Click here to read Make This Math Path Activity to Practice Almost Any Math Skill on Hands On As We Grow®
We are in our third year homeschooling our littles and let me tell you, I am a big fan of learning through games. This math activity is right up my alley.
This particular activity makes learning math fun!
Yes, I just used the words “math” and “fun” in the same sentence.
No, I am not kidding.
Hands on math through activities is the best way to go when kids are little!
Besides just being fun, this gross motor “Make a Math Path” game takes only a couple minutes to get ready.
Even better, it can be adapted to many levels of math, from number recognition to addition and subtraction. Or, from numerical sequence to greater than, less than, even and odds.
Check out 40 awesome number activities for preschoolers!
I haven’t tested whether or not it would work for calculus. I was fresh out of desire to do calculus on this particular day. Maybe tomorrow.
Gross Motor Math Paths (Fun Learning Activity!)
To play this gross motor math hop, you will need:
- a large playing space, preferably that can be written on with sidewalk chalk
- sidewalk chalk
First, make your game board. You can make as many rows as you want.
Each row can also include as many numbers as you want.
I’ve done this math activity different ways, but this time I did six rows with six numbers in each.
I included a zero in many of the rows so that my kids could most likely finish the path they began, no matter what.
If you want to challenge them more, don’t include the zero each time.
Next, give the math prompt.
This will vary depending on what age and skill you are working with.
Get moving some more with this math scavenger hunt with a snowman twist!
Add & Subtract Math Activity
For my 6 and 8 year old kiddos, I said something like “Make 20.”
In this instance they then had to find a path across the game board that would result in a sum of 20.
Using the example of 20, they could take the following path: 4 to 3 to 2 to 6 to 2 to 3. (4+3+2+6+3=20.)
At each number, they say the math sentence aloud. “4 plus 3 equals 7,” then they might hop to the 2 and say “7 plus 2 equals 9,” and so on.
You can do this in reverse to practice subtraction.
In this approach, you give them a starting number and tell them they need to end up at zero. So if they started with 15, they might hop from 4 to 3 to 4 to 0 to 1 to 3. (15-4-3-4-0-1-3=0.)
As a twist to your math activity.
Allow them to add AND subtract.
So, for instance, if they were working toward making 20, they might get to 24 by hopping from 9 to 8 to 7. (9+8+7=24.)
Then, they would have to get rid of those extra 4 by hopping to 1, then 1, then 2. (24-1-1-2=20.)
Here are a bunch of great counting activities for preschoolers!
Evens & Odds; Greater Than & Less Than
Ask your child to find a path that only uses odd or even numbers.
You can also set number parameters to this activity to work on greater than and less than math skills.
Such as “Find a path that only uses numbers greater than 4,” or “Find a path that only uses numbers less than 6,” for example.
Change up your language, too: “Find a path that only uses numbers greater than or equal to 2+1,” instead of just saying “3.”
Number Recognition and Numerical Sequence
You can easily use this math activity game board for younger kids who aren’t ready for addition and subtraction.
For toddlers and preschoolers just learning number recognition, just say, for example, “Hop on all of 5s!”
In case you were wondering, yes, my three-year old is wearing his socks on his hands, and his shoes on the wrong feet.
Isn’t that what you do?
To practice numerical sequence, ask them to find their way in order from 1 to 10.
Easy as pie.
Which, incidentally, has never seemed all that easy to make.
Does ”easy as pie” refer to “easy to eat”? Because, I can most definitely support that thought.
Check out these educational games with dominoes!
Indoor Math Activity Alternatives
Are you lacking a chalk-friendly outdoor space? No problem! You can also play this math activity with a piece of paper.
Write the number lines as you would above, and then use your fingers to hop across the numbers.
Alternatively, hop across the numbers using a small toy or action figure.
Obviously you won’t be tapping into that “gross motor” stuff with this method, but just do some Zumba after and it’s basically the same thing, I think.
A large sheet of butcher or kraft paper could possibly be used.
Alternatively you could use painters tape on the floor to make the math activity big for indoors.
Get artsy with this super sized math painting!
All the Ways to Use This Math Hop Activity
In sum (yikes, no pun intended), here are some of the math skills you could practice with this activity board:
- number recognition
- even and odd
- greater than, less than
- numerical sequence
- addition
- subtraction
- calculus (still up for debate; you try it and report back, OK?)
Have you had any fun with math lately?
0 Commentaires