Place value is the foundation for adding, subtracting, and rounding, yet very few smartboard games practice it. Place Value Treasure Dig is a free place value game where students crack the number code on a treasure chest, dig their team one layer deeper with every correct answer, and race to open the treasure. Play it as a whole-class team game or let students practice solo.
Every answer comes with a short explanation, like “The 4 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 4 × 100 = 400,” so students learn the reasoning, not just the answer.
Place Value Treasure Dig
Crack the number code, dig deeper, and open the treasure chest!
How to play
- A treasure number appears. Read the question and look closely at each digit.
- Tap the answer. In team mode, teams take turns; the glowing card shows whose turn it is.
- Each correct answer digs your team one layer deeper. A wrong answer or running out of time passes the turn.
- The first team to reach its treasure chest wins!
The game opens in fullscreen. Use the ✕ button to exit and the speaker button to mute.
How to Play Place Value Treasure Dig
- Set up the dig. Choose Solo or 2–4 teams, type the names, and pick the question types, number size, layers to dig, and turn timer.
- Launch and press START. The game opens in fullscreen with a 3-2-1-DIG! countdown.
- Read the number and tap the answer. In team mode, teams take turns.
- Dig to the treasure. Each correct answer opens the chest with a burst of coins and digs your team one layer deeper. The first team to reach its treasure chest wins!
Five Ways to Practice Place Value
- Digit in a place: “What digit is in the tens place?”
- Value of a digit: “What is the value of the 4?”
- Name the place: “Which place is the 7 in?”
- Base-ten blocks: count thousands cubes, hundreds flats, tens rods, and ones to name the number.
- Expanded form: match 3,482 to 3,000 + 400 + 80 + 2.
Number Sizes for Grades 1–4
- 2-digit (Grade 1): tens and ones
- 3-digit (Grade 2): hundreds, tens, and ones
- 4-digit (Grade 3): thousands and commas
- Up to 6 digits (Grade 4): ten thousands and hundred thousands
Turn on Include zeros to practice tricky numbers like 4,062, and Place labels to show H, T, and O under each digit for beginners.
Why Teachers Love This Place Value Game
- Exciting animations: a treasure chest pops open with coins, and each team’s pickaxe digs deeper on the scoreboard.
- Smart wrong answers based on real mistakes, like counting places from the left or mixing up a digit with its value.
- Clear explanations after every answer help the whole class learn.
- Built for the smartboard: big buttons, sound effects, music, and pause, mute, and exit buttons.
- Free and private: no login, no downloads, and no student data collected.
Teacher Tips
- Pair the game with real base-ten blocks so students can build each number before their team taps.
- Start with Digit in a place, then add Value of a digit once students are confident.
- Use the Group Maker for balanced teams and the Random Name Picker to choose who taps.
- Use solo mode at a math center. The end screen shows accuracy and stars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this place value game free?
Yes. Place Value Treasure Dig is completely free, with no login and nothing to download. It works on smartboards, Chromebooks, laptops, and iPads.
What grades is it for?
It is designed for grades 1–4, from 2-digit numbers all the way up to 999,999.
More Free Smartboard Math Games
- Clock Quest – tell time to the hour, half hour, and minute (grades 1–3).
- Fraction Pizza Party – name, compare, and find equivalent fractions (grades 3–5).
- Rocket Race to the Moon – math facts for K–5.
Find every game in our Smartboard Games collection. Leave a comment and tell me which team found the treasure first!
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