Activity Overview
Explore number bonds as children learn their math facts with these simple pipe cleaner number bracelets. Focus on an individual number bracelet at a time and use the beads to break up the number into parts. You will be able to explore all of the different number combinations that can be used to make the number represented on the tape. This visual tool helps children visually understand that while the number stays constant, there are different ways to get to that number.
Example using the number 9:
9 beads + 0 Beads =9
8 beads +1 Bead =9
7 beads+2 beads=9
6 beads+3 beads=9
5 beads+4 beads=9
and so on. Kids can also flip the pipe cleaner over and see the reverse number combinations.
Materials Needed
- Pipe Cleaners
- Pony Beads
- Duck Tape
- Sharpie Markers
How to Make Them
- Take each pipe cleaner and maintain the same color beads for each individual pipe cleaners. Add 1 bead to the first one, 2 beads to the second one, 3 beads on the third one, 4 beads to the fourth one, and so on all the way up to 10.
- You should have 10 pipe cleaners with beads on them with beads numbering from 1 to 10.
- Make each pipe cleaner into a circle bracelet shape and twist the ends together.
- Fold a piece of duck tape over each of the twisted pipe cleaner spots.
- Use a Sharpie Marker to number each bracelet 1 through 10 correlating directly with the amount of beads on each one.
