5 Free Engaging Downloads to Pair with Your Favorite hand2mind Resources

As educators, we’re always looking for hands-on ways to make learning more engaging and effective in the classroom. I’m thrilled to partner with hand2mind to bring you five free downloads that pair seamlessly with their hands-on manipulatives. These resources are grounded in the science of reading (with a splash of math) and are designed to provide students with interactive, research-based practice while making learning fun. Whether you’re working with small groups or in centers, these downloads will support your instruction and keep students actively engaged.

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hand2mind Learning

hand2mind has long been a trusted partner for educators, providing hands-on resources that inspire students to learn through exploration and discovery. Their mission is rooted in empowering teachers and students with engaging manipulatives that promote critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Whether you’re teaching foundational literacy or STEM concepts, hand2mind’s tools are designed to make learning meaningful and interactive, all while aligning with educational standards and research-based practices.

5 Free Hands-On + Engaging Downloads

In this post, I’ll be sharing five free downloads designed to enhance your literacy (and math) instruction. For each download, I’ll highlight a specific hand2mind manipulative that pairs perfectly with the activity, providing students with hands-on learning opportunities. These paired resources are crafted to support your teaching by making abstract concepts more concrete, while keeping students actively engaged in the learning process.

FREEBIE 1: Phonics-Based Engaging Mats

The first free download is a comprehensive set of nearly 400 phonics-based magnet mats, designed to provide hands-on and engaging literacy practice. These mats are the perfect match for hand2mind’s magnetic rainbow trays and magnetic rainbow letters. Teachers love these magnetic letters, and one of their favorite features is the ability to quickly identify any missing pieces—thanks to the distinct rainbow colors for each set, gone are the days of endlessly searching for a lost letter!

I’ve recently expanded this set with even more mats, and I’ll continue to add new ones regularly. Pair these mats with the hand2mind magnetic letters and trays for a hands-on, engaging, and yes—fun—small-group activity that supports phonics instruction in a meaningful way.

This free download pairs with the hand2mind magnetic letters with the magnetic trays.

FREEBIE #2: Alphabet Arc

This free download includes both lowercase and capital alphabet arcs, which pair perfectly with hand2mind’s Learn My Letters Fine Motor Clips. These innovative clips are uniquely designed for small hands, helping children build and refine their fine motor skills while simultaneously developing essential early literacy skills. They offer a fun, hands-on way to support letter recognition and motor development all in one activity.

Using these alphabet arcs alongside the Learn My Letters Fine Motor Clips allows students to physically manipulate letters, reinforcing letter recognition and alphabetical order in a hands-on way. By engaging both fine motor skills and literacy development, this pairing promotes deeper retention and understanding of foundational skills, giving students the opportunity to connect tactile learning with visual and auditory reinforcement.

This free download pairs with the hand2mind Learn My Letters Fine Motor Clips.

FREEBIE #3: Engaging Chip + Swipe Cards

This free download features over 250 “Chip + Swipe” cards that focus on CVC words through vowel variants. Students begin by saying the word, then build it using hand2mind Lowercase Alphabet Chips. After constructing the word, they can use the hand2mind magnetic wands to “swipe” the chips, adding an interactive and fun element to the activity. For words with digraphs, r-controlled vowels, or vowel variants, students will incorporate chips from the hand2mind Reading Readiness Activity Set, which also includes some individual Alphabet Chips to ensure a smooth learning experience.

This free downloads pairs with the hand2mind Lowercase Alphabet Chips, Magnetic Wands, and Reading Readiness Kit.

FREEBIE #4: Place Value Pop It!

This free download includes place value cards up to 100, which pair perfectly with the hand2mind Hundreds Sensory Popper. Working on place value in a hands-on way is crucial for building a deep understanding of number sense. By physically engaging with the Hundreds Sensory Popper, students can visualize and manipulate numbers, making abstract concepts like tens and ones more concrete. This tactile approach not only enhances comprehension but also keeps students engaged and excited about learning math.

This free download pairs with the hand2mind Hundred Board Sensory Bubble Popper.

FREEBIE #5: Number Clips Fine Motor Tasks

This free download provides over 50 task cards and engaging activities for students to complete using the hand2mind Learn My Numbers Fine Motor Clips. Developing strong number sense and subitizing skills is essential for young learners, as it helps them quickly recognize and understand quantities without counting. By incorporating hands-on tools like the fine motor clips, students can build these foundational math skills in an interactive and meaningful way.

Fine motor skills are critical for young learners as they help build the muscle strength and coordination needed for tasks like writing. The hand2mind Learn My Numbers Fine Motor Clips are specifically designed to strengthen the pincer grasp while reinforcing essential math skills, offering a unique and engaging way for students to develop number identification, counting, and basic operations. Students can complete this number path or the number clipper wheels.

This free download pairs with the hand2mind Learn My Numbers Fine Motor Clips.

In Closing

As you explore these five free downloads paired with hand2mind’s engaging manipulatives, I hope you find new ways to bring hands-on learning to life in your classroom. These resources not only support literacy and math instruction but also help students build essential skills through tactile, interactive activities. Whether you’re focusing on phonics, place value, or number sense, these tools are designed to make learning fun, meaningful, and aligned with research-based practices. I’m excited for you to try these activities with your students and see the impact they can have on their learning journey!

Tara West – Little Minds at Work
littlemindsatworkLLC(at)gmail.com