These free printable Day of the Dead ten frames feature the numbers 1-10 with correct number formation graphics, words to trace, and Dia de los Muertos images. Even better – there are both English and Spanish language versions available for free!
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We’re a bilingual household, so I share Spanish language printables from time to time. If your child is learning Spanish, please stop by this post for your free printable Spanish alphabet tracing pages.
For Spanish counting practice for the upcoming winter season, snag these free winter counting cards, too. Make sure to check back again soon for additional Spanish language printables!
If your child isn’t learning Spanish, that’s fine. The sets in English and Spanish can be used independently.
If you want to use the Spanish cards, but aren’t sure how to pronounce the words, Spanish Dict has a fantastic resource for pronouncing numbers.
How to prepare and use Day of the Dead ten frame cards printables
These cards are simple to prepare and an easy to use, but powerful, learning tool.
Materials needed
- Free printable ten frames (download link is lower in the post – look for the row or purple arrows)
- Cardstock or paper
- I recommend this 32 lb paper for printables. It’s heavier than “normal” printer paper and has much better images. See a comparison of several papers and cardstocks in this post about the best paper for printables. The cards shown in this post were printed on the 32 lb paper linked.
- Laminator and pouches
- Optional but helpful. Cards are reusable and easy to clean when you laminate them.
- Scissors and/or paper trimmer.
- I use this paper trimmer
- Small manipulatives to use as counters and tongs or tweezers, optional
- For an added fine motor challenge, have your child place a counter like pompoms using large plastic tweezers or bamboo tongs. We frequently use these wool balls for counting activities.
- These plastic bingo chips work well and are shown in the post photos
- Do a dot markers also work for filling in frames, if they’re not laminated and you don’t plan to reuse them.
How to print and prepare ten frame printables
First, download your printables. Look for the link further down in the post – there’s a row of purple arrows.
Print the pages you want. The English pages are all together, followed by the Spanish cards.
Laminate the pages, if you’re using a laminator. Laminating first means you only cut once! I don’t show laminated pages in this post because the glare makes photography tricky.
Cut out the cards along the lines. (The picture below shows these Christmas ten frames. I couldn’t find my paper cutter the day I photographed the Day of the Dead version.)
Use and enjoy! We like using plastic bingo markers or colorful pom moms. Have your child or students place pom poms with plastic tweezers or tongs for a greater fine motor challenge.
How to use ten frames
Although ten frames are frequently used with kindergarteners, preschool and pre-k learners can use them to practice counting and numbers, too. (Especially with some adult help.) They may not be ready to trace the written words with a pencil, but can trace them with a finger or color them in.
What are ten frames?
Ten frames are a 5×2 grid of 10 equally sized squares.
Working with ten frames can help your child understand numbers better and truly learn how to count, not just recite numbers in order.
Ten frames can also help your child with subitizing, the ability to quickly recognize quantities without counting each one individually. (If you see two apples, you don’t think “one, two” to yourself – you just know there are two. This is subitizing.)
Ten frames are also helpful for teaching addition and subtraction. It’s easy to point at the frame and demonstrate that 6 is 4 less than 10, for example.
There are several ways to fill in a ten frame with counters. One of the most common, and easiest for young learners to master, is filling in the top row of five boxes in order before moving on to the bottom row. This page from the University of Cambridge has several helpful suggestions on ways to use a ten frame and different methods of filling one it.
Using these ten frame cards to improve number sense with one-to-one correspondence is easy. Have your child place a manipulative on each image on the card, then immediately cover a box in the ten frame. Covering each image as they work can help young children remember which pictures they’ve counted and which they haven’t counted yet.
When I demonstrate counting and using a ten frame with my daughter, I always work from the upper left corner and go left to right. This is the same as reading order for both English and Spanish, so it helps reinforce literacy skills, too.
Free Day of the Dead ten frame printables PDF download area
Here’s a look at all 10 pages so you can see what you’re getting:
Like other preschool printables on The Artisan Life, these are for personal and single classroom use (including use with scouts groups, therapy clients, homeschool co-ops, etc.).
You are not licensed to redistribute the digital files or printouts to other teachers/parents for use with their children or students. Your e not licensed to post the printables for sale on any platform.Please refer your friends and coworkers to this page so they can download their own copies.
I hope your little learner enjoys using these ten frame printables as much as mine does! Be sure to grab these additional free printables for fall while you’re here on The Artisan Life:
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