Fun Activities to Promote Math Skills

8/13/2019 Fun Activities to Promote Math Skills

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Mathematics

Fun activities to promote math skillsFor the visual learnerGo on a number safari.When you're driving around town, have your child look for numbers in street and store signs,and on license plates. Call out the numbers as you find them. Your child should be able to recognize numbers up to tenbefore kindergarten.

Connect the dots.This old standby will help your child understand number seuencing! that is, that one is followed bytwo, two by three, etc. "ookstores are full of coloring books with connect the dot themes #and don't worry if your child

only wants a Teletubby or $ok%mon theme & it's all about the numbers right now.

Make a phone call.Write the phone number of a friend or relative down on a piece of paper. (ave your child dial thenumber to give him practice reading numbers left to right.

Count everything around you.Count people standing in line, the number of steps to the library, the cracks in thesidewalk.For the physical learnerCount and sort household items.)i* up the knives, forks, and spoons from the silverware drawer and have your childgroup them by type and count how many there are in each group. +o the same with your sock drawer #by color, by size,your child's stuffed animal collection #group the animals by big and small! put all the bears together. (ave your childhelp you fold and sort laundry. (ow many socks are there (ow many T-shirts (ave him divide them into groups.

Go on a shape search around the house.ook for suares, triangles, circles, stars & any kind of shape. Your childwill be e*pected to recognize, draw, and manipulate shapes well into /st grade #not to mention high school geometry0.

Play with shape puzzles and blocks.)anipulating three-dimensional ob1ects & playing with a shape-sorter bo*, fore*ample & will introduce your child to basic geometry as well as help develop his finemotor skills and spatial reasoning.

Make a counting book.This activity has a reading and a math component2 With some help from you, have your child gothrough an old catalog or magazine and cut out all the items that start with the letter 343 and paste them onto a piece ofconstruction paper. When you've gone through the list, count all the pictures on each page.

Make a game out of snack time.5or e*ample, give your child a handful of goldfish crackers, and draw a picture of afishbowl on a piece of white paper. $ut the fish in the fishbowl and have your child count them. Take one out, and countagain.

Play pattern games.5or e*ample, give your child green and purple grapes. (ave him arrange them in differentpatterns2 purple, green, purple, green. 6r green, green, purple, green, green. ook for patterns in nature2 rings on a

caterpillar, the whorl on a snail shell, or things that come in pairs such as eyes, ears, or two peanuts in a shell. Thisactivity will develop your child's problem-solving skills and his ability to think abstractly.For the auditory learnerListen to counting rhymes and songs.3Three little monkeys 1umping on the bed! one fell off and bumped his head.)ama called the doctor and the doctor said, '7o more monkeys 1umping on the bed0' Two little monkeys 1umping on thebed...3 4ny variation on this counting rhyme introduces basic subtraction. ook for children's games and music activitytapes such as the Wee Singseries that features songs about numbers.

Make a recipe with your child.8ive your child the measuring cups and bowls and let him measure out the ingredientswhile you read the directions out loud. 4n easy & and delicious & way to introduce concepts such as volume andweight.

The secret to helping your child learn to read is showing him that reading can provide endless hours of fun. (ere aresome great activity ideas for your beginning reader.

"ecause children learn in different ways, we've arranged these activities by learning style. 9f you're not sure what yourchild's learning style is, take our uiz."ut any child can benefit from the suggestions in all three categories.

For physical learnersGet a library card in your childs name8o the library together and visit the checkout counter to apply for a library card.9f he knows how to spell his own name, ask him to tell you while you write it down on the application. When you get thecard, make a copy of it and laminate it so your child has a card of his own to carry around! if your library system usesplastic cards with bar codes, get your child his own card as they are easily replaced.

Play dress!up and act out a book+ressing up like the characters in your child's favorite book can really bring readingto life. You can invite some of your child's friends over and make it a playdate.

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Mathematics

Make an alphabet poster4sk your child to draw each letter on some poster board, then go through magazines andcatalogs and cut out pictures of things that begin with each letter and glue them on the board. This is a great hands-onway to learn the alphabet.

Make finger puppets to go with a storyCut the fingers off some old gloves and then use fabric markers to draw thecharacters on together. You can also roll felt or paper for the body and then glue eyes, noses, smiles, and hair on them.9f your art skills could use some work, make color copies from a favorite book, then cut out the characters' faces and gluethem onto the glove fingers or rolled paper or felt. 6nce you make the puppets, you and your child can use them to help

tell a story.

