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Maths Adventures

Jungle maths quest: place value

A story-led junior maths adventure using bridges, vines and hidden temples to decode big numbers by hundreds, tens and ones.

Quick answer

Place value means understanding how many hundreds, tens, and ones are in a number. When you see the number 347, it means 3 hundreds, 4 tens, and 7 ones. You can use this to build, compare, and solve problems with bigger numbers.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how to break down big numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones, and use this to build and compare numbers. Success signs:
  • You can identify how many hundreds, tens, and ones are in a number
  • You can build a number using base-10 blocks or drawings
  • You can compare two numbers using place value
  • You can explain how changing one digit changes the value of a number

Why this matters

Place value is the foundation for understanding bigger numbers, doing addition and subtraction, and solving maths problems. Whether you're counting the number of bananas in a jungle, calculating how many steps it takes to reach a temple, or working out how many coins you have, place value helps you make sense of numbers. In games like Jungle Maths Quest, you'll use place value to decode hidden messages, find treasure, and build bridges. In real life, you use it when counting your pocket money, reading how many people are at a party, or working out how many pages are in a book.

How it works

Place value works by grouping numbers into hundreds, tens, and ones.
  • Hundreds are groups of 100
  • Tens are groups of 10
  • Ones are single items
To understand a number, we look at the position of each digit:
  1. Start from the right (ones place)
  2. Move left to tens place
  3. Move left to hundreds place
Each position is 10 times bigger than the one to its right.

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you're on a Jungle Maths Quest and you find a treasure chest with the number 426 written on it.
  • 4 is in the hundreds place – that means 4 groups of 100
  • 2 is in the tens place – that means 2 groups of 10
  • 6 is in the ones place – that means 6 single items
How to build 426 with base-10 blocks:
  • 4 large cubes (each worth 100)
  • 2 long rods (each worth 10)
  • 6 small cubes (each worth 1)
Example 1: The number 158 means:
  • 1 hundred (100)
  • 5 tens (50)
  • 8 ones (8)
Example 2: The number 304 means:
  • 3 hundreds (300)
  • 0 tens (0)
  • 4 ones (4)
Notice how the zero in the tens place means there are no tens. This is important – it holds the place!

Try it as a mini adventure

Jungle Maths Quest: The Temple of Numbers You are a brave explorer in the jungle. You have found a map with a riddle: "To reach the hidden temple, you must build the number 273 using vines and stones. Each vine represents 100, each stone represents 10, and each leaf represents 1." How many of each item do you need?
  1. 2 vines (200)
  2. 7 stones (70)
  3. 3 leaves (3)
Now, imagine you find another clue: "The number of vines is 1 more than the number of stones." What number does this represent?
  1. 3 vines (300)
  2. 2 stones (20)
  3. 5 leaves (5)
That's the number 325! Mini challenge: Can you build these numbers using the same method?
  1. 407
  2. 180
  3. 562

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking that the digit 5 in 532 means 5 ones instead of 5 hundreds.
    Why it happens: Children may not understand the importance of digit position.
    Fix: Use base-10 blocks or draw a place value chart to show how each digit's position changes its value.
  • Mistake: Counting the digits in a number instead of understanding place value.
    Why it happens: Confusing counting with place value.
    Fix: Practice identifying hundreds, tens, and ones in numbers using visual aids like base-10 blocks.
  • Mistake: Forgetting that 0 in the tens place still counts as a place.
    Why it happens: Children may think 0 means "nothing."
    Fix: Explain that the zero holds the place and is needed to show the correct value.
  • Mistake: Not understanding that 100 is bigger than 10.
    Why it happens: Confusion between the value of digits and the number of digits.
    Fix: Use physical examples like 100 pieces of paper vs. 10 pieces of paper to show how 100 is much bigger.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child understand place value in just 5-10 minutes a day:
  • Use base-10 blocks or drawings: Show how 10 ones make 1 ten, and 10 tens make 1 hundred. You can use everyday items like pasta or buttons to represent these groups.
  • Count together: Practice counting by 10s and 100s, and ask your child to tell you what each digit means in a number.
  • Play a game: Create a "number builder" game where you each say a number and the other person builds it with blocks or drawings.
  • Look for numbers in real life: When shopping, ask your child to identify how many hundreds, tens, and ones are in the price of an item.
  • Don't worry: It's normal for children to get confused at first. Practice with small numbers and build up slowly.

Practice questions

  1. What number is 5 hundreds, 3 tens, and 7 ones?
  2. How many hundreds, tens, and ones are in the number 642?
  3. Which number is bigger: 321 or 312? Explain using place value.
  4. Build the number 408 using base-10 blocks.
  5. What happens to the value of 5 in the number 532 if it moves to the tens place?
Answers:
  1. 537
  2. 6 hundreds, 4 tens, 2 ones
  3. 321 is bigger because it has 2 tens and 312 has 1 ten
  4. 4 large cubes (400), 0 rods (0), 8 small cubes (8)
  5. It would become 50 instead of 500

FAQ

What is place value?

Place value means that the position of each digit in a number tells us its value. Each place is 10 times bigger than the one to its right.

Why is place value important?

Place value helps us understand big numbers, compare them, and do maths like addition and subtraction.

How do I teach place value to a young child?

Use physical objects like base-10 blocks, draw place value charts, and use everyday examples like counting money or items in a box.

What comes after hundreds in place value?

After hundreds come thousands, then ten thousands, and so on.

How can I make place value fun?

Play games like building numbers with blocks, solve riddles, or use a jungle adventure theme to make learning exciting.