Here is a curated list of safe, educational websites for students to learn and practice addition.
I have categorized these by their primary learning style—whether the student needs structured lessons (to learn how to add) or interactive games (to practice and build speed).
📚 Best for Structured Learning (Lessons & Explanations)
1. Khan Academy
Best For: Students who need to learn the concepts behind addition (e.g., carrying over, number lines, multi-digit addition).
Why it's great: It offers clear, step-by-step video tutorials followed by practice exercises. It is not just a game site; it is a full classroom resource.
Safety & Cost: 100% Free and non-profit. No ads. Highly secure and private.
Key Feature: "Mastery Points" gamify the learning process without being distracting.
2. Starfall
Best For: Younger students (Pre-K to Grade 3) just starting with basic addition.
Why it's great: It uses slow-paced, colorful animations to explain math concepts simply. It connects math to reading and real-world objects.
Safety & Cost: Freemium. Much of the content is free; a subscription unlocks more. Ad-free environment.
🎮 Best for Game-Based Practice (Fluency & Fun)
3. Math Playground
Best For: Engaging games that make drills feel like play.
Why it's great: It features specific games like "Kitten Match" (finding numbers that add up to a target) and "Take the Cake" (strategy addition).
Safety & Cost: Free (ad-supported). It is "kidSAFE COPPA CERTIFIED." The ads are generally kid-appropriate, but a paid "Premium" mode removes them entirely.
4. ABCya!
Best For: Sorting games by grade level (K-6+).
Why it's great: You can select a specific grade and find addition games tailored exactly to that difficulty level (e.g., "Marble Math Addition").
Safety & Cost: Free (Desktop). The desktop version is free with sidebar ads. The mobile app usually requires a subscription.
5. PBS Kids (Math Section)
Best For: Lower elementary students who love characters like Curious George or The Cat in the Hat.
Why it's great: The games are story-driven, meaning students often have to solve addition problems to help a character complete a quest.
Safety & Cost: Free. Publicly funded and very safe. No commercial ads.
⏱️ Best for Speed & Drills (Fact Fluency)
6. XtraMath
Best For: 10 minutes of daily practice to memorize addition facts.
Why it's great: It is not a "game" in the traditional sense, but a fluency builder. It tracks progress and gives teachers/parents weekly reports on which specific numbers the student is struggling with (e.g., "8 + 7").
Safety & Cost: Free (Basic). The core program is free for parents and teachers.
💡 Summary Table for Quick Selection
| Website | Best Used For | Age Group | Cost |
| Khan Academy | Learning concepts & video lessons | All Ages | Free |
| Math Playground | Fun, arcade-style games | Grades 1-6 | Free (with ads) |
| Starfall | Early learners & visuals | Pre-K - 3 | Free (limited) |
| XtraMath | Memorizing math facts (speed) | Grades 1-5 | Free |
| ABCya! | Grade-specific puzzles | K-6+ | Free (Desktop) |
Next Step
Would you like me to find specific printable worksheets or lesson plans for addition to go along with these digital resources?
Here are the best sources for free, printable addition worksheets, categorized by what your student might need (speed, conceptual understanding, or fun).
📝 Best for Structured Practice (No Login Required)
1. K5 Learning
Best For: Students who need to practice specific skills step-by-step (e.g., "2-digit addition without regrouping").
Why it's great: They break addition down into very specific categories.1 You don’t have to hunt through a giant pile of sheets; you can find exactly the skill gap your student has.
Examples: [Sum of 2 numbers], [3-digit addition], [Adding with pictures].
Cost: Free, no account needed.2
2. Math-Drills.com
Best For: High-volume practice and seasonal fun.
Why it's great: This site has thousands of sheets. It is excellent for holiday-themed math (e.g., "Halloween Addition" or "Christmas Math"), which makes worksheets feel less like work.
Cost: Free, no account needed.
⚡ Best for Speed & Fluency Drills
3. https://www.google.com/search?q=DadsWorksheets.com
Best For: Visual learners and "Spaceship Math."
Why it's great:
Spaceship Math: A progressive series of drills that starts very easy and gradually gets harder. It is designed to be done daily (timed) to build instant recall.
Visual Aids: They have unique worksheets that use rulers, number lines, and blocks to help students see the math.
Cost: Free.
4. The Math Worksheet Site
Best For: "5-Minute Drills."
Why it's great: If you just want a simple, clean sheet of 100 problems to test speed, this is the place. It generates a new sheet every time you click, so you never run out of practice material.
Cost: Free for basic generators.
🎨 Best for "Fun" & Customizable Sheets
5. Education.com (Worksheet Generator)
Best For: Creating your own custom worksheets.