"rite a letter to your childs favorite authorTo help your child get started, ask him a few uestions. What do you likeabout this author's book (ow do you feel when you read these stories Who is your favorite character Then have yourchild put the letter in an envelope, seal it, and add a stamp. You can send it to the author care of the publisher. Checkthe title page of the book to find out who that is.

Make a dictionary4s your child comes across words he doesn't know, write them in a blank book or notebook alongwith the meaning. This is a great way to help build vocabulary.

Give out book dollars9f you don't want to use real money, you can draw your own. +ole out the cash for chores orother good deeds at home. When your child earns ten or /:, take a trip to the bookstore and let him spend the money.

Go to a book signing party$opular children's authors often make appearances at bookstores. Check local papers andbulletin boards at bookstores to find out who's coming ne*t.

#uild a reading fort9n your child's bedroom, lean together some broom or mop sticks and drape blankets over them tocreate a tent. 9nvite your child to grab a book and a flashlight and climb in for story time in the dark #you can 1oin in tohelp him read the stories if he wants. 9n the summertime you can do this in the yard.

$erve a meal from a book;se food coloring to make green eggs and ham, try to recreate parts of the 8rinch'sChristmas feast, or make your own batch of porridge for the Three ittle "ears. You can even get a basket and fill it withgoodies for ittle


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Mathematics

asking your child to describe what's going on, or if he's in them how he felt or what he was doing. Then write the story onsticky notes that you place on the pictures.

$ubscribe to a kids magazineYour child will love getting his own magazines in the mail. 8reat ones to try at this ageare Highlights for Childrenor Sports Illustrated for Kids.

)magine what happens ne*tWith your child, make up and write down a seuel to a favorite book.

Copy your childs favorite book into a blank +ournalThen let your child draw a new picture for each page of the story.

,isit your childs favorite authors "eb site=ome great ones to try2 the home page of@an "rett, illustrator of Hedgie'sSurpriseand other stories, the site for Aric Carle ,best known as the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar,and=uessville, a great destination for +r. =euss lovers.

Leave notes for your child$ut them in her lunchbo* or book bag every day, even if it's 1ust a few simple words such as39 love you.3 You can also leave them around her room or ne*t to her toothbrush.

#uy a big bookTeaching supply stores sell giant books for teachers to use in the classroom. They're great for groupreads because all the kids can see the pictures, but your child will also love the huge oversized pictures in your one-on-one story time.

)llustrate a songWrite down the words to your child's favorite song and, with your child, draw pictures to go with eachstanza. Then read the song together.

$et a family reading time5or /: or >B minutes a night, everyone in the house reads a story together. 9f friends orneighbors are visiting, ask them to participate. 5ollow the reading time with a few minutes of discussion about the bookto encourage comprehension.

"rite a book of -my favorite things-=taple together ten blank pages and ask your child to think of that many favoritethings. (elp with ideas. 4sk him uestions such as, What's your favorite food Who is your best friend What is yourfavorite book Write one thing on each page and have your child draw a picture to go with it.

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4dding and subtracting. Counting to /BB. )aking change for a dollar. You can help your child master these early math

skills simply by playing games in and around the house. eave the flashcards and worksheets to the teacher! if you want

your child to love numbers, show him how math is part of everyday life and he'll be eager to learn more.

(ere are /> fun ways to promote math skills. "ecause children learn in different ways, they are arranged by learning

style. 9f you're not sure what your child's learning style is, take our uiz.

For the visual learnerPlay pattern games.5or e*ample, give your child green and purple grapes. (ave him arrange them in differentpatterns2 purple, green, purple, green. 6r green, green, purple, green, green. ook for patterns in nature2 rings on acaterpillar, things that come in pairs & eyes, ears, two peanuts in a shell. This activity will develop your child's problem-solving skills and his abstract thinking.

stimate the weight of a household ob+ect.4sk your children to guess the weight of the family cat, a dictionary, aglass of water. Then show him how to use the scale to find out the real weight. (ave him estimate his own weight, and

that of other family members, too.For the physical learnerMake a game out of snack time.5or e*ample, give your child a handful of goldfish crackers, and draw a picture of afishbowl on a white piece of paper. $ut the fish in the fishbowl and have your child count them. Take one out, and countagain. 4n easy way to introduce subtraction, which some children find more difficult than adding.

Make up dice or card games.You can introduce the concepts of greater than and less than with these classic gamepieces.


