Math Activities for Kids

Cat in the Hat Skip Counting Puzzle

February 19, 2021 By Terri Thompson

Do you love Dr. Seuss books?

We do! That’s why we’re going to use our favorites for some fun Dr. Seuss math games.

This fun Cat in the Hat Skip Counting Puzzle is a great way to practice counting.

Practice skip counting by tens with this fun Cat in the Hat Skip Counting Puzzle inspired by one of our favorite Dr. Seuss books.

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We made this puzzle to practice skip counting by tens, but you can do anything that your child needs to work on.

Try skip counting by fives or two. Or maybe your child is still counting by ones. This versatile puzzle can work for any counting.

Supplies Needed:

1 piece each of red, blue, and white construction paper
Black permanent marker
Scissors
Laminator (optional)

How to make your Cat in the Hat Skip Counting Puzzle

Start by sketching a tall – and slightly crooked – hat on your white piece of paper. Take your inspiration from the pages of The Cat in the Hat. It doesn’t have to be a perfect replica!

Cut out your hat and trace it on both the red and the blue pieces of paper. Cut out the red hat.

Your blue piece of paper is your puzzle board, so don’t cut out that hat. Instead, trace your pencil lines with the black marker.

Add your stripes to your white and red hats. You will need 10 stripes on each hat. Use a ruler and compare the hats to make the stripes as similar as possible so you can alternate the colors. Cut apart each of your stripes.

Next, use your blue puzzle board to alternate the stripes on the hat. Starting at the top strip, write your numbers (skip counting by 10) in order from 10 through 100.

If you are worried about durability, run your puzzle board and puzzle pieces through a laminator.

Note: If you are making this game for a classroom, you will have enough stripes for 2 puzzles. You’ll just need a 2nd sheet of blue paper to make another puzzle board.

Practice skip counting by tens with this fun DIY math puzzle inspired by The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. It is such a fun math game.

How to play:

Playing the game is super-easy. Just mix up the strips and have your child complete their puzzle by putting the stripes in order. That’s it!

This Cat in the Hat Skip Counting Puzzle is a fun and simple way to practice counting by tens – or any other set of skip counting!

Cat in the Hat books

This Cat in the Hat math game is a perfect time to combine an activity with a book. So, grab a copy of The Cat in the Hat or another book featuring this fun character!

Fun Valentine Math Activities

February 2, 2021 By Terri Thompson

Adding with hearts. Measuring with hearts. Graphing with hearts.

There are so many fun ways to incorporate Valentine’s Day into your math activities.

I’ve gathered up some fun Valentine math activities for kids in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. You’ll definitely find something fun to do with your kids.

You'll love these fun Valentine math activities that are perfect for school and home. You'll find ideas for grades kindergarten through sixth.

No matter what your child is working on, from counting to addition to division, there’s a way to add a Valentine’s Day twist.

So, let’s get a little festive, indulge in all things hearts, and have some fun doing math.

Pre-K and Kindergarten Valentine Math Activities

Use candy hearts to practice graphing with this fun idea from Adventures in Mommydom. (Includes free printable)

This simple heart counting game from Preschool Toolkit is perfect for kids that are currently working on counting.

You can find another fun counting project at Play and Learn Everyday with this Valentine’s numbers and counting hearts activity.

Work with a ten frame with this fun Portable Valentine’s Ten Frame from Lalymom.

Count to 100 with this fun heart-themed Count to 100 Scavenger Hunt from Creekside Learning.

Practice making geometric shapes for Valentine’s Day with this geoboard activity from Little Bins for Little Hands.

First and Second Grade Valentine’s Day Math

Set up a Valentine’s Day math station to explore counting, addition, subtraction, tally marks, 3-D shapes and more. NurtureStore shows you how to set up a Valentine math station.

Play around with tangrams with this printable heart tangram from JDaniel4’s Mom.

Practice addition using beautiful red roses with this fun (and beautiful) math activity. You can find all the details at 3 Dinosaurs.

Measure using non-standard units with our fun Measuring with Hearts activity.

Little Bins for Little Hands also used non-standard units in this fun Candy Hearts Measuring activity.

Practice graphing with this fun hands-on Valentine’s idea from JDaniel4’s Mom.

Use candy hearts to practice addition with our fun Candy Heart Addition math activity.

Heal broken hearts with this fun Broken Hearts Number Bonds activity at Rainy Day Mum.

Practice addition with this printable heart-themed math mat from The Kindergarten Connection.

Compare numbers and practice greater than and less than with this fun idea from Planning Playtime.

Third Grade and Up

Learn about Möbius strips and use them to create hearts for Valentine’s Day in this project from What Do We Do All Day. This is a great project for older kids combining art and math.

Learn about the pattern of numbers called Pascal’s Triangle and create a Valentine’s Day project based off this concept with this activity from Teach Beside Me.

Practice division with a fun secret code game. Go to Royal Baloo to print out this fun Valentine’s Day Division Code Breakers activity.

Get out your hearts and have some fun doing these Valentine math activities.

My favorite math resources

We love using games to practice our math. It definitely makes learning fun. Here are some great ones you’ll love playing.

Do you want to do more activities with your kids?

Join our fun Facebook community, Creative Family Fun for Busy Families, for daily activities that are great for kids and families. We’ll chat, share, and have fun. It’s a safe and private place to share ideas for family and kids activities.

I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

Playing Card Greater Than Less Than Games

February 1, 2021 By Terri Thompson

Have you ever thought about how many things you can do with a deck of playing cards.

There are tons of different games you can play. But, that’s not all.

They’re also a great tool for practicing different math concepts.

So, grab a pack and let’s explore comparing numbers using these fun greater than less than games.

Grab a set off playing cards to practice math with these fun and simple greater than less than games that will make learning fun.

