"In Like a Lion" Printable Ten Frames for Preschool

I have to admit something. I absolutely adore little themed erasers. Along with a wide variety of other school and office supplies, but I digress. There’s a stash in my craft closet that I’ve had for ages, and it keeps growing. My son and I tend to pick them up here and there as we see them. Recently, we found some lion erasers at Target’s Dollar Spot. They inspired these printable ten frames for preschool and kindergarten math centers.

What’s the fascination with tiny erasers?

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To begin with, they’re just plain fun. Who wouldn’t want tiny erasers shaped like insects or zoo animals? The kids tend to be just as enamored with the erasers as I am!

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They’re not really the right size to be useful for erasing things though, in case you were wondering.

They ARE great for a variety of early math and fine motor skills, though! Kiddos can sort them, count them, use them to explore one-to-one correspondence, and so much more.

So basically, they’re engaging, useful when teaching a variety of early learning concepts, and I like them. Those seem like valid enough reasons to me!

How to use the printable ten frames

Materials

Prep

Print out the ten frames. Cut them apart, if desired.
I suggest laminating them for durability. This way they can be used over and over again!
Grab the lion erasers.

Directions

Explain to the kiddos that they’re going to be using ten frames. “Ten frames are a group of ten boxes that help you learn more about counting and numbers. You’re going to be number detectives and put the correct amount of lions in each ten frame.”
Choose one of the numbers. “Oh I picked the ten frame with a 7 next to it. I’m going to count out seven lions. Then I’m going to start up here on the left and add one lion per box until all 7 are on the ten frame. One, two, three, four, five. I have to start at the beginning of the next row now! Six and seven.”
Let the children work on the ten frames, assisting as need be.

Other Ideas

If you don’t have any lion erasers, just use any small manipulative you do have. You can also print out the lion squares that come with the ten frames. I’d suggest laminating those as well, if you plan to use them.
Once children have an understanding of how to use the ten frames, place them in the independent math center (if you’re in the classroom) or in an easily accessible bin (if you’re at home). This way, kiddos can use them over and over again.