Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Princess Place Value
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Princess Place Value is a free printable maths sheet for children who are learning place value. Children look at the example on the sheet, then use it to colour their tiaras in correctly. You only need coloured pencils or crayons.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company. Print the sheet, read the instruction aloud together and let your child look closely at the example before they pick up a pencil.
What is on the sheet
The sheet starts with an example, and children use it to colour their tiaras in correctly. They need to look carefully at what the example shows, then follow it for each tiara. Place value is about what each digit in a number is worth, so careful looking and careful colouring both matter here. It is a calm, quiet activity that suits a table or a kitchen counter.
Why place value matters
Place value means that a digit is worth different amounts depending on where it sits in a number. The digit 4 can mean four ones, four tens or four hundreds. Our number system relies on this idea. It is why we need only ten digits, 0 to 9, to write any number we like.
Children who understand place value find much of the rest of maths easier. Adding, subtracting, comparing and rounding all depend on it. A colouring task slows children down and makes them look at each part of a number. That close attention helps the idea stick, and it feels like play rather than a test.
Skills and curriculum link
- Place value
- Reading numbers carefully
- Following an example
- Attention to detail
- Fine motor control
Ideas to help your child
- Look before you colourAsk your child to study the example first and explain it in their own words. Do this before any colouring starts.
- Zero is a placeholderIn a number, a zero holds a place so the other digits keep their proper value. It is not just nothing.
- Position changes worthThe same digit can be worth different amounts in different places. Point at digits and ask what each one is worth.
- Say numbers aloudReading a number out loud, one part at a time, helps children link each digit to its place.
Key words
- DigitOne of the symbols 0 to 9 that we use to write numbers.
- Place valueThe value a digit has because of where it sits in a number.
- OnesThe place on the right of a whole number. It tells you how many single units there are.
- TensThe place next to the ones. Each ten is a group of ten ones.
- HundredsThe place next to the tens. Each hundred is a group of ten tens.
- ValueHow much a digit is worth in a number.
How to use it
- Print the sheet and gather coloured pencils or crayons.
- Read the instruction together. Then ask your child to look closely at the example and tell you what they notice.
- Let your child colour the tiaras one at a time, checking each one against the example before they start.
- When they have finished, ask them to explain how they chose the colours for one or two tiaras.
- Come back another day and talk about the tiaras again. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Cover all but one part of the example with a piece of paper so your child sees only one thing at a time. Do the first tiara together, saying your thinking out loud. Then let your child try the next one on their own.
To stretch confident children
Make your own place value challenge. Write some numbers on small cards and ask a friend to say what each digit is worth. Then swap roles. Try numbers with more digits once the shorter ones feel easy.
Make it a game
Roll two dice and make a two digit number. Say how many tens and how many ones it has. Take turns, and the player with the larger number scores a point. The first to reach five points wins.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child colours by looking at the digits and ignores where they sit in the number.
Try thisAsk, "Which place is this digit in?" Point to the place and say its name before choosing a colour.
Watch forA child swaps the tens and the ones because they read the digits in the wrong order.
Try thisSay the number slowly, one place at a time. Use a place value chart drawn on paper so each digit has its own column.
Watch forA child rushes and colours before checking the example.
Try thisAgree a rule that the example gets checked first for every tiara. Use a finger to point at the matching part.
Talk about it
- What do you notice about the example before you start colouring?
- How did you decide which colour to use for each tiara?
- What does the position of a digit tell you?
- Can you think of a number where the same digit appears twice? Is it worth the same each time?
- What would you change if the example were different?
- How could you check your colouring is right?
Take it off the page
Place value with objects
Gather small objects such as pasta shapes or buttons. Put them into groups of ten and some left over. Say how many tens and how many ones you have.
Number labels
Write numbers on sticky notes and stick them around the room. Ask your child to read each one aloud and say what each digit is worth.
Draw a princess number
Ask your child to draw a princess and give her a number to wear on her dress. Then swap with someone else, who reads the number aloud and says what each digit is worth.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first tiara, then let them lead. Praise careful looking as much as neat colouring. If they get stuck, ask them to explain the example to you in their own words.
Teachers
Use it as a quiet starter, a short activity after teaching place value, or a calm task for a mixed afternoon. Ask children to explain their choices to a partner so the reasoning gets practised as well as the colouring.
Home educators
The sheet suits a short, relaxed session at the kitchen table. It fits a home education week as a gentle number activity that needs no preparation. Follow it with a talk about what each digit is worth, or with one of the offline ideas.
Where this fits
Before place value, children count objects, recognise numerals and group things into tens. They need to be comfortable saying numbers in order and matching a number to a quantity.
After this, children use place value to compare and order numbers, add and subtract with tens and ones, and round. Later they meet larger numbers and decimals. All of this sits in the number and place value strand of the National Curriculum for England.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What is Princess Place Value?
It is a free printable maths sheet about place value. Children study the example on the sheet and use it to colour their tiaras in correctly. It is a quiet, hands on way to practise reading what digits are worth.
- What do I need to print and use it?
You need a printer, paper and coloured pencils or crayons. Felt tips can bleed through thin paper, so pencils or crayons are the safer choice. No other equipment is needed for the sheet itself.
- What age is it for?
The sheet does not state an age. Place value is taught across primary school, so choose it by how well your child knows the numbers involved. Look at the example together first and see whether your child can explain it.
- Does the sheet have answers?
We do not list answers on this page. The example on the sheet is the guide, so children check their colouring against it. If you want to be sure, work through the example with your child first.
- How long does it take?
No set time is given. Let your child work at their own pace and stop when they tire. Careful colouring can take a while, so it is fine to finish it over two short sessions.
- Does it match the National Curriculum?
It supports place value, which sits in the number and place value strand of the maths curriculum for England. It is practice material for what children learn in lessons, not a full lesson on its own.
- Can I use it more than once?
Yes. Print as many copies as you need for home or class. Doing the sheet again another day is a good way to build confidence, and your child can try to explain more each time.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.