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Mathematics

the selection for about /: minutes. When it's time to pay for the books, help the children count out the money anddetermine whether they have any left over or have gone over their budget. This activity reinforces making change andmoney skills.

Make a recipe with your child.8ive your child the measuring cups and bowls and let him read the directions. 4n easy& and delicious & way to introduce concepts such as volume, weight, and fractions.

Measure your family.The 7ational $T4 recommends this family activity2 ;se a tape measure or ruler to record theheights of everyone in your family. Total the inches to see how 3tall3 you are all together. Try it again with everyone's

weight.

Play board games that use counting and paper money.8ames such as )onopoly @unior are aimed at ages :through E.

Play with money.This is a family game2 The goal is to be the first player to win a set amount of money #F: cents, :Bcents.


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your child do the guessing.

Make a recipe with your child.8ive her the measuring cups, measuring spoons, and bowls and read her the recipewhile she does the work. 4n easy & and delicious & way to introduce concepts such as volume, weight, and fractions.

8rade GYour third grader will continue to build on basic math skills such as addition and subtraction, telling time, and counting

money, but will also start to learn how to multiply, measure, and understand fractions. You can help your child masterthese skills simply by playing games in and around the house. eave the flashcards and worksheets to the teacher! if

you want your child to love numbers, show your child how math is part of everyday life and he'll be eager to learn more.

(ere are /> fun ways to introduce your child to the world of math. "ecause children learn in different ways, we've

arranged these activities by learning style. 9f you're not sure what your child's learning style is, take our uiz.

For the visual learnerstimate the weight of a household ob+ect.4sk your child to guess the weight of the family cat, a dictionary, a glass ofwater. Then use the scale to find out the real weight. (ave him estimate his own weight, and that of other familymembers. Were his estimates on target

#uy your child a watch with an hour and second hand.$eriodically ask him to tell you what time it is. 4sk uestionslike2 39fArthurcomes on at p.m., how many more minutes do you have to wait3 39t takes me /: minutes to drive to thestore. +o 9 have time to get there before it closes at : p.m.3

/se M0Ms to teach fractions.(ave your child count the )I) pieces in a bag. Then sort them by color. Count thenumber of green )I)'s to find out what fraction of all of the candy is that color. +o the same with the other colors. Aatthe results.

Fold a napkin.4n idea from the ;.=. +epartment of Aducation2 5old paper towels or napkins into large and smallfractions. =tart with halves, then move to uarters, then eighths, and finally /Dths. ;se magic markers to label thefractions.For the physical learnerPlay card games.War and 8o 5ish are classic card games that reinforce basic math concepts such as greater and lessthan, as well as grouping by category.

%ost a book or toy e*change party.(ave each child bring along four or five used books or toys to sell! price all thebooks under one dollar #> cents, DB cents, etc.. 8ive each child one dollar in play money to spend and let them sortthrough the selection for about /: minutes. When it's time to pay for the books, help the children count out the moneyand determine whether they have any left over or have gone over their budget. This activity reinforces making changeand money skills.

Measure your family.The 7ational $T4 recommends this family activity2 ;se a tape measure or ruler to record theheights of everyone in your family. Total the inches to see how 3tall3 you are all together. Try it again with everyone'sweight. 4 good way to practice adding two-digit numbers.

Play board games that use counting and paper money.8ames such as )onopoly @unior are aimed at ages :through E but are still fun for parents or older siblings.

Play with money. This is a family game2 The goal is to be the first player to win a set amount of money #F: cents, :Bcents.


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Mathematics

directions as he does the work. 4n easy & and delicious & way to introduce concepts such as volume, weight, andfractions.

(ow to raise a child who loves math$ut away the flashcards and check your negative feelings about math at the door. +on't bother with worksheets & your

child will have plenty of time to do those in the coming years. cookies left. 9f 9 give you four to you andfour to your friend, how many will be left over for +ad and me3 et your child figure out the answer on her own, but urgeher to think out loud. 8etting the right answer is less important than working through the steps to get there.Let your child use a calculatorChildren love gadgets, and adding and subtracting on a calculator is an e*citing way for her to learn to manipulatenumbers. You'll also introduce her to a tool she'll soon be e*pected to use in school. 4nd it will probably occupy herlonger than you think it will.&ry out math learning softwareWhile not a substitute for real-world lessons, computer math programs reinforce skills being taught in the classroom.$lus, computer-savvy kids love the interactivity. 4sk your child's teacher for recommendations.

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Fun Activities to Promote Math Skills