Free Ten Frames Printable: Building Number Sense in Young Learners

After years of exploring fun and simple ways to help young kids understand numbers, I’ve found one tool that really works: ten frames!

Last week, a parent asked me, "What's the deal with these ten frames my daughter keeps talking about?" I smiled because I get this question all the time. Ten frames might look simple—just empty boxes arranged in two rows of five—but they're actually mathematical powerhouses for our little learners. 

That's why I created this collection of free printable ten frames for you to use at home or in your classroom. Let me walk you through them and share some ideas for how to use them!

What's So Special About Ten Frames?

Think about how you instantly know there are 5 fingers on your hand without counting each one. That's called subitizing, and it's a crucial math skill. Ten frames help kids develop this ability with numbers up to 10.

When my son was struggling with basic addition, ten frames were our breakthrough moment. Seeing 7 as "5 and 2 more" clicked for him in a way that flash cards never did.

Ten frames make abstract number concepts concrete. They help kids:

• Recognize numbers visually without counting
• Understand the relationship between numbers
• See how numbers relate to 5 and 10
• Build a foundation for addition and subtraction
• Develop place value understanding

The Ten Frame Printables You'll Get

I've designed these worksheets based on what worked best with my students over the years:

Basic Empty Ten Frames 

Perfect for daily number practice. Fill them with counters, stickers, or have students draw dots. I laminate these for repeated use!

Addition Using Ten Frames

These sheets make "making 10" strategies concrete. My students love using small erasers as counters on these pages. The visual representation of the addition problems helps concepts stick.

Ten Frame Number Flash Cards 

These colorful cards show numbers 1-10 with corresponding ten frames. I send home a set with each student for practice. Parents tell me their kids love "playing teacher" with these!

Quick Ways to Use These Printables

• At School: Last Tuesday, we used the empty ten frames during calendar time. Each child got a frame and placed counters to show the date. Simple but effective!
• At Home: Try this 5-minute activity my classroom parents love: Write a number on a sticky note, then have your child fill the ten frame with that many buttons or cereal pieces. Change the number and repeat!
• For Centers or Small Groups: Place ten frame cards face down. Students flip one over and have to grab that many counting objects. My students turned this into a race and didn't even realize they were practicing math!
• For Assessment: I use the basic templates to see if kids can quickly recognize quantities. This tells me so much about their number sense development.

Ready to Download Your Free Ten Frames?

All of these ten frame worksheets are completely free! Just click the download button below to get your PDF files.

These print perfectly on standard 8.5" x 11" paper. I recommend printing on cardstock if you plan to use them repeatedly or want to laminate them.

More Ways to Play With Ten Frames

Once your child gets comfortable with basic ten frame activities, try these next steps:

1. Roll a die and fill the ten frame with that many counters.
2. Use two different colored counters to show number bonds (different ways to make the same number).
3. Play "Quick Flash" - show a partially filled ten frame for just 3 seconds, then have kids tell you how many dots they saw.
4. For numbers 11-20, use two ten frames together.

A mom told me last parent-teacher conference that ten frame practice helped her daughter stop counting on her fingers within just two weeks!

Let's Keep Building Math Skills Together!

I'd love to hear how these ten frames work for your little mathematicians! Drop a comment below or send me a message with questions or success stories.

Want more free math printables? Subscribe to my blog for weekly resources delivered straight to your inbox.