NCERT Joyful Mathematics, Class 2, textbook pages 1–15

How to teach Class 2 Maths Chapter 1, A Day at the Beach, at home

Counting in groups of ten, taught with things you already have at home: a 10-minute activity, a game for the week, a 5-day plan and the mistakes to watch for.

5 tens and 4 ones = 54

NCERT Class 2 Maths Chapter 1 A Day at the Beach: what it teaches

Class 2 starts by counting big piles the smart way: in groups. Your child packs things into tens and counts the leftover ones, so 43 becomes “4 tens and 3 ones”. This is the idea every chapter after it uses.

Why it matters later. Tens and ones is place value. Adding and subtracting in Chapter 6, and every big number after that, depends on seeing 58 as 5 tens and 8 ones.

See it: this chapter in pictures

= 10 shellsone necklace is one ten
Things that come in tens are easy to count: necklaces, trays, bundles.
25 chikoos:2 trays and 5
25 is 2 full trays of ten and 5 more.
7 yellow tens + 3 red tens = 100
Ten strips of ten make one hundred.

You need

  • 100 ice-cream sticks or matchsticks
  • rubber bands
  • an egg tray or 10 small cups
  • a bowl of rajma, buttons or shells

Tonight’s 10 minutes

  1. Tip out a handful (40 to 70) of sticks. Ask your child to guess how many, then bundle them in tens.
  2. Count the bundles first, then the loose sticks: “5 tens and 8 ones is 58.” Compare with the guess.
  3. Say a number, for example 36. Your child makes it with bundles and loose sticks.
  4. Put 10 bundles together and show that 10 tens make 100.

Words to use

  • group of ten
  • tens
  • ones
  • loose
  • bundle
  • hundred

Watch for

  • Counting every stick one by one again after bundling. Point at the bundle and say “this is already 10”. Count tens: 10, 20, 30…
  • Writing 5 tens and 8 ones as 508. Say it as tens first, then ones: fifty-eight. A two-digit number has only two digits.

What it sounds like at home

A short example of the conversation. Your words will differ; the questions are what matter.

YouGuess how many sticks are here.

Your child50.

YouLet’s bundle them in tens.

Your child6 bundles and 4 loose.

YouSo how many?

Your childSixty-four! I was close.

A game for this week: Grab and bundle

  1. Each player grabs a big handful of sticks or beans.
  2. Both guess how many they have.
  3. Bundle in tens and count. Closest guess wins a point.
  4. Play five rounds and add up the points.

A 5-day plan, 10 minutes a day

  1. Day 1Bundle a big pile and count by tens.
  2. Day 2Make numbers you call out with bundles.
  3. Day 3Egg-tray tens: fill trays of ten with beans.
  4. Day 4Show that 10 tens make 100.
  5. Day 5Grab and bundle game.

Everyday moments to practise

  • Bananas in bunches at the market.
  • Eggs in trays of 10 or 12.
  • ₹10 notes counted in tens.
  • Pencils sold in boxes of 10.

Quick check

Ask these at the end of the week. Tap to see the answer.

How many tens and ones are in 72?

7 tens and 2 ones.

4 tens and 6 ones make?

46.

How many tens make 100?

10.

Ready for the next chapter when your child…

  • Makes any number to 99 with bundles and loose sticks.
  • Says how many tens and ones in a number.
  • Counts in tens to 100 without help.

Activities, wording and illustrations are Mathify Kids’ own, following the topics of NCERT’s Joyful Mathematics (Class 2). See the full Class 2 parent guide for every chapter.

Questions parents ask

What is counting in groups in Class 2?

Counting a large number of things by putting them in groups of ten, then counting the groups and the leftovers.

Why bundle in tens and not fives?

Our number system is built on tens; the digits in 58 mean 5 tens and 8 ones.

How do I explain 100 to my child?

Put ten bundles of ten together. That big bundle is one hundred.