What Can You Find at Smart Math ?
Does math always make sense to you ? Smart Math believes that math can make more sense when you see it, think about it and do it. In the early years, “play” and “learning” go hand in hand. In fact, “playing” math with everyday materials can be an easy and effective way to learn deeply.
Here you will find a blog of curated information and simple activities that help math make sense. Some topics included in these Math Play activities include numbers, counting, number facts, estimation, fractions and more ! Smart Math activity posts include a list of required materials or pics of the set-up. View the picture and try the activity. Easy.
Smart Math Activities can also be found at https://smartliteracymath.wordpress.com/
Smart Math Activities
FYI...Some of the posts here in Smart Math involve the use of household products or items of food. Use materials in any activity that are appropriate to the children involved and follow safe, healthy practices.
Here is an example of an activity in which safe choices are a must do:
“Tasty ways to Practice Counting“
- Materials: Different fruits or vegetables that could be skewered in a kebab. For example: blueberries, small watermelon pieces, grapes, raspberries, small strawberry, pineapple pieces, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, zucchini etc. (There needs to be at least 12 of each type of fruit or vegetable in our pile) ,
- Kebab skewers,
- Dice
- A Player selects the chosen fruit or vegetable to use first. The Player then rolls the dice to find the number of the chosen fruit or vegetable that they have won and puts that amount of fruit or vegetable on the plate.
- A Player selects another chosen fruit or vegetable to use. The Player then rolls the dice to find the number of the chosen fruit or vegetable that they have won this time. This amount of the fruit or vegetable is also placed on the plate.
- The game stops when all of the fruit or vegetables have been won or the player wishes to stop.
- Player assembles as many kebabs using the fruit or vegetables from the plate as desired, eats and enjoys !
Let’s get started on Smart Math !
Kitchen Math Play
Math Games
Facts about Five
Here is a simple activity to show facts of five, using rings made from toilet paper rolls and coloured paper squares. Use paper towel rings of two colours to demonstrate the math facts. Or, use small coloured paper squared to show facts in a visual organizer .mrshihtzumath.ca
Nursery Rhymes…. Here is an oldie but goodie that can be used to review Fives too! Kind of fun to make and fun to play. mrshihtzumath.ca
Addition Game: Flick It !
Play this game to practice your aim and practice your skills of addition all at the same time !
- Materials: Paper,
- Circle Tracing items like plates/saucers of different sizes,
- pencil/marker,
- several small pom poms
- Create your target by tracing circles of varying sizes onto your paper. Identify the point value of each circle within the target .
- Decide who will go first in the game.
- First player takes a small pompom and tries to “flick it ” to hit one of the circles in the target. Record the number value that the first player achieves.
- Second player takes a small pompom, takes a turn and records the value obtained.
- Each player continues 5 times and then add up the scores obtained. The winner is the player with the highest score.
Using Toilet Paper Rolls to Play Addition
Craft bags of Math Learning.
Learning early math concepts can involve your pets too! Try a numbers game . Here is Mr. Shih Tzu learning his numbers
