Place Value Game
A free place value game with three ways to practice: the value of a highlighted digit, counting base-ten blocks, and matching numbers with their expanded form.
Choose 2-digit, 3-digit or 4-digit numbers, or numbers up to the hundred thousands, so it grows with students from 1st through 4th grade.
How to use it in class
- Pick a mode. “Value of a digit” highlights one digit and asks what it’s worth. “Base-ten blocks” shows thousands cubes, hundreds flats, tens rods and ones. “Expanded form” matches 347 with 300 + 40 + 7.
- Pick the numbers. 2-digit, 3-digit, 4-digit or up to 6 digits. Base-ten blocks go up to the thousands.
- Read the explanation. After each answer the game names the place – for example “the 7 is in the hundreds place, so it’s worth 700”.
- Play 10 questions. The score and personal best are shown at the end of each round.
Classroom ideas
Blocks on the board
Show a base-ten blocks question on the board and have students build the same number with real blocks before answering.
Zero heroes
Point out numbers with a zero, like 4,056, and talk about why the zero matters even though it adds nothing in expanded form.
Read it aloud
Before answering, have the class read each number aloud together, including the place names.
Frequently asked questions
What is place value?
Place value is the value of a digit based on where it is in a number. In 352, the 5 is in the tens place, so it’s worth 50.
What is expanded form?
Expanded form writes a number as the sum of each digit’s value, like 4,307 = 4,000 + 300 + 7.
What are base-ten blocks?
Ones cubes, tens rods (10 ones), hundreds flats (10 tens) and thousands cubes (10 hundreds), used to show how numbers are built.
Is it free?
Yes. It’s free, with no sign-up, on any device.