Number Lines Teaching Resources
Download printable number lines, activities and worksheets to help students as they develop their understanding of counting, operations, fractions and more primary maths skills. Save time on your maths lesson planning with printables that are ready to be downloaded and used in the classroom!
This teaching resource collection was created by the teachers on the Teach Starter team to align to the Australian curriculum and includes number lines for positive and negative integers, time number lines and classroom number lines that can be printed and displayed on the classroom wall or your students' desks for a variety of maths activities.
Build your students' number sense, expand their understanding of fractions and more with this powerful collection!
New to using this tool in the maths classroom, or just looking for some fresh ideas for teaching with number lines? Explore a primer from the teachers on the Teach Starter team!
What Is a Number Line?
A number line is a visual representation of numbers that is usually represented as a straight line. The numbers are usually represented as points on the line, and the distance between each number corresponds to the difference in value between them.
In a primary school setting, you can use a number line to introduce basic mathematical concepts and to help students develop their number sense. They can be used for a wide variety of different activities such as counting, comparing numbers, teaching decimals and plenty more.
How Do Number Lines Help Students?
This tool has a number of applications in helping build numbers skills, some of which may surprise you! Take a look at the ways these can help your students:
- They aid learning by providing a visual representation of numbers and their relative positions.
- They make it easier for students to understand concepts such as addition, subtraction and fractions, as well as to visualise and compare numbers.
- They can be used to introduce negative numbers and to understand the concept of absolute value.
- Number lines can help students develop their number sense (aka the ability to understand and work with numbers in a flexible and efficient way).
How Do You Put Fractions in a Number Line?
Number lines come in handy when you're teaching fractions in primary school — both by helping kids visualise the relationship between fractions and whole numbers and by allowing them to see the relative sizes of fractions.
One of the most common stumbling blocks for students is putting fractions in a number line. Here's how to do this, step by step:
- Determine the range of the number line. For example, if a student wants to put fractions between 0 and 1 on the number line, they'll need to draw a line segment from 0 to 1.
- Divide the line segment into equal parts. The number of equal parts will depend on how many fractions your student wants to include on the line. If the plan is to include 4 fractions, for example, they would divide the line segment into 4 equal parts.
- Label the endpoints of the line segment with the whole numbers that correspond to them. For example, they could label the left endpoint as 0 and the right endpoint as 1.
- Label the other points on the line segment with the fractions you want to include. To do this, students need to determine the location of each fraction on the number line. They can do this by finding a common denominator for all of the fractions and then dividing the line segment into that many equal parts.
- Plot each fraction on the number line by marking the appropriate point and labeling it with the corresponding fraction. You can also have your students shade in the region of the number line that corresponds to the set of fractions they are interested in.
Students may also need to partition a number line into equal parts as part of their study of fractions! To do this, instruct your students to put the 0 and 1 tick marks at the ends of the line, look at how many equal parts are needed, and draw one fewer tick mark.
For example, if a student is dividing a line into eighths, they draw the 0 and 1 markers and draw seven ticks (this will ultimately give them eight equal spaces).
5 Creative Ways to Use Number Lines in Your Maths Classes
Looking for fresh ways to use number lines? Explore our collection for printable activities and ideas, and explore this list of favourites from our teacher team!
- Create a Scavenger Hunt — Have your students go on a hunt for specific numbers on the number line scavenger hunt style. They can also be given a range of numbers to find and write down the numbers that fall within that range.
- Use the Number Line for a Drawing Activity — Incorporate the number line into a drawing activity. For example, kids can draw an ocean that shows the depth below sea level or integrate a number line into a drawing that has a thermometer to show positive and negative temperatures.
- Number Line Sidewalk Art — Here's another fun art activity you can do with this handy tool. Students can draw horizontal and vertical number lines with sidewalk chalk then physically move between numbers, showing how to represent addition, subtraction, rounding and more. This is a great way to incorporate movement into the school day too.
- Number Lines with Clothespegs — Students can sequence clothespegs marked with integers, fractions or decimals. This helps with fine motor concepts for younger students, while older students can be challenged to match equivalent value pegs on their number line. (Such as equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages)
- Number Line Riddles — Bring some serious fun to your number line activities. Give your students a riddle they can solve with the use of a number line!
