Building a Tower with Blocks Worksheet
The Building a Tower with Blocks Worksheet gives Kindergarten students four block towers to finish, drawing and writing the missing addend in each number sentence. An answer key is included, so checking work takes seconds.
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About this resource
Description
Finding a missing addend is one of the first real problem-solving moves a young mathematician makes, and the Building a Tower with Blocks Worksheet turns that idea into something a child can see and touch. Instead of simply adding two numbers that are already given, students look at a number sentence such as 3 + ___ = 8, count the blocks that are already stacked in the tower, and work out how many more blocks belong on top. That small shift from adding to figuring out what is missing is exactly what Kindergarten standards ask for, and it builds the flexible number sense that every later addition and subtraction strategy depends on.
This kindergarten addition worksheet gives students four block towers to finish. Each card shows a number sentence with an empty box, a short tower of blocks already started, and plenty of open space above the tower to draw in. Children count the blocks they can see, draw the blocks that are missing, and then write that number in the box to complete the equation. Drawing the answer before writing it keeps the counting concrete, so students who are not yet ready to add in their heads still have a reliable way in. Print one copy per child and use it for morning work, a small-group lesson, a math center, or homework practice.
What’s Included
- 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
- 4 missing-addend problems with totals from 5 to 8
- A started block tower and an open drawing space for every problem
- A printed answer box on each card for the missing number
- A complete answer key
Three reasons this resource helps children learn the skill: first, the tower gives the unknown number a shape, so a child who cannot yet picture 3 + ___ = 8 can simply keep building until the tower matches the total. Second, drawing and then writing the answer connects a hands-on model to the number sentence, which is the bridge Kindergarten students need before they can add mentally. Third, the four problems use different starting amounts and different totals, so students have to read and think about each tower rather than repeating one pattern down the page.
Teachers and parents can stretch this activity in a few easy ways. Give children real snap cubes or wooden blocks and have them build each tower on the desk before they draw it, then say the whole number sentence out loud together. Flip the task around by building a tower yourself, covering part of it, and asking your student how many blocks are hiding. You can also send the Building a Tower with Blocks Worksheet home with a baggie of blocks so families can play the same game at the kitchen table, and follow it up with the resources below.
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