Domino Number Sense Math Dry Erase Activity

We want kids to get plenty of hands-on practice throughout the year, but we don’t want to go through all the paper we’ve got in the first semester of school, right?! That’s why I love using dry erase activities in the classroom and at home. By using dry erase markers kids have the opportunity to practice an activity over and over again until they’ve mastered a concept, and they can play the games they love the most as much as they want to!

We’ve partnered with EXPO markers to share this free printable domino number sense math activity and tell you why EXPO markers are a staple for our learning activities.

Don’t miss our tips and tricks for using dry erase markers with kids.

New Feature from EXPO

I’ve used EXPO markers for years. Whether I’m teaching whole group, guiding small groups, or setting up centers, dry erase markers are a part of our daily routines. And now EXPO has introduced a game changer with their newest feature, Dry Erase Markers with Ink Indicator.

Yep, you guessed it! Now you can see right into the barrel of your EXPO markers to see just how much ink is left. That means you can tell at a quick glance whether you need to have some new markers on hand. No more surprises!

I also love that kids have the ability to see the ink indicator. This gives them a bit of independence in knowing when to switch out markers, too. And how nice to not be interrupted in the middle of small group instruction when someone unexpectedly has a dried-up marker during centers! Definite win!

Free Printable Domino Number Sense Math

For this free printable activity you’ll need:

• Expo Dry Erase Markers
• Dominoes (differentiate the number of dots based on your students’ needs)
• Free Printable Domino Number Sense Mat (link at the end of the article)-Laminate this, or add it to a sheet protector like we did. I personally like to use sheet protectors. I leave the holes on them so I can file them in a binder by topic for quick access. Plus when they get too grimy I just slip out the paper and put it in a new sheet protector.

To play kids simply have to select a domino from their set. Again remember to differentiate based on your child’s current abilities.

Kids place the chosen domino in the box at the top of the page. Most will then write the number that it is equal to in the center column. Then kids can think of as many  numbers as they can list in the space that are less than the number and numbers that are greater than the number on the domino.

Extend and Adapt

Number sense development is an ongoing goal in early childhood, so this activity can be used over and over again throughout the year. You can use dominoes with a higher number of dots as kids become ready.

And if kids begin to lose interest a bit, here’s my super easy tip for reigniting their enthusiasm. It’s as simple as changing the color of the marker you set out with the games. Seriously! EXPO dry erase markers come in 6 bold and bright colors. If you start the center with a black set of markers, switch it up on week by leaving out some blue markers. I promise your kids will squeal with delight!

For advanced learners you can also have kids write addition or subtraction sentences that will work in each of the columns. This is an extension that will allow you to differentiate in another way to meet the needs of all of your students.

Then pop over to see how we use dry erase markers for phonics activities too. There’s even another free printable!