Why it's great: You can use their "Worksheet Generator" to pick exactly how hard the problems should be (e.g., "Numbers 1-10 only"). They also have "Color by Number" addition sheets which are great for younger kids.
Cost: Free (limited number of downloads per month without a premium account).
💡 Quick Recommendation Guide
| If the student needs... | Go to... | Specific Search Term on Site |
| To learn the basics | K5 Learning | "Kindergarten Addition" or "Adding with Objects" |
| To get faster | DadsWorksheets | "Spaceship Math" |
| A fun break | Math-Drills | "Holiday Math" or "Mystery Picture" |
| Homework help | The Math Worksheet Site | "Addition 0-10" |
Next Step
Would you like me to find a "Color by Number" addition sheet specifically, or perhaps a math card game you can play offline to practice these skills?
Here are the best sources for free, structured lesson plans for teaching addition. These include learning objectives, step-by-step instructions, and required materials.
🍎 Best for Full, "Print-and-Go" Lesson Plans
1. Education.com (Lesson Plans Section)
Best For: Common Core aligned lessons for Grades K-3.
Why it's great: They offer scripted lesson plans that include everything from the "warm-up" to "independent practice."
Top Picks:
M&M Math: Uses candy to teach single-digit addition (Grade 1).
Regrouping with Base 10 Blocks: A visual guide to 2-digit addition (Grade 2).
Cost: Free (limited downloads per month with a free account).
2. SplashLearn (Teacher Resources)
Best For: Specific skill breakdowns (Pre-K to Grade 5).
Why it's great: Instead of generic "addition" lessons, they break it down by strategy. You can find specific plans for "Counting On," "Adding on a Number Line," or "Commutative Property."
Cost: Free for teachers.
🖐️ Best for Hands-On & Activity-Based Plans
3. The Printable Princess
Best For: Kindergarten & 1st Grade tactile learning.
Why it's great: This site focuses on "no-worksheet" lesson plans. Their activities use sticky notes, dice, and playing cards to teach addition physically.
Example Activity: Sticky Note Addition (Writing numbers on sticky notes and having students physically combine them on a whiteboard).
4. K-5 Math Teaching Resources
Best For: Math Centers and small group instruction.
Why it's great: These are one-page "task cards" that act as mini-lesson plans. They are perfect for setting up a station where students work independently or in pairs.
Top Pick: Domino Addition (Students pick a domino, draw the dots, and write the addition sentence).
🧩 Best for Specialized Concepts (Regrouping & Multi-Digit)
5. BetterLesson
Best For: Grades 2-5 (Harder concepts).
Why it's great: These plans are written by real teachers and often include reflection notes on what worked and what didn't. They are excellent for difficult topics like 3-digit addition with regrouping.
Cost: Free (requires sign-up).
💡 Suggested Lesson Plan Structure
If you are building your own plan, here is a simple 3-step structure that works for almost any addition concept:
| Step | Activity Idea | Time |
| 1. Concrete (Touch it) | "Manipulative Math" Use buttons, cereal, or blocks. Ask the student to physically group two piles together and count the total. | 10 mins |
| 2. Pictorial (Draw it) | "Draw the Story" Have the student draw the objects they just counted (e.g., draw 3 circles + 2 circles). | 10 mins |
| 3. Abstract (Write it) | "Equation Time" Finally, write the numbers | 10 mins |
Next Step
Would you like a sample script for explaining "Regrouping" (carrying over) to a student who is struggling with it?
Here is a sample script designed to demystify "Regrouping" (often called carrying).
This script uses the "Roommates" Analogy and Base Ten Blocks. If a student is struggling, it is usually because they don't understand that a "1" in the tens column is actually a "10." This method fixes that connection.
🛠️ Materials Needed
Base Ten Blocks: "Rods" (representing 10) and "Unit Cubes" (representing 1).
A "Place Value Mat": A piece of paper with a line down the middle. Label the right side "Ones Room" and the left side "Tens Room."
The Script: "The Rule of Nine"
Teacher: "Today we have a rule for our math house. The rule is: Only 9 people can live in the Ones Room at a time. If a 10th person tries to squeeze in, they have to group together and move to the Tens Room next door."
Teacher: "Let’s look at this problem: $18 + 5$."
Step 1: Build the First Number
Teacher: "First, build the number 18 on your mat."
(Student places 1 Rod in the Tens room and 8 Cubes in the Ones room).
Teacher: "Perfect. We have 1 ten and 8 ones."
Step 2: Add the Second Number
Teacher: "Now, we need to add 5. Place 5 new cubes in the Ones Room."
(Student places 5 cubes).
Step 3: The "Uh-Oh" Moment
Teacher: "Okay, count the cubes in the Ones Room. How many are there?"
Student: "There are 13."
