Hands on Maths!

When I saw this linky (hosted by Mrs. Wills Kindergarten) I knew it was one I just had to join in with! Hands on activities instead of worksheets is the best way to teach maths to little learners, and during my years in the classroom I have collected a TONNE of ideas. :)  There's no way I could share all of them in just one post, so here's a few of my favourites:

At the beginning of the year when we are learning all about numbers (some kidlets working on just recognising them) I love to bring out the hula hoops and do some sorting!  In the above photo you can see that the blue hoop holds all of the items representing the number 1, and the pink hoop is anything else.  We did this for each number (and also for shapes) and it sparked some really great discussion.  I used a lucky dip bag for each kidlet to pull a card or item from.

By punching holes in any number flashcards you can create a hands on number line!  Great for number recognition, counting and ordering.  I love using my plastic chain links.

Speaking of chain links, we also use them for this task.  Matching various representations of each number. :) Click on the image to see this product in my store.

Another easy counting activity is to thread beads onto pipecleaners.  I use a sticky label to attach a number to each one. This is great for a number warm up, fine motor group or in a 'Fast Finisher' tub.

Our 'Number Monster' makes an appearance a few times each week.  You can use any flashcards or objects and have your kidlets feed the monster.  This activity is super easy to differentiate!  Simply ask each child a question appropriate for their stage of learning.  For example "Feed the monster the number 4", "Feed the monster a number more than 7", "Feed the monster the number that is 1 group of ten and 6 ones", "Feed the monster 2 numbers that equal ten."  The options are endless really.  Be sure to give your monster an authentic 'NOM NOM NOM' sound - the kidlets think it's hilarious!

I personally think games are the easiest way to include hands on activities during maths small groups.  This one works on numbers to 20 and is a freebie in my store (click on the image to find it).  Kidlets roll the dice and add googly eyes to their monster.  The first to 20 wins!

Another monster game! (Yes, I do love monsters!) For this one I hide 5 little monsters behind random numbers on my hundreds board (mine's a pocket chart).  Kidlets take turns to ask "Is there a monster behind the number ...".  You'll be surprised at how enthusiastic your class will become about this game! I used it initially as a 5 minute time filler, but it quickly became a regular carpet time activity.

I love this winter themed counting task!  Kidlets read the numeral or number word and add buttons to their snowman or 'marshmallows' to their hot chocolate.  This is also a freebie in my store - click on either of the images!

OK... it must be time for an idea that's not all about number!

I love a good craftivity and this one is perfect to use when teaching mass.  Simply provide your kidlets with a template (or have them write it - depending on what time of the year it is!), a paper triangle and rectangle.  They simply glue the pieces down to make a 'seesaw' scale and draw themselves and another object. :)

One of the easiest concept to get hands on with is definitely patterning.  I always found it difficult to find an activity that kidlets could complete independently (without just playing around with the manipulatives I'd given them - although that's definitely appropriate some times!).  I made these cards to use with pattern blocks - kidlets simply flip to a pattern, copy it using the blocks and then continue it themselves! Click on the image to see this pack.

Last (but not least!) I have a Pinterest board dedicated to hands on maths ideas.  Click here if you'd like to follow it!

I hope you've gathered an idea or two from this post. :) Make sure to click through the other blogs linked up to grab some more great ideas.

Tasty Treats as Teaching Tools!

As I looked back over the photos I'd taken in my classroom over the past months, I noticed that in a few of our activities there was a common theme... FOOD!  I'm not sure about you, but I know that when I need my kidlets to practise something they are finding tricky, or I need to 'hook' them into a new topic, one of the most effective teaching tools is food.  They get so excited at the thought of a tasty treat, no matter how small, and they will talk about an activity involving food long after some other lessons have been forgotten.

This week the kidlets made tuna and cucumber sushi, gobbled it up and then asked for more.  I know, I know... using food to teach about healthy eating isn't anything new! But I'm always amazed at the variety of new foods that my class will try when they have grown it or made it themselves.  One of my boys who refused to eat vegetables for his mum now loves them after a positive encounter with a green quiche at school.  Lots of children don't get the education they need about healthy eating at home, so why not take the opportunity when we can to teach them in the classroom?

While working with me in Maths Time recently, each group got a chance to count and eat some tiny teddy cookies as part of our work on subtraction concepts.  They wrote a number story (I had ___ tiny teddies.  I ate ___. I have ___ left.) and subtraction sentence and then got to eat the teddies they had left.  

Sometimes food is just a treat! After doing lots of reading and writing activities based on Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (I shared some photos of our cute crafts here) we spent some time Friday afternoon watching the movie.  As a reward for a week of wonderful work, I gave my kidlets some popcorn and juice while they relaxed.

Making a tasty treat is also a perfect activity to add to your phonics teaching!  It's now November, and there are often nostalgic conversations about 'that time we made Bears in Bubble Baths' or 'remember when we ate Worms in Mud?' - we did those activities at the beginning of the year! :)

'Worms in Mud' (gummy worms and chocolate yoghurt) for the week we learnt 'w' and 'm'.

'Bears in Bubble Baths' (a chocolate and teddy cookie with mini marshmallows) for 'b' week.

Fruit Loops lend themselves to sorting and patterning work in Maths.  This pin links here - with a freebie recording sheet.  I've also seen ideas to thread them on string to make a pattern bracelet.

When we studied the Seasons, we drank hot chocolate in gloves, scarves and beanies (with the air con turned down super low, it doesn't get that cold here in Queensland!).  That was a great way to get their little minds thinking about all they knew about Winter.  We made an anchor chart as we sipped our drinks. (No photos of that, sorry!)

All this talk of food has made me hungry!  I guess that must mean it's time for dinner.  I hope you found one or two new ideas in this post, or maybe were reminded of an old one.  Have fun using food in your classroom! :)

Lauren

Monday Made It!

I've always wanted to link up with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for a 'Monday Made It', but because I'm not super crafty I usually feel like my DIY projects will be embarrassed to be linked up with all the other wonderful made its. :) I'm sharing this one because it was super duper easy, and I know it could be a cheap-n-cheerful resource for other classrooms.

With a bread knife and some pool noodles, it didn't take me long to make a whole heap of these giant, soft beads! So far I've just used them during Discovery Play time and as part of our fine motor activities, but I've got plans to use them for patterning and addition/subtraction.  For lots of my kidlets threading these babies will be much more exciting than moving counters around, and because they will be laced together it will be easy to see and count each colour and the total.  (Don't you hate it when simple number stories aren't solved properly because a wriggly body has knocked a counter into hiding?)

I used 6 noodles in 2 different colours and some thin rope that I found in the storeroom (you could buy something similar quite cheaply from the hardware store). I taped a popstick to one end of each piece of rope to stop the beads sliding off and also popped a bit of tape on the loose end to stop the rope fraying.

There you have it folks, the easiest DIY ever!  Let me know if you found this idea useful. :)

Lauren