Use manipulatives to teach second-graders about place value. On pieces of paper, draw two columns, and write the word "ones" on the bottom of the right-hand column and the word "tens" on the bottom of the left-hand column. Distribute the papers to children, and provide them with a handful of small manipulatives -- candies, coins, paper clips or small toys work well. On the board, write a two digit number, and instruct children to place an amount of manipulatives in each column that corresponds to the number you wrote on the board. For example, if you've written the number 15 on the board, children should place five items in the ones column and one item in the tens column. Once children gain a mastery of two digit numbers, use this activity to teach three digit numbers.
Children compete to create the largest number with this place value game. Remove the face cards from a deck of cards, shuffle them and place them face down. Provide children with paper and pencil or dry-erase boards and markers. Pull the top two or three cards off the pile, and lay them out in random order on a flat surface. Children use the numbers displayed on the cards to write a two or three digit number on their papers or dry-erase boards. Children compare the written numbers, and the students who created the largest numbers earn a point. The child with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Children create the number you have stated in this place value activity. Provide children with magnetic numbers or number tiles. When you state a two or three digit number aloud, students will use the magnetic numbers or number tiles to create the number you stated. For instance, if you stated the number 24, students would place the number two in front of the number four. You could turn this activity into a race, awarding points to the student who creates the number you stated first. Then the student who earns the most points wins.
Teams compete to name the correct number based on place value clues they are given. Divide your class into two teams, and have each of the teams form single-file lines. State a clue to the first two players on each team, for example, "I have 3 tens and 4 ones." The first student to say "34" earns a point for her team. The game continues until all students have had a turn. The team that collects the most points wins.