Ten Apples Up On Top Math Game {FREE}

My kids are SO excited to celebrate Dr.Seuss’s birthday (March 2)! We’ve enjoyed reading many of his books this week, and over the weekend enjoyed the latest, What Pet Should I Get, at story time at Barnes and Noble. After reading one of their favorites, Ten Apples Up on Top, I simply had to put together this printable board game. It’s easy to prep and easy to play, and has provided lots of Dr. Seuss math fun this week! I hope you and your kids enjoy this Ten Apples Up On Top math game as well!

This super cute printable math game is perfect to play with the book, "Ten Apples Up On Top!" Kids can practice counting and adding and subtracting to 10! Plus, it's a great way to combine math and reading!

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Materials Needed for Ten Apples Up On Top Math Game:

  • Ten Apples Up On Top (optional, but great to read the book along with the game!)
  • Character game board for each player (4 included)
  • Instructions and spinner page (included)
  • Apple cards (included)
  • Paper clip and pencil for the spinner
  • Laminator (optional)

This super cute printable math game is perfect to play with the book, "Ten Apples Up On Top!" Kids can practice counting and adding and subtracting to 10! Plus, it's a great way to combine math and reading!

To Assemble the Game:

First, print the instruction page, character game boards and apple cards. There are two pages of apple cards (24 apples per page) and I only printed one page for my kids.

If you have 3-4 players, however, I would print 2 pages.

Next, I suggest laminating all the pages so the game can be enjoyed over and over.

Then cut out the apple cards and place them in the center.

Finally, assemble the spinner. You can use a safety pin or paper clip and a metal brad paper fastener, but we simply use a pen or pencil and take turns holding it in place.

How to Play This Ten Apples Up On Top Math Game: 

Each player chooses a character game board and starts with zero apples.

Player one spins and follows the directions of the space they land on:

  • “1, 2, 3, or 4 apples up on top”: place the given numbers of apples on the top of their character’s head.
  • “A bird ate 1 of your apples”: remove 1 apple from your head.
  • “Bear knocked down 2 with his mop”: remove 2 apples from your head.
  • “You dropped 3 apples”: remove 3 apples from your head.
  • “CRASH!”: Put back all the apples that you have on your head.

Play then moves to the next player.

This super cute printable math game is perfect to play with the book, "Ten Apples Up On Top!" Kids can practice counting and adding and subtracting to 10! Plus, it's a great way to combine math and reading!

Players continue to take turns spinning and adding or removing apples from their game board.

To WIN the Ten Apples Up On Top Game:

The first player to get exactly ten apples on their head wins. If, for instance, a player has 8 apples already and then spins “3 apples up on top,” play continues to the next person because that would be more than ten.

This has been a fun way to extend the learning of this classic Dr. Seuss story, as well as help my kids practice counting, adding and subtracting!

Because they are competitive and anxious to win, it doesn’t take much prompting from me to get them to calculate things such as how many apples they need to win. 🙂

This super cute printable math game is perfect to play with the book, "Ten Apples Up On Top!" Kids can practice counting and adding and subtracting to 10! Plus, it's a great way to combine math and reading!

This is also a great way to review the number bonds of ten, because if they have 7, they immediately announce, “I only need 3 now to make ten!”

Bu then if they have to remove 2, they calculate the new number (5) and then calculate, “Now I need 5 apples to win.”

And of course, it’s also just a fun game to play along with a fun and silly book, which they love!

Love exploring math with apples? You may also like my complete Apple Math Collection for K-2! It teaches all sorts of important math concepts using apples, PLUS it includes a fun STEM challenge that would also go along perfectly with this book!

Buy Apple Math HERE

If your kids would enjoy this Ten Apples Up On Top math game as well, get a copy of your own by clicking the link below!

10 Apples Up On Top Math Game

{Click HERE to go to my shop to get a copy of the Ten Apples Up On Top Math Game!}

AMAZEing Numbers Cover

 

 

And you may also like this set of mazes–a fun and unique way to practice addition and subtraction within 10! It also includes extension ideas, so kids don’t just focus on memorizing facts, but look for patterns and think deeply about math.

Learn more here.

 

 

 

You may also like these other printable math games:



I hope you enjoy this game! Are you doing anything fun to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday this year? What’s your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

7 Comments

  1. Again a nice post with a great idea to make kids learn with an innovative method of playing. It’s an interesting game for the kids, I’m sure that kids will love it to play this game and will learn also while playing it. After reading your posts I start wondering that what will be your next post with a new tips and idea. I really appreciate your contribution towards the study. Thanks for the wonderful post, Bethany.

  2. Thank you so much, Bethany, for what you do. I really appreciate these tasks. Being a first year teacher, it is a God send to have them.

    Love them!

    Thank you!

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