Students are using math manipulatives to support their thinking at school.  When they are doing math at home, it would be great for them to have the same tools available.  This list of the best virtual math manipulatives for elementary students can help you help your child continue their math work at home using the same models and strategies that they use at school. 

I am a firm believer that students learn best when they can use their sense of touch as part of their learning process.  Therefore I think physical math manipulatives are best.  (See my list of favorties here.) However, there are times when we don’t have the appropriate manipulative or we’re on the go and need a virtual manipulative option.  Luckily, there are lots of options!  

I have collected a list of my favorite virtual manipulatives.  I picked them because they are easy to use and allow students to manipulate the tools without difficulty.  

Hundreds Boards, Pattern Blocks, Base Ten Blocks, Geoboards, Money Pieces

The Math Learning Center has created some excellent virtual manipulatives.  Each app not only has the manipulative but it also has a suite of other useful aspects such as the ability to write on the image, type in equations, and save work for future use. 

Here are my favorites from them:

Hundreds Board

Pattern Blocks (including awesome protractor)

Base Ten Blocks

Geoboard

Money Pieces

Cuisenaire Rods

Cuisenaire Rods have always been one of my favorite manipulatives.  They are useful addition, subtraction, multiplication and fractions.  I have looked for many years to find a useful virtual version and I finally found one.  The colors of these online manipulatives match the colors of the physical manipulatives so students can easily move between both versions. 

Unifix Cubes

Unifix Cubes are a staple of elementary math classrooms.  Now students can use them at home too by using this virtual manipulative.  It is simple enough for younger students to use. 

https://www.didax.com/apps/unifix/

Tangrams

This tool allows students to build their own geometric designs with tangrams and to solve tangram puzzles.  https://mathigon.org/tangram

Dice

If you need some virtual dice, this website is helpful.  Students can use dice numbered 1-6 or 0-9.  https://nrich.maths.org/6717

Most of the virtual manipulatives don’t have directions.  They are meant to be used as tools for whatever purpose the child has in mind.  Help your child access one on the internet and see what they do.  They will have so much fun exploring, making designs, and building problems.  You don’t have to wait until homework time to play with these manipulatives with your child.