Fun Ways to Incorporate Math at Home
Here are some fun ways to incorporate math into everyday routines
Read books that contain mathematics themes with your children
There are books at every grade level that can engage students in thinking about math.
Some of our favorite titles for children up to age 5 include:
- Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
- 10 Black Dots by Donald Crews
- Press Here by Herve Tullet
- 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
- Doggies: A Counting and Barking Book by Sandra Boynton
For elementary school children:
- Ten Apples Up on Top! by Dr. Seuss
- Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
- Counting on Frank by Rod Clement
- Two Greedy Bears by Mirra Ginsburg
- Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Go on a shape hunt
Go on a shape hunt around the house or in your community. What shapes can your child find? Look for circles, triangles, squares, rectangles, cubes and cylinders.
Do projects with your child
Bake cookies or work on a home improvement project. Real-world applications of mathematical ideas, especially measurement, are everywhere!
If you are stringing up lights, work with them to estimate how many sets you will need and calculate the total number of lights used. If you are baking cookies, count out how many cups of flour you need (with young children).
Older children can discuss fractions, or have them figure out what is needed to make a double batch or to cut the recipe in half.
Make math happen with sidewalk chalk
Use sidewalk chalk to draw shapes and numbers on your driveway or the sidewalk in front of your home. Then, play a game with your children!
Call out 鈥渟quare鈥 and ask your child hop to it. Then, ask your child to twirl to the 鈥渃ircle.鈥 You can do this with numbers as well. Ask younger children to 鈥済et to 10鈥 and older children to fi nd the answer to 鈥渢hree plus four equals鈥!
If going outdoors isn鈥檛 an option, use construction paper to put numbers and shapes around your house.
Play strategy games with friends and family
This is a great way to spend quality time. Games we love include Rummikub, Crazy Eights, Monopoly, Jr., Yahtzee, Chutes and Ladders, Uno and other classic board and card games. Play as teams while learning so you can talk about strategy and then move onto playing individually. Have your child make her own board game to share with the family.How would you prepare the recipe for 24 guests?