Fun Statistics Activities for Kids I know you probably read the title of this post and asked yourself why elementary students would ever need to know statistics. Well, they don’t exactly, but that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t still benefit from some subtle exposure to the concept! April is National Statistics & Mathematics Awareness Month, and is the perfect opportunity to add in some fun statistics activities to your instruction. If this is something you would like to do, here are a few (age appropriate) ideas! 1. Play SNAKE. SNAKE is a fun math dice game that loosely involves probability, as well as a little bit of risk! This game…
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Do You Need Some Ideas for Celebrating Pi Day in the Classroom?
Celebrating Pi Day at School One of my favorite math holidays is Pi Day (March 14th, in honor of 3.14). Although, in my house we treat it more like PIE Day! Typically, we have chicken pot pie (our favorite!) for dinner, and then some other form of pie for dessert. However, for teachers, celebrating Pi Day can be fun in the classroom as well. Since this fun day is just around the corner, today I wanted to share some Pi Day ideas for the classroom. If your students are too young to learn about the actual number pi (which, if you’re a regular reader of this blog, they probably are!),…
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How to Help Your Students Develop Strong Problem Solving Skills for Kids
Building Problem Solving Skills for Kids Problem solving is one of the key foundational aspects of math. At its core, math isn’t about numbers – it’s about solving problems! Naturally, kids with strong problem solving skills have an easier time in math class. Problem solving comes naturally to some students, but not for others. However, there are things we as teachers can do to help build strong problem solving skills in our students. If this is something you think would benefit your students, here are a few ideas for carrying this out. Problem Solving Skills for Kids Activities Each of the following activities are helpful for building students’ problem solving…
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3 Fun Yet Easy Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids
Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and if you’re like me, you can’t wait to do all the heart-themed activities! If you know me, you know I’m a big fan of easy, low-prep, and hands-on activities. So, to help you out this February, I compiled a list of a few of my favorite Valentine’s Day activities for kids that are up to my standards! 3 Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids 1. Candy Heart Towers This game/STEM activity is SO simple, and all you need are some of those jumbo sized candy hearts! (You can do them with small ones, too, but I personally prefer…
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How to Use Math Stories to Improve Your Daily Instruction
Do you use math stories in your instruction? We all know the importance of reading for our students. Obviously, teachers spend a lot of time reading in subjects like language arts, and even social studies – but math is probably the most challenging subject when it comes to integrating reading. However, it isn’t impossible! One of my favorite ways to integrate reading with math is through the use of math stories. There are so many amazing math story books out there already, or you can always write your own! (Or have your students write some). If this is something that interests you, keep reading for some ideas for using math…
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10 of the Best Elementary Math Ideas and Activities
Brilliant Elementary Math Ideas Are you on teacher Instagram? If not, you should be! Instagram is one of my favorite ways to find amazing ideas for teaching elementary math. When you connect with hundreds (or thousands) of teachers across the globe, you learn so much! Today, I wanted to share some of the most GENIUS elementary teaching tips and ideas for math that I’ve found on Instagram. If you like the ideas, too, then click the links for each one and give them a follow! 1. Teaching Times Tables I love this tip from @perfectforprimary! Instead of teaching times tables in order from 1-12, she teaches them in a more…
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How to Use Math Bingo to Engage and Improve Understanding
Using Math Bingo in the Classroom I don’t know about you, but my students always went crazy over bingo! It’s such a simple game, but what can I say? They loved it. Bingo was a regular go-to to help review educational concepts, or just for fun during holidays are class parties! I especially loved using math bingo to support my students in math. Obviously, bingo is a fun game – but can it really be all that educational? Or is it all just fluff? Personally, I believe that bingo can be an incredibly rigorous activity – as long as it’s used correctly! Let’s explore how we can use bingo in…
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How to Use Cups to Make Fun Math Activities
Fun Math Activities with Cups There are so many great math activities out there for students. Between Amazon, the Target Dollar Spot, and your local teacher store, it isn’t hard to spend a few hundred bucks on math games and activities for your students. Unfortunately, our teacher salary doesn’t exactly give us the flexibility to drop that kind of cash…so, finding budget-friendly solutions for fun math activities is important! Fortunately, there are many activities you can make yourself for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought equivalent! I call these “math DIYs.” Previously, I shared some activities that you can make out of paper plates. Today, I want to…
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5 Simple and Fun Fraction Games Math Students Will Love
Fraction Games for Math Does anyone else just hate teaching fractions? I’m not sure what it is, but it’s just not my thing at all. If you feel the same way, then maybe you’re looking for some fun ways to switch up your instruction. Today, I’m sharing 5 fraction games math students of all ages will love! These 5 games can be used for students of all grade levels! Whether you’re just working to identify and name fractions, compare fractions, or identify equivalent fractions – there’s a game in here for everyone! 1. Fraction Charades Okay, I know the idea of playing charades with fractions might seem a little confusing.…
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How to Engage Your Students Using Math Games with Dominoes
Math Games with Dominoes If you’ve been around for awhile, then you know how much I love easy, low-prep math games. Games are incredibly engaging for our students, but it can be a pain to have to gather materials for them sometimes. That’s why I’m a huge fan of games that use normal, everyday supplies – like dominoes! Today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite math games with dominoes. These games are all incredibly simple, yet meaningful for students and only require a set of dominoes, plus maybe a sheet of paper or whiteboard to write on. You can use these games as a center or…
