The Best Math Stations for 1st Grade

If there’s one problem I always encounter when searching for the right math stations for 1st grade… it’s when I find the skill I want my students to practice, but the center is totally themed for the wrong season! For example, I might love how a math station is designed for students to practice counting coins, but it’s a winter center and we’re in the middle of spring! AGH! 

So let’s be honest: Wouldn’t it be nice to find math centers that are exactly the skills and standards you need that DON’T have a seasonal theme? These are the absolute BEST math stations for 1st grade!

Here are my favorite types of math stations and centers for 1st grade.

Partner Math Stations

Students love getting to play games and complete activities with a buddy, so that’s why I love to include partner math stations. Students get to practice key math skills, while also working appropriately with a friend.

I typically allow my students to complete most math stations with a buddy. Sometimes that means they are simply sharing materials, but other times they are playing a game together! This also allows students to have a friend to talk things through with if they need help!

Math Station Puzzles

This is the type of center activity my students always gravitate towards! They love getting to put together math puzzles! Another key reason I love adding math puzzles to stations is that they’re very straightforward with directions. No complicated directions for puzzles – just solve and put together!

Fact Fluency Math Stations

Understanding addition and subtraction within 20 is a huge skill that’s worked on all year in first grade. That’s why I include at least one fact fluency center every single week! These fact fluency math stations include activities like board games and sorting!

Free 1st Grade Addition Center

Guess what? I am giving you this adorable addition math station for FREE below! This center is perfect for working on the properties of addition in first grade.

PS – If you’re struggling with how your math center time should look, you’ll definitely want to check out this blog post. I’ll give you a peek inside how I choose math centers, plan ahead, and structure my guided math time. Check it out here!

Find math stations for the 1st grade skills you’re teaching!

• Bundle of ALL 1st Grade Math Centers
• Count to 120 Centers
• Tens & Ones Place Value Centers
• Comparing 2-Digit Numbers Centers
• Two-Digit Addition Centers
• 10 More and Ten Less Centers
• Subtracting Multiples of 10 Centers
• Word Problem Centers
• Word Problems with 3 Addends Centers
• Properties of Operations Centers
• Subtraction As Unknown Addends Centers
• Count On & Count Back Centers
• Add & Subtract Within 20 Centers
• Understanding the Equal Sign Centers
• Determine Unknown Numbers Centers
• Order Three Objects Centers
• Expressing Lengths Centers
• Telling Time to the Hour & Half Hour Centers
• Graphing Centers
• Shape Attributes Centers
• Composing Shapes Centers
• Partitioning Circles & Rectangles Centers