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How to Make a Homemade Abacus

The abacus has been in use as a mathematical aid for more than five thousand years and remains a popular method of teaching numeracy in many parts of Asia. Each column of sliding beads represents units -- tens, hundreds and so on -- making it easy for children to visualize the relationship between numbers while adding and subtracting. Using a few readily available craft supplies, it is easy to make an abacus of your own.

Things You'll Need

6 Popsicle sticks
Pencil
Ruler
8 4-inch dowels, 1/8-inch diameter
56 beads
Wood glue

Instructions

- 1
  Measure one of the Popsicle sticks. Subtract 1 inch from the total and divide the result by eight. Leaving 1/2 an inch of free space at either end of the stick, use the measurement to make eight pencil marks at regular intervals along the length of the stick. Line up five of the remaining sticks with the first and use the ruler to make marks at identical intervals.
- 2
  Place drops of glue on the marks of one stick and place the tips of the dowels on top. Ensure the dowels are at a right angle to the Popsicle stick and allow the glue to dry.
- 3
  Thread two beads onto each dowel. Add drops of glue to a second marked stick and place this underneath the dowels, approximately 1 inch down from the first stick. This will form the center beam. Place the dowels on the drops of glue, ensuring they are straight, and allow to dry.
- 4
  Thread five more beads onto each dowel, then glue a third marked stick underneath the dowels to form the bottom of the abacus.
- 5
  Add glue to the three remaining marked sticks and place them face down on the dowels directly over the existing Popsicle sticks. Position them so that they line up as neatly as possible and allow the glue to dry.

Educational Toys