Rounding to the nearest 10
Worksheet + game · PDF · free
Rounding to the nearest 10 means finding which ten a number is closer to. Look at the ones digit: 0–4 rounds down, 5–9 rounds up. 34 goes to 30; 38 goes to 40. Use a number line with 30, 35, and 40 marked so children see distance, not just a rule. Midpoints matter: 35 is exactly halfway, and by convention we round up to 40. This skill feeds estimation before written calculation and makes sense of headlines and measures. Connect to place value — the tens digit is what changes.
Worked example
Round 47 to the nearest 10. The ones digit is 7, which is 5 or more, so round up. 47 → 50. On a number line, 47 is closer to 50 than to 40.
Watch for this
Rounding 47 to 40 because 'four is the tens digit' confuses which digit to inspect. Circle the ones digit first, then decide up or down.
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Same facts, played
A short game that drills the same idea after the page is printed.