Pet-Themed Ten Frame

Made for the kind of play that earns shelf space

Ten frames are one of the most useful manipulatives in early math. They give a child a way to see numbers before they can write them, to feel the difference between five and seven in their hands, and to build the number sense that everything else gets stacked on top of. This wooden ten frame was made to live on a preschool, homeschool, or kindergarten shelf for years.

Most ten frames get used because the math curriculum said so. A child who already loves cats and dogs will pull this one off the shelf on their own, which is half the battle when you are trying to build math habits.

The board is laser-cut from premium Baltic birch and finished smooth on every edge. Tucked inside the muslin storage bag are ten solid maple cats and ten solid cherry dogs, chosen for their durability and for the natural color contrast. Every piece is finished by hand with food-safe beeswax and jojoba oil, so the wood stays soft to the touch.

This is a piece that fits naturally alongside Montessori math, Singapore Math, and most preschool and kindergarten counting curricula. If the teacher at school is reaching for a ten frame, this is the one worth having at home too.

Wood is a natural material, and grain and tone vary slightly from piece to piece. We think that is part of the charm.