Teacher: "Uh-oh! Remember the rule? Only 9 can live there. Is 13 allowed to stay?"
Student: "No, it's too many."
Step 4: The "Trade" (Regrouping)
Teacher: "We have a traffic jam! We need to make a trade. Take 10 of those little cubes and glue them together to make 1 big Rod."
(Student physically removes 10 cubes and trades them for 1 rod).
Teacher: "Great! Now, does that Rod belong in the Ones Room?"
Student: "No, it belongs in the Tens Room."
Teacher: "Exactly! Move it over. This is called Regrouping."
Step 5: Count the Final Score
Teacher: "Now, look at your mat. What do we have left in the Ones Room?"
Student: "3 cubes."
Teacher: "And how many Rods are in the Tens Room now?"
Student: "2 rods."
Teacher: "So, 2 tens and 3 ones is..."
Student: "23!"
✍️ Connecting it to Paper (The "Little 1")
Once they understand the blocks, switch to the written equation immediately to show the connection.
Teacher: "Now, let’s write down what your hands just did."
$18$
$+ 5$
$---$
Teacher: "When we added $8 + 5$, we got 13. We couldn't write 13 in the Ones spot. So we kept the 3 (the cubes that stayed) at the bottom."
Teacher: "Remember that new Rod we made? We moved it to the Tens Room. On paper, we put a little '1' at the very top of the Tens column to represent that new Rod."
Teacher: "Now, add the Tens column. 1 (the original) + 1 (the new rod) = 2. The answer is 23."
Next Step
Would you like a specific list of games (like "Banker's Game" or "Race to 100") that allow students to practice this trading mechanic repeatedly?
Here is a list of hands-on games that specifically practice the "trading" (regrouping) mechanic. These games turn the abstract idea of "carrying the one" into a physical action that students can see and touch.
🏆 1. Race to 100 (The Classic)
This is the gold standard for teaching regrouping. It forces the student to physically exchange pieces, making it impossible to "sneak" a number into the wrong column.
Materials: Base-10 blocks (ones cubes and tens rods), 2 dice, and a "Place Value Mat" (a paper divided into Ones and Tens columns).
Goal: Be the first person to trade up to a "100 Flat" (a big square).
How to Play:
Player 1 rolls the dice (e.g., rolls a 7) and places 7 cubes in the Ones column.
Player 1 rolls again (e.g., rolls a 5) and adds 5 more cubes.
The "Stop" Moment: The player now has 12 cubes. They must stop and trade. They count out 10 cubes, remove them from the board, and pick up 1 "Ten Rod" to place in the Tens column.
Play continues until someone has 10 Rods to trade for a 100 Flat.
🏦 2. The Banker's Game (Group Variant)
This is identical to "Race to 100" but adds a social role that prevents cheating and reinforces the rules.
Players: 3 (Two players + One Banker).
How to Play:
The "Banker" holds all the rods and flats.
The players roll dice and collect cubes.
When a player has enough to trade, they must prove it to the Banker. They slide their 10 cubes over to the Banker, who counts them out loud before handing over the Ten Rod.
Why it works: The act of "paying" the Banker reinforces that 10 ones is exactly equal to 1 ten.
🔵 3. The Chip Trading Game (Abstract Level)
Once students master the blocks (where a rod is physically bigger than a cube), move to this game. It uses poker chips which are all the same size, forcing students to rely on assigned value rather than size.
Materials: Colored poker chips (e.g., White=1, Blue=10, Red=100) and a die.
The "Bank Rule": You can never have more than 9 chips of the same color.
How to Play:
Roll the die. Take that many White chips.
If you have 10 White chips, you must trade them for 1 Blue chip.
If you eventually get 10 Blue chips, trade them for 1 Red chip.
First player to get a Red chip wins.
🏪 4. Shopkeeper (Real World Application)
This applies the concept to money, which is the most common way adults "regroup."
Materials: Play money ($1 bills, $10 bills, $100 bills) and small items to "buy."
Setup: Give the student a wallet with twenty $1 bills. You are the Shopkeeper with the $10s and $100s.
How to Play:
"Sell" them items that cost odd amounts (e.g., "This apple is $4. This book is $8").
They pay you $4, then $8. They now have an empty wallet and you have a pile of ones.
The Twist: Tell them, "My cash register is too full of ones! Can you buy these ones back from me?"
Ask them to give you a $10 bill (if they have earned one) or trade their loose ones for a crisp $10 bill to "lighten their wallet."
💡 Pro-Tip for All Games
To make these effective, require the student to narrate their trade.
Incorrect: Silent trading.
Correct: "I have 14 ones. That is too many. I am trading ten ones for one ten. Now I have 4 ones and 1 ten."
