What are virtual manipulatives?

Digital versions of the objects teachers put in children's hands: counters, blocks, number lines, fraction strips and charts. A child can move them, count them and regroup them on a screen, and the teacher can project them for the whole class.

Are virtual manipulatives as good as real ones?

They do different jobs. Real objects are best for a child's first hands-on learning. Virtual ones are quick to set up, never run out, are easy to show to a whole room, and let a child try an idea again at home. Many teachers use both, and move from the objects to the screen to a drawing.

Do I need an account, or to install anything?

No. Every tool opens in the browser on a computer, Chromebook, iPad or phone, and nothing is installed or collected. There are no logins, no ads and no tracking.

Can students use them at home?

Yes. Send the link to a tool and a child can open it on any device. Most tools also print, so a model on the screen can become a worksheet.

Virtual manipulatives for math

A set of free online tools that work like the counters, blocks and charts in a classroom. Open one on the whiteboard, hand it to a child on a tablet, or print it for the desk. No login, no ads, no tracking.

Counting, number sense and time

For the first years of school, when children learn what numbers are, how they fit together and how to read a clock.

Number LineGrades K to 8

Whole numbers, fractions, decimals and negatives. Mark points and draw jumps for adding and subtracting.

Hundreds ChartGrades K to 3

Color squares, hide numbers to fill in, and light up skip counting by any number.

Ten FrameGrades K to 2

One or two frames with two-color counters, for counting, making ten and quick looks.

Number BondsGrades K to 2

A whole and its two parts. Build bonds, practice the missing part, and print a worksheet.

Analog ClockGrades K to 3

Drag the hands, read the time in digits and words, and practice with random times from the hour to the minute.

Place value

For seeing why 10 ones make a ten and why a digit's place decides its value.

Place Value ChartGrades 1 to 6

Type a number and see each digit's value, expanded form, word form and base ten blocks.

Base Ten BlocksGrades K to 5

Build any number to 9,999 with ones, rods, flats and cubes. Ten trade up for one, and a block breaks back into ten, to show regrouping.

Multiplication and fractions

For skip counting, times tables, and comparing parts of a whole.

Multiplication ChartGrades 2 to 5

Up to 12 x 12 or 20 x 20. Tap a product to light up its row and column, hide answers to practice, and print.

Fraction StripsGrades 2 to 6

A fraction wall from wholes to twelfths. Shade pieces to compare fractions and find equivalent ones.

Shapes and geometry

For building shapes, measuring them and seeing how they fit together.

Pattern BlocksGrades K to 5

The six classic blocks to drag and turn: make pictures and patterns, tile shapes and explore fractions of a hexagon.

GeoboardGrades 2 to 8

Tap pegs to stretch a rubber band into shapes, then read the area and perimeter. Boards from 5 x 5 to 11 x 11.

Algebra

For seeing what an expression means before the symbols take over.

Algebra TilesGrades 6 to 9

Build expressions from x squared, x and 1 tiles, flip them negative, and use them to combine terms, multiply and factor.

Graphing

For plotting points and for paper to draw, measure and line up work on.

Coordinate PlaneGrades 5 to 8

One or four quadrants. Tap to plot points, join them into shapes, and print blank grids.

Graph PaperGrades 1 to 8

Printable square grid, dot grid, coordinate axes and isometric dots, in the square size you choose.

Using virtual manipulatives well

The tool is only half of it. A child learns most when they say what they are doing: "I made ten, so I traded the ten cubes for a rod." Ask the child to explain the move, and have them connect it to the written number or the equation.

A common path is to start with real objects, move to the screen for a quick and tidy version of the same idea, and finish with a drawing or a number sentence. Each tool here keeps to the shapes and colors teachers already use, so the picture on the screen matches the one in the textbook.

Questions teachers ask

What are virtual manipulatives?: Digital versions of the objects teachers put in children's hands: counters, blocks, number lines, fraction strips and charts. A child can move them, count them and regroup them on a screen, and the teacher can project them for the whole class.
Are virtual manipulatives as good as real ones?: They do different jobs. Real objects are best for a child's first hands-on learning. Virtual ones are quick to set up, never run out, are easy to show to a whole room, and let a child try an idea again at home. Many teachers use both, and move from the objects to the screen to a drawing.
Do I need an account, or to install anything?: No. Every tool opens in the browser on a computer, Chromebook, iPad or phone, and nothing is installed or collected. There are no logins, no ads and no tracking.
Can students use them at home?: Yes. Send the link to a tool and a child can open it on any device. Most tools also print, so a model on the screen can become a worksheet.