The hundred board activity

Looking for an engaging way to explore numbers beyond 10? The hundred board is a fantastic montessori-inspired activity that encourages children to see patterns in numbers, practise sequencing, and develop early maths skills in a visual, tactile way.

What you’ll need:

• A simple board with a grid of 100 squares (you can draw one on a large piece of paper or cardboard)
• Number cards or tiles 1–20 (you can write these on paper, card, or even use bottle tops or sticky notes)
• Optional: a guide board showing numbers 1–100 (print one or write it out in rows of ten)

Getting started:

• Lay the board on a table or a mat.
• Place your number tiles face-up in order from 1 to 20.
• Talk with your child about the numbers – which ones do they recognise?
• Ask your child to place the number 1 tile on the first square of the board and continue up to 20. Encourage them to look for number patterns.
• Use the guide board (if you have one) to help your child place the numbers correctly. This is a great opportunity to talk about what comes next, what comes before, and how numbers grow.

Why this activity matters:

The hundred board:

• Reinforces number names and sequences
• Helps children visually understand quantity and order
• Introduces simple maths ideas like “one more” or “one less”
• Builds memory, focus, and confidence

It’s especially valuable for children who are beginning to recognise numbers or those who enjoy a challenge. For younger children, just working with numbers 1–10 or 1–20 is a great start.

Learning extensions:

• Mystery bag: put the number tiles in a bag. Can your child name and place each one without peeking?
• Work backwards: mix up the tiles – can they count down from 20?
• Skip counting: practise counting in 10s (10, 20, 30…) and match tiles to those numbers.
• Use with beads or counters: build numbers using physical items to show quantity. This adds a hands-on, sensorial element to their learning.

No wooden materials? No problem!

You can create this activity at home with:

• A hand-drawn grid on paper or cardboard
• Numbered paper squares, bottle caps or anything you can write numbers on
• Household counters or dry pasta for quantity work

Safety first:

Always supervise children while using small parts and remind them to walk when moving materials around the house.