Plastic Bridge For The Snake Game
Made by Nienhuis Montessori · shipped by Heutink International (Netherlands) About the maker
The plastic bridge for the snake game, sold on its own. In the snake game a child counts along a line of coloured bead bars and swaps each ten for a golden bar, and the bridge is what marks the place where a ten ended in the middle of a bar. Without it the count has to be held in the head, and holding a count in the head is exactly what this material was built to make unnecessary. The snake game and its beads are separate items.
“The senses, being explorers of the world, open the way to knowledge.”
The Plastic Bridge for the Snake Game exemplifies Dr. Montessori's insight that abstract mathematical concepts become concrete through physical manipulation.
- Understanding base-ten system through physical exchange of bead bars
- Developing systematic approach to mathematical operations
- Building visual discrimination between unit bars and ten bars
- Strengthening fine motor control through precise bead bar manipulation
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This raised platform transforms the complex process of exchanging bead quantities into a visible, tangible operation that children can control with their hands. The bridge's elevated design creates a clear separation point where colored bead bars representing units are systematically replaced with golden ten bars, making the base-ten system physically apparent. By lifting bead bars over the bridge during exchanges, children internalize the mathematical process through repeated motor movements. The plastic construction ensures durability through countless exchanges while maintaining the precise height needed for smooth bead bar transitions. This simple architectural element addresses the developmental need for order and sequence in mathematical thinking, allowing the child to physically experience how quantities transform through addition and subtraction rather than merely observing numbers on paper.
How to present it
Follow the Montessori method of presentation for optimal child development.
Place the plastic bridge at the center of the work mat. Arrange colored bead bars (1-9) on the left side and golden ten bars with exchange beads on the right side.
- 1
Begin with a simple addition snake using 5-6 colored bead bars laid end to end
Start with smaller quantities to build confidence - 2
Count the first segment up to 10, then lift those bars over the bridge
Model slow, deliberate movements when crossing the bridge - 3
Replace the counted bars with one golden ten bar on the right side
Emphasize the 'exchange' by saying 'ten units become one ten' - 4
Continue counting and exchanging until the entire snake is converted
Let the child discover the pattern of exchange independently - 5
Count the final result using tens and remaining units
Place results in clear columns: tens on left, units on right
Every Child Is a Little Creator
Heritage
Since 1929
In classrooms
Around the world
European brands
Nienhuis, GAM, Educo
AMI approved
To the association standard
Plastic Bridge For The Snake Game
