Numbers 1 to 10 printable with ten frames for early counting

What is on the sheet

There are 10 cards, one for each number from 1 to 10. Each card shows the same number in three ways, so your child can move between them:

• The numeral, printed large: 1, 2, 3… up to 10.
• A ten frame: two rows of five boxes, with as many dots as the number.
• The number word in the language of the page: one, two, three… up to ten. On the Spanish page the words are in Spanish (uno, dos, tres), which is handy if your family is raising a bilingual child.

Ten frames, and why grouping by five helps

A ten frame is simply a rectangle with two rows of five boxes. Dots fill the top row first, then the bottom row. That small rule changes how a child looks at a quantity.

The idea is to see numbers in groups of five. Once the top row is full, you know there are five there without counting each dot. Seven becomes «five and two more», nine becomes «nearly full, one missing». With practice, many children start to recognise amounts at a glance, the way adults read the dots on a dice without counting.

The empty boxes matter too: they show how far a number is from ten. That is a gentle first step towards adding and taking away later on, with no rush.

Printing, cutting and storing

There is no PDF to download. Print straight from this page with your browser's Print option (Ctrl+P, or Cmd+P on a Mac). It works on A4 or US Letter, and only the cards come out.

Cardstock or thick paper makes the cards last longer. Cut along the dashed lines and keep them in an envelope. For matching games, print the sheet twice to get a second set.

Games to play with the cards

A few minutes is enough. Pick one game, repeat it over a few days, and change when it starts to feel easy.

• Put them in order: shuffle the cards and build the line from 1 to 10 together. At first the dots help decide which comes before.
• Show me with your fingers: draw a card, say 7, and ask your child to show it on their fingers. Five on one hand and two on the other, just like the frame.
• Match real objects: put a card down and collect that many spoons, blocks or buttons. Then place them on the dots to check.
• How many more to 10: look at the empty boxes. On the 8 card there are two; count them and say «8 and 2 make 10».
• Hide a card: lay the cards in a row, have your child close their eyes and take one away. Which number is missing?
• Number walk: spread the cards on the floor in order and hop from one to the next, saying each number aloud. On the way back, count down.

Adapting for ages 3-4 and 5-6

With 3- and 4-year-olds, start with cards 1 to 5 only and lean on the dots and on real objects: touching, counting and placing things on top. Your child doesn't need to read the number word; you say it. Add the rest once those five feel easy.

With 5- and 6-year-olds, use all ten cards and play more with the frame: «how many more to 10?», «which number is one more than this?», or cover the dots and ask for the amount from the numeral alone. The written word can double as a short reading exercise. Every child moves at their own pace, so ages are only a rough guide.

From the table to the screen

If your child enjoys counting, our addition game carries on from here: it has a counting level, an adding level and a take-away level with numbers 1 to 10, always with objects on screen to count. It is free to play in the browser, in English or Spanish, with no sign-up.

Related games

• An addition game for kindergarten: count, add and subtract with LeoThe online game for counting and adding with objects on screen, the natural next step after these cards.See →
• Subtraction games for kids, on screen and at homeTaking away with numbers 1 to 10, with the removed objects crossed out so it is easy to see.See →
• Educational games for 4 year oldsMore ideas and games chosen for 4-year-olds.See →

Frequently asked questions