🧮 Place Value Worksheets for Kids: Hundreds, Tens and Ones

Place value worksheets for kids make big numbers easy to understand, one block at a time. On this page you will find three free activities that use hundreds, tens and ones blocks: children count the blocks, build the matching number and work out the value of each digit. Every activity can be played online on a phone, tablet or computer, or printed as a clean black-and-white worksheet for class and home practice. No sign-up is needed, and everything here is free to use.

🧮 Build Numbers with Base-Ten Blocks🧮 Place Value Blocks · Age 6-8 🧮 Value of a Digit: Hundreds, Tens and Ones🧮 Place Value Blocks · Age 6-8 🧮 Tens and Ones with Blocks🧮 Place Value Blocks · Age 5-6

What these place value activities are

Place value is the idea that the position of a digit tells us how much it is worth. In the number 352, the 3 is worth three hundreds, the 5 is worth five tens and the 2 is worth two ones. That idea is hard to see with numbers alone, so these activities use base-ten blocks: small cubes for ones, rods for tens and flats for hundreds.

Tens and Ones with Blocks - children count rods and cubes and write the two-digit number they make.
Value of a Digit: Hundreds, Tens and Ones - children look at an underlined digit and choose its real value, such as 40 instead of 4.
Build Numbers with Base-Ten Blocks - children are given a number and select the blocks needed to build it.

Together, the three activities move from counting to reading numbers to building them, which is the natural order most maths teachers follow.

Skills your child will build

Number sense - understanding that 10 ones make one ten and 10 tens make one hundred.
Reading and writing numbers to 100 and beyond with confidence.
Grouping and counting in tens, a key step before column addition and subtraction.
Comparing numbers, because children can see which pile of blocks is larger.
Careful observation and checking work, since one extra cube changes the answer.

These skills support later topics such as regrouping, rounding and mental maths, so time spent here pays off for years.

How to play online and how to print

Open any activity and it starts straight away in the browser - there is nothing to download. Children tap or click their answer and get friendly feedback, so they can try again without feeling stuck. The activities work on phones, tablets, laptops and classroom smartboards.

For offline practice, use the print button on the activity page. The printable version uses simple outlines that save ink and photocopy well, which makes it handy for worksheet packs, homework folders, maths centres and quiet-time activities. Teachers may print as many copies as they need for their own classes.

Ideas by age

Ages 2-3: true place value comes later, but little ones can still count the small cubes out loud, sort blocks into piles and point to "the big one" and "the small one". Pair this with simple counting practice such as Count and Choose.
Ages 4-5: focus on tens and ones only. Ask your child to count the rods first (10, 20, 30) and then add the loose cubes. Writing the answer neatly also helps, so a little number tracing practice fits well alongside these sheets.
Ages 6-8: move on to hundreds, digit values and building three-digit numbers. Challenge children to say a number in expanded form, such as "300 + 50 + 2". Follow up with number order activities to arrange the numbers they have built from smallest to largest.

Tips for parents and teachers

Say the value, not just the digit. Instead of "the five", say "five tens, which is fifty". This small habit removes most place value confusion.
Count the tens first. Teach children to count rods in tens, then add the ones. It is faster and more accurate than counting every cube.
Use real objects. Bundles of 10 straws, matchsticks or buttons in a cup work just like blocks and make the idea concrete.
Keep sessions short. Eight to ten minutes of focused practice beats a long, tiring session.
Mix online and printed work. Play online for instant feedback, then print a worksheet to check that the learning stays.
Watch for reversals. If a child writes 21 for two tens and one... that is correct, but 12 for twenty-one is a signal to go back to blocks for a few more days.

What to try next

Once hundreds, tens and ones feel easy, children are ready to use those numbers in calculations. Addition with pictures is a gentle next step, as it keeps the visual support while introducing sums. Comparing activities such as bigger or smaller also build nicely on place value, because children can explain why one number is larger by looking at the hundreds digit first. Every activity on the site stays free, printable and ready to use whenever you need it.

Frequently asked questions

What age should children start learning place value?

Most children begin tens and ones at around age five or six, after they can count confidently to 100. Hundreds usually follow at age seven. Younger children can still enjoy counting and sorting the blocks without naming place value.

Are these place value worksheets really free?

Yes. Every activity on this page can be played online and printed free of charge, with no account and no sign-up. Parents can use them at home and teachers may print copies for their own classroom and homework packs.

What are base-ten blocks?

Base-ten blocks are small cubes for ones, rods of ten cubes for tens and flat squares of one hundred for hundreds. They let children see that ten ones make one ten, which makes written numbers much easier to understand.

Can my child use these activities on a phone or tablet?

Yes. The activities open in any modern browser on phones, tablets, laptops and classroom smartboards. Nothing needs to be installed, and the buttons are large enough for small fingers to tap accurately.

How do I explain the value of a digit simply?

Point to the digit and ask which column it sits in. Then say the value out loud: in 47, the 4 sits in the tens column, so it is worth forty. Repeating this with blocks for a week usually makes it click.

My child counts every single cube. Is that a problem?

It is normal at first. Encourage counting the rods in tens first, then adding the loose cubes. Practising skip counting by tens out loud for a few minutes a day helps children drop one-by-one counting naturally.

Which activity should we start with?

Start with Tens and Ones with Blocks to build counting confidence. Move on to Value of a Digit once two-digit numbers feel easy, and finish with Build Numbers with Base-Ten Blocks, which asks children to work in reverse.

Do the printed worksheets use a lot of ink?

No. The printable versions use clear black-and-white outlines with plenty of white space, so they print quickly, photocopy well and use very little ink. They suit home printers and school copiers equally well.