When it comes to kids, everything is more fun when it is BIG! That’s why this Life-Size Hundreds Chart was a huge hit with my 5-year old! Sure, we could have practiced all these skills on a printable hundreds chart using cubes or counters…but it was way more fun to make our own and stick it on the wall of our kitchen.

 

There is really only two things you need for this activity:  sticky notes and a black marker. I chose to use three colors of sticky  notes to make skip counting (by 5’s and 10’s) easier for my daughter. And believe me, there is a WORLD of difference in the “name-brand” Post-It notes and the “off-brand” sticky notes. We got to 82 with the name brand and then had to run to Dollar Tree to purchase some more. The off-brand started fall off within the first few minutes (and we had to secure them to the wall with blue painter’s tape). The Post-It notes have been up for a few days without any taping necessary!

 

Three Activities to Try with the Life-Size Hundreds Chart:

 

1. Rote Counting.

This activity is pretty self-explanatory. Count to 10…or 50…or 100…by pointing to each number as you count. This isn’t the most exciting activity, but it adds a kinesthetic element into an activity that is normally pretty boring!

 

2. Skip Counting.

This activity was my daughter’s favorite and is especially enjoyable when paired with some music! I pulled out my Ron Brown Math CD from when I taught first grade and we had fun pointing to the numbers along with the music to the “Let’s Count by Fives” and “Ten’s Lift-Off.

 

3. Find the Missing Number.

For this activity, remove about 5-10 random numbers from the Hundreds Chart (gradually increase the number as your child becomes more familiar with the hundreds chart). Then have your child find the correct location for the missing number (if you pull off 53, your child will put it in the empty spot between 52 and 54).

 

The possibilities are endless with this fun activity! Pull the sticky notes off the wall and save them for more number activities when you are done! You can always use strips of blue painter’s tape to secure the numbers on the wall another time.