Snap cubes are a staple in our class. We use them for everything. Great for fine motor skills, they can be used in both math and literacy activities.
The one thing that I really like about snap cubes for children with disabilities is that you can feel the circle on each one. This is important for children with visual disabilities because they can clearly feel the difference between each one.
Close your eyes and touch each one. Can you feel them?
When measuring, I use the snap cubes for children who need to "feel" the different cubes to help them count. Putting their finger in each hole as they count, helps some children differentiate between them.
Sorting can easily be done with snap cubes. The various colours make them easy to see and the chunky shape is easy to handle.
I like to use them for our hundreds chart. We make rows of 10 and because there are 10 different colours they are perfect for counting by 10's to 100. Because they snap together, they won't fall apart when you are working with them.
The snap cubes snap together in different directions. This makes them perfect for joining together to make numbers and letters. This is ideal for children who need to "feel" what they are doing and it's a very "hand-on" way to make number and letters.
I've used the cubes as counters during math work station activities.
They are great for working on one-to-one counting. Once the children have placed one cube on each item, I have them move them off the card and count them.
I like patterning with snap cubes because they stay together. They are sometimes hard for little hands to push together but with some practice most of my kids have been able to do it.
In my math work stations I have patterning cards. I sometimes have children that have a hard time picking them up, so I taped a snap cube on the back of each one. I put one colour on the bears and one colour on the skunks.
Now they stand up nicely.
When you turn them around, there is still a pattern. This is great for self checking their answers.
How do you use snap cubes?
I hope I've given you a bit of inspiration to "think outside the box" and see what else you can do with them.
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