents Odd and even numbers: the pairing test and the last-digit rule A hands-on way to decide whether a number is odd or even, why only the ones digit matters, and what happens when you add odd and even numbers together. For: Ages 6-9 Prime and composite numbers, shown with rectangles A visual definition of prime numbers using block rectangles, why 1 is not prime, how to test a number quickly, and the primes below 100. For: Ages 8-11 Finding factor pairs with arrays A systematic way to list every factor of a number, how arrays show multiplication, and why square numbers have an odd number of factors. For: Ages 8-11 Expanded form: writing numbers as a sum of place values Standard, expanded and word form side by side, worked examples with zeros, and a printable set of practice questions with answers. For: Ages 7-10 Number bonds to 10 and 100 What number bonds are, how to practise them with ten-frames and blocks, and how bonds to 10 lead straight into bonds to 100 and mental subtraction. For: Ages 5-8 Skip counting and multiples: patterns to look for Skip counting by 2, 5, 10, 3 and 9, the digit patterns each one makes, and how skip counting turns into the times tables. For: Ages 6-9 Comparing and ordering numbers with < and > A step-by-step method for comparing whole numbers of any size, how to remember the inequality signs, and ordering practice with answers. For: Ages 7-10 Rounding to the nearest 10 and 100 Rounding with a number line, the halfway rule, and why rounding is useful for estimating and checking answers. For: Ages 7-10 Square and triangular numbers: building shapes from blocks Build square and triangular numbers with blocks, spot how they grow, and discover how two triangles make a rectangle. For: Ages 8-11 Number practice by age: what to focus on from 4 to 10 A practical guide for parents on which number skills to practise at each age, with short activity ideas and signs that a child is ready to move on. For: Parents Printable place value worksheet with answers A ready-to-print set of 15 place value questions in three levels, with an answer key, plus how to make your own cards with the Number Blocks Tool. For: Ages 6-10, parents and teachers Kindergarten place value: tens and ones with blocks A gentle introduction to tens and ones for kindergarten and reception: ten-frames, bundling, saying numbers aloud, and short activities that prepare children for two-digit numbers. For: Ages 4-6, parents and teachers Year 2 number bonds: to 20 and bridging through 10 Number bonds for Year 2 / Grade 1–2: bonds to 20, bridging through 10, and how bonds unlock faster mental addition and subtraction. For: Ages 6-8, Year 2 / Grade 1-2 Odd and even practice online: pairing, last digit and quick checks Interactive-style odd and even practice you can do with the Number Blocks Tool: pairing tests, last-digit rules, and mixed sums with answers. For: Ages 6-9 Prime numbers for kids: rectangles, tests and a first hundred chart A kid-friendly path into primes: build rectangles with blocks, learn why 1 is not prime, spot common traps, and practice with the Number Blocks Tool. For: Ages 8-11 Skip counting practice: 2s, 5s, 10s and linking to multiples Skip-counting drills tied to place value and the Number Blocks Generator, with forward and backward patterns and answers. For: Ages 5-8 Hundreds, tens and ones practice with expanded form Focused practice on three-digit place value: reading digits by place, expanded form, and comparing numbers that look similar. For: Ages 7-9 How to use the Number Blocks Generator: menu, jumps, Set and number facts A practical walkthrough of the Number Blocks Generator menu: small and large jumps, typing an exact number with Set, the Clubs groups, and the Number facts and Break it down links.