Get ready to build a city of numbers with our engaging Teen Towers Under Construction game. This interactive resource is designed to help students strengthen their understanding of teen numbers and early place value concepts in a hands-on, visual, and collaborative way.

Teen numbers can be tricky for young learners, and this game focuses on the idea that all teen numbers are made up of one group of ten and a few more ones. With this in mind, students examine a series of teen numbers and construct towers using concrete materials to represent the structure of each number. It’s an excellent way to bring numeracy to life and develop number sense through movement and play.

As students build towers, they also construct their mathematical thinking and conceptual understanding—leading to deeper numeracy outcomes and confident learners.

Key Learning Outcomes

• ✅ Recognise teen numbers as a group of 10 and some more ones
• ✅ Develop visual and concrete understanding of number structure
• ✅ Practise early place value skills and mathematical language
• ✅ Build number sense and reinforce the composition of teen numbers

What’s Included

• Teen tower construction templates
• Individual activity sheets for various teen numbers
• Instruction guide for educators

Materials Needed

• Printed tower templates
• Connecting cubes or other counting materials
• Scissors and glue (if creating take-home towers)
• Write-and-wipe sleeves for repeated use

How to Use

1. Print out the tower construction sheets and provide students with connecting cubes or similar manipulatives.
2. Each box shows a teen number with a base of ten cubes. Students must figure out how many ones to add to complete the number.
3. Students construct their towers using the cubes, matching the required number for each sheet.
4. Once completed, students will have a “city” of towers representing each teen number.
5. This can be turned into a classroom display or used in group rotation stations.

Ideas for Classroom Use

• 💡 Use as a maths warm-up during your number of the day focus
• 💡 Include in independent numeracy rotations to build fluency
• 💡 Create a collaborative display by assembling all student towers into a cityscape

Top Teacher Tips

• 💛 Laminate templates and use with whiteboard markers for reusable practice
• 💛 Differentiate by offering support materials for students who need help counting or skip counting
• 💛 Use real building blocks or LEGO bricks to add a playful STEM twist

Support your students’ understanding of early place value and teen number structure in an exciting and memorable way with the Teen Towers Under Construction resource.