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There are so many ways to turn play into learning opportunities. Toys and games can be hacked into teaching tools and I’m here for it! I’ve found 13 ideas and counting (ha!) for teaching elementary level math at home using games and play.
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Rather than force the kiddos to do page after page of worksheets, I thought some more interactive ideas might be in order. (oh the math puns abound!) I love using everyday items to create a fun learning environment. A. Because then you don’t have to shop around for specialized teaching tools and B. Using items your kids are already familiar with will help them feel like the concepts they’re learning aren’t unattainable.
Young kids learn best through play. (I’m sure I’ve read that somewhere, anyway it sure sounds true!) So here are the best play-based math lessons and ideas I could find for teaching elementary math at home!
Teaching Elementary Math at Home
1. Math/Nature Scavenger Hunt
Do a science and math class all in one. Plan a fun nature scavenger hunt, looking for specific numbers or colours of items.
2. Driveway Hundred Chart
Another great way to take the lesson outside. Use a hundred chart to practice counting, additions, multiplication etc. There’s a lot of creative ways to use to teach elementary math using a hundred chart.
3. Math Card Games
This post has 6 great card game ideas for encouraging math learning. These particular games just use a regular deck of cards, but other card games like Skip-Bo or Uno are also useful for teaching math skills.
4. Multiplication Bingo
This same site has bingo games for addition, subtraction and division practice too. She’s got a ton of free resources!
You may also be interested in:
17 Science Experiments for Kids Using Household Items
11 Edible Silly Putty, Play Dough and Slime Recipes
5. Multiplication with Lego
No matter the question, Lego seems to always be the answer. Let them build and learn at the same time!
6. Math Guess Who
I love this hack for transforming a game of Guess Who into a teaching tool. Players can use equations to guess the number or whatever method is age appropriate. There are loads of other ideas out there too like using geometry shapes instead of numbers or shapes with fractions.
7. Adding Ten Lego Game
This is Lego + board game + math all in one.
8. Math Fact Jenga
This game is easily made using dot stickers. Players must correctly answer the equation in order to remove the jenga piece.
9. Make Ten Addition Game
This is a great puzzle math game.
10. Teaching Fractions with Lego
More Lego math! Lego is fantastic for learning fractions as well as other math skills. And most people with kiddos usually have it on hand. I’m all for using what you’ve already got!
11. Math with Dominoes
There are a tons of ways to use dominoes to teach elementary math skills. This post has a whole bundle of useful printables to that end.
12. Math with Money
Again, using what you’ve got on hand for the win! Money math will teach valuable (ha!) money life skills too. This post has several ideas for teaching math using money.
13. Marshmallow & Toothpick Geometry
There is a whole packet of different geometric shape building cards to build with mini marshmallows and toothpicks. Plus when the project is done, you can eat the marshmallows!
14. Dice Games
Dice games are a great way to practice quick mental math for little ones. This post has a number of different ideas.
Do you have any more ideas for games that can be used to teach elementary math at home? I’d love to hear about them!
