Printable base ten blocks
Print and cut out: units, rods and flats at the real size of base ten blocks, with the divisions drawn. You can add a worksheet with an answer key.
Preview of the printable sheet: Base ten blocks
In the print window, set the paper to A4 or Letter and the scale to 100%.
- A4 or Letter paper (thicker paper lasts longer)
- Safety scissors, or a craft knife and ruler (for the adult)
- Pencil and eraser
- Envelope or small bag to store the pieces
What are base ten blocks?
Base ten blocks are a set of pieces that show place value: the unit cube is worth 1, the rod is worth 10 and the flat is worth 100. On this page you can print the pieces at real size to cut out, with 1 cm units, 10 cm rods and 10 by 10 cm flats, plus a worksheet.
How to use it
- Pick the pieces: set, flats only or rods and units only.
- Pick the activity: pieces only, or the pieces with the number worksheet.
- Tap Shuffle the worksheet to change the numbers on the exercise sheet.
- Tick the answer option if you also want to print the solved sheet.
- Tap Print the sheet. In the print window, keep the scale at 100%, without fitting to the page.
- Check with a ruler: the rod must measure 10 cm. Then cut along the dashed lines.
What is on each sheet
- Set: 1 flat, 10 rods and 50 units. Enough to build any number up to 199, with pieces left over for trading.
- Flats only: 2 flats of 10 × 10 cm per sheet, for working with hundreds.
- Rods and units only: 30 rods and 50 units, to top up the class set.
- On paper the pieces are flat: the unit is a small square with 1 cm sides, the rod is a 1 × 10 cm strip and the flat is a 10 × 10 cm square.
What each piece is worth
- 1 unit = 1 one.
- 1 rod = 10 units = 1 ten.
- 1 flat = 10 rods = 100 units = 1 hundred.
- The drawn divisions let the child check: the rod covers exactly 10 units and the flat covers exactly 10 rods.
Activities with base ten blocks
- Build the number: say a number, such as 134, and ask for 1 flat, 3 rods and 4 units.
- Read the number: lay out a group of pieces and ask which number it shows. Leave a place empty, as in 205, to talk about zero.
- Trading: whoever collects 10 units trades them for 1 rod. Whoever collects 10 rods trades them for 1 flat. This is the idea behind carrying in addition.
- Addition with regrouping: build 27 and 15, put everything together, trade 10 units for 1 rod and read the result.
- Subtraction with regrouping: to take 8 from 32, trade 1 rod for 10 units before taking away.
- Race to a flat: in pairs, each player rolls a die and takes that many units. With 10 units, trade for 1 rod. The first to reach 1 flat wins.
The number worksheet
In the first part the child sees the drawing of the pieces and writes the number. In the second, they read the number and draw the pieces: a square for each flat, a line for each rod and a dot for each unit.
Each part has one two-digit number, one three-digit number, one with a zero in the tens place and one with a zero in the ones place. Numbers go up to 499.
Frequently asked questions
Do the pieces print at real size?
Yes, if you print at 100%. The unit has 1 cm sides, the rod measures 1 × 10 cm and the flat measures 10 × 10 cm. Check the rod with a ruler before cutting.
What about the thousand cube?
The thousand cube has volume and does not fit in a flat paper piece. To show one thousand, stack 10 flats or agree that 10 flats together are worth 1 thousand.
Which paper should I use?
Regular paper works. Thicker paper, such as card stock, makes the pieces sturdier. You can also glue the sheet onto poster board before cutting.
Does the worksheet have an answer key?
Yes. Tick the answer option and the page prints the written numbers and the drawn pieces for every exercise.
Where do base ten blocks come from?
They grew out of the golden bead material created by the educator Maria Montessori. The later version with units, rods, flats and a cube is the one used in most schools.
Can I use them in class?
Yes. The sheets are free to print and use at home or at school.
See also
Hundred chart
Hundred chart: filled in, with gaps or blank.
Number line
Lines from 0 to 100, negatives and fractions.
Math worksheets
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.
Times tables
1 to 10: filled in, fill-in sheet or chart.
Graph paper
A 5, 7 or 10 mm grid in thin gray lines.
Tangram
7 pieces to cut out and 8 shapes to build.
Get new activities on WhatsApp
Join the Mundos Criativos channel: new activities, the game of the day and ideas for holidays. It is free, and nobody sees your number. Posts are in Portuguese.