Next Step
Would you like me to generate a printable "Place Value Mat" template that you can use for "Race to 100"?
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use the Place Value Mat image above to play "Race to 100."
🛠️ Preparation
Print & Protect: Print the image. If you can, put it inside a plastic sheet protector or laminate it. This allows you to use dry-erase markers or tape without ruining the paper.
Gather "Gold" (Ones): Get a pile of small items (pennies, dried beans, or LEGO 1x1 bricks) to represent "Ones." Place them in a bowl.
Gather "Bars" (Tens): Get a pile of longer items (dimes, pretzel sticks, or LEGO 1x4 bricks) to represent "Tens."
Note: If using LEGOs, make sure the "Ten" piece is actually bigger/longer than the "One" piece so the visual difference is obvious.
🎲 How to Play "Race to 100" on this Mat
The Goal: Be the first player to trade your way up to 10 Tens.
Step 1: The Roll
Roll a die. Let's say you roll a 6.
Place 6 "Ones" (pennies/beans) into the right-hand column (labeled ONES).
Step 2: The Check
Ask the student: "Do we have enough to make a trade?"
(Since 6 is less than 10, the answer is "No." The turn ends.)
Step 3: The Addition
Roll the die again. Let's say you roll a 5.
Add 5 more "Ones" to the right-hand column.
Now you have 11 items sitting in the "ONES" column.
Step 4: The "Traffic Jam" (Critical Step)
Point to the header. "Uh oh! This room is for Ones only, and it's too crowded! We have 11 people in a room meant for 9."
The Trade: Have the student count out exactly 10 Ones and sweep them off the mat completely (put them back in the bowl).
The Reward: Immediately hand them 1 Ten (dime/pretzel/stick).
The Placement: Have them place that Ten rod in the left-hand column (labeled TENS).
Step 5: The Remainder
Ask: "Who is left in the Ones room?"
They should see the single "One" that was left over from the 11.
Final Score check: "We have 1 Ten and 1 One. That makes 11."
💡 The Golden Rule of the Mat
"The Line is Lava"
Make a rule that "Ones" (small pieces) can never cross the black line into the Tens side, and "Tens" (long pieces) can never go into the Ones side. This visual boundary helps reinforce place value—if you want to cross the line, you have to change shape (trade).
Next Step
Would you like me to find a virtual version of these base-ten blocks so you can do this on a tablet screen instead of printing?
Here are the best virtual base ten block tools. I have selected these specifically because they allow you to "group" (glue 10 ones into a rod) and "ungroup" (break a rod into 10 ones), which is essential for the trading mechanic in "Race to 100."
🏆 Best Overall: Number Pieces (by Math Learning Center)
This is the gold standard for virtual base ten blocks. Unlike most apps where the blocks just sit there, this app allows you to actually join and break them, perfectly simulating the "trade."
Platform: iPad (App), Android & Computer (Web Browser).
Cost: Free.
Why it works for "Race to 100":
The "Join" Button: When you drag 10 ones together and circle them, a "Join" button appears. Clicking it magically snaps them into a single Ten Rod. This gives the student that satisfying "aha!" moment of trading.
The "Break" Button: You can also click a Ten Rod to explode it back into 10 ones.
How to play "Race to 100" here:
Open the app/site.
Draw a line down the middle using the drawing tool (to make your "Mat").
Use the "Dice" tool in the bottom bar to roll.
Drag out the yellow "ones" pieces.
When you have 10, circle them and hit "Join" to trade!
🎮 Best "Game" Style: ABCya! Base Ten Fun
If you want something that feels more like a video game than a teaching tool, this is the best option.
Platform: Any browser (iPad, Android, Laptop).
Cost: Free (Desktop), Paid (Mobile App).
The Mode to Pick: Select "Push-Pull" or "Regrouping" mode.
How it works: Snakes made of blocks appear on screen. You have to physically drag blocks into the "tens" or "ones" buckets to verify the number. It gamifies the counting process, though it is less open-ended than Number Pieces.
⚡ Best for Quick Access: Toy Theater Base Ten Blocks
Platform: Any browser.
Cost: Free.
Why it's good: It is very simple and loads instantly. It doesn't have the fancy "snapping" animation of Number Pieces, but it has a pre-made "Place Value Chart" background you can toggle on, saving you from drawing one yourself.
Summary Recommendation
If you want to play "Race to 100" exactly as we discussed (rolling dice and trading up), use Number Pieces. It is the only one that lets you simulate the "trading" action with a button press.
Place Value Song For Kids | Ones, Tens, and Hundreds | 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade
Relevance: This video is a catchy, visual reinforcement of the "grouping" concept (10 ones make 1 ten) that students can watch before playing the game to solidify the rule.