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Number Lines – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Cut and paste to complete the number lines with differentiated number line worksheets.
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Number Line Bubble Drop - Ordering Activity
Practise ordering whole numbers on a number line with a fun ocean-themed interactive activity.
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Two-Digit Number Line - Differentiated Place Value Activities
Practise place value concepts, addition and subtraction, and using a number line with a differentiated place value activity.
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Open Number Line Worksheets
Provide your students with a blank number line worksheet for number and algebra work.
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Number Line Match-Up Activity (Up to 120)
Match two-digit whole numbers on a number line with this set of 32 task cards.
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Goal Getters- Rounding to the Nearest Ten Worksheets
Score a goal and master rounding numbers on a number line with a soccer-themed rounding to the nearest ten worksheet.
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Adding and Subtracting Integers - Codebreaker Worksheets
Crack the positive and negative number code with four adding and subtracting integers worksheets.
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Decimals on Number Lines Task Cards for Year 5
Sharpen your year 5 students’ abilities to identify decimals on a number line with a set of task cards.
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Decimal Number Line Matching Game
Practise identifying decimals on a number line using a matching game for year 4 or year 5.
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The Number Line Zoo - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Develop number sense by returning the zoo animals to their correct positions on the number line with a cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Number Line Task Cards - Superhero Addition and Subtraction Activity
Fly through addition and subtraction on a number line with an exciting Number Line Superhero task card activity.
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Bunny Number Lines - Addition and Subtraction Task Cards
Hop like a bunny to practise addition and subtraction on a number line.
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Integers on Number Lines - Worksheet
Identify and plot integers on a number line with a positive and negative number worksheet.
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Ordering Numbers PowerPoint
Help your students understand the concept of number sequencing with an interactive instructional slide deck.
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Number Lines - Worksheet
Fill in the missing numbers with this number line worksheet.
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Add and Subtract Integers on a Number Line - Interactive Picture Reveal
Practise solving addition and subtraction equations with positive and negative numbers using an interactive mystery picture reveal.
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Number Heroes - Interactive Number Line Activity
Help the Number Line Heroes defeat the Number Thief and fill in the missing numbers on the number line with an interactive number line activity.
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Pirates on a Number Line - Number Location Interactive Activity
Practice locating numbers on a number line with a Google Slides interactive number line activity.
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Fractions and Decimals Number Line Puzzles
Practise identifying fractions and decimals on a number line with this set of 2- and 3-piece puzzles.
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Using Number Lines - Worksheet
Check your students' number line skills with a printable number line formative assessment.
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Whole Numbers on a Number Line Worksheet
Practice finding the missing number on number lines.
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Rounding Bingo — Using a Vertical Number Line
Review how to round numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, and ten thousand with a vertical number line Bingo game.
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Four Digit Numbers on a Number Line - Task Cards
Determine the intervals and identify the missing four-digit whole numbers on a number line with this set of 24 task cards.
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Vertical Number Line - Rounding Worksheets
Use a vertical number line to round whole numbers to a given place with a set of rounding worksheets.
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Lost in Decimal Woods — Decimal Number Line Interactive
Recognise and analyse decimals on a number line with an exciting self-checking interactive game.
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Interactive PowerPoint - 2-Digit Place Value Game
Review various Year 1 and Year 2 place value concepts with an interactive daily place value warmup.
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2-Digit Whole Numbers on a Number Line - Task Cards
Identify the missing two-and-three digit whole numbers on a number line with this set of 24 task cards.
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Adding and Subtracting Integers on Number Lines - Worksheet
Help your students learn to add and subtract integers on a number line with a printable adding and subtracting integers worksheet.
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Positive & Negative Number Line - Worksheet
Practise locating integers on a positive and negative number line with a printable integer worksheet.
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Understanding Positive and Negative Numbers – Worksheet
Explore positive and negative numbers by plotting integers on a number line and identifying opposites with this worksheet.
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Number Neighbourhood - Number Line Sequencing Cards
Print a set of colourful numbered houses to use for skip counting, ordering, and comparing numbers.
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Number Lines to 100 - Kaboom Game
Practise using a number line and locating numbers to 100 with an exciting Kaboom! Card Game.