If you don’t already have a deck of playing cards at home, pick up a deck to have on hand for fun math games.

For the following activities, you’ll want to pull out all the kings, queens, jacks, and jokers leaving all the number cards. Give the deck a shuffle or two to mix it up.

Now, it’s time to have some fun and learn too. Here are some ways you can use the cards to practice greater than and less than.

Greater Than Less Than Games for One Person

Divide the deck of cards in half. Turn over the top card of each pile. Decide which number is greater than the other number. Make a pile of the larger numbered cards. Keep turning over cards until you reach the end of the piles.

Alternatively, you can focus on the card that is less than. Make a pile of the smaller numbered cards instead.

Lay out two cards side by side on a sheet of paper, chalkboard, or small white board. Write the correct greater than or less than symbol between the two cards.

Greater Than Less Than Games for Two or More People

Divide the deck of cards between all the players. Have each player turn over the top card of their pile. The person with the largest number keeps their card and the rest of the players discard their cards. Keep going until the piles are depleted. Whoever has the most cards at the end is the winner.

Alternatively, have the person with the smallest number keep their card.

Have each player take turns flipping over two cards and then say the correct number sentence using greater than and less than. For example in the example above they would say, “five is less than seven.” Keep taking turn until the entire deck has been used.

Can you think of some other fun ways to practice greater than or less than with playing cards?

My Must-Have Math Resources

In addition to a pack of playing cards, there are some other items you can keep at home to help your kids practice math. Here are some options I would recommend.

Do you want to do more activities with your kids?

Fun Number Line Activities for Kids

December 27, 2020 By Terri Thompson

Number lines don’t have to be boring. They’re a very useful tool for learning simple math facts. Here’s why number lines are so important!

In fact, if you’ve got a child in the early elementary years, they’ve probably worked with them in school.

You can help reinforce their learning at home with some fun math games.

These number line activities are definitely not boring! Let your kids move, play, and have fun while working with a number line.

Fun Number Line Activities for Kids

Make secret codes! Use the number line to create secret codes to help your kids work on addition and subtraction. They’ll have so much fun with Number Line Secret Codes.

If your kids are just learning about the number line, play this Numbers Washing Line game from Lessons Learnt Journal. It will help them learn number recognition and work on putting the numbers in the right order.

Take it outside and go on a Number Line Run from Coffee Cups and Crayons! It’s a great way to get your preschooler moving and practicing their numbers.

You can also let your preschooler play a fun movement game inside with Walk the Number Line at PBS Parents Adventures in Learning.

Suzy Homeschooler turned the number line into an awesome balance beam. Such a great way to work on gross motor skills and math at the same time.

Hop your way along a number line with this fun gross motor math game. You can find this fun Bunny Hop Number Line Game at Teach Beside Me here.

Make a simple DIY Clothespin Number Line from Fantastic Fun and Learning for hands-on learning. You can play all sorts of games and sneak in some fine-motor practice.

Use a long outdoor number line to help your child practice their addition and subtraction. Go to No Time For Flashcards for this Outdoor Number Line Activity.

Play and learn with these fun number line activities for kids. You'll move, use your fine motor skills, play math games and have so much fun with these ideas. Learning math can be fun!

More fun number line games

Do your kids love Minecraft? They’ll love to build and play this fun Minecraft Number Line Game from Stir the Wonder.

Boy Mama Teacher Mama also has a great printable game for learning how to add and subtract with number line. You can find Number Line Hop here.

Do you want to get a reluctant kid excited about math? Add LEGOs to the mix! Creekside Learning shares several fun ways to combine the two.

You can also use your Duplos to make a fun number line. In the Playroom shows you how to make and play with this fun Duplo number line.

Have a fun math competition with a partner. Play Strike It Out! with Teach Mama. It’s a fun and challenging game for your kids who have mastered addition, subtraction, and using a number line.

Combine art and math to create a fun number line using a stamping technique. Rainy Day Mum shows you how to make this pretty Pumpkin Stamped Number Line.

Make a number line out of flowers to practice counting forward and backward. Coffee Cups and Crayons shows you how to create your own Flower Number Line game.

Do you have any fun ideas for number line activities?

Do more activities with your family

5 Fun Ways to Learn With a Daily Weather Report

December 20, 2020 By Terri Thompson

I don’t know about you, but I check the weather app on my phone every single day. Sometimes, I’ll check multiple times.

But, do you ever share this habit with your kids? You should. It’s a great way to learn.

There’s more you can do than just simply checking in the weather. Check out these fun ways to learn with a daily weather report.

This simple STEM activity is fun and requires absolutely no prep time!

Get out your phone for this simple weather report activity. You can learn so much with a daily weather report. Here are a few ideas to try.

Five Ways to Learn with a Daily Weather Report

Compare temperatures

Use your math skills to discover the difference in temperatures. Find the difference between a day’s high temperature and its low temperature.

For example: Today’s high is 88 degrees and the low is 59 degrees. I use subtraction to find the difference. There will be a 29 degree difference today!

You could compare temperatures over the week. Record the temperature at the same time everyday. For example: What was the temperature at 3:00 pm every day? Find the temperature difference over the week. Find the difference between the week’s highest temperature and the lowest temperature. Or, simply find the difference between Monday’s 3:00 pm temperature and Tuesday’s 3:00 pm difference.

Learn to read a radar

Nowadays, we carry a weather report around in our pocket and can access it anytime. Because of that, I consider it a life skill to be able to click on the radar and know what it is telling you.

Do you know what all the colors mean? Do you know how to make the radar move and understand what it tells you?

Share this information with your kids and teach them how to understand what you’re seeing on the radar.

Note: You will want to pick a rainy or snowy day for this. There’s not much to see on the radar on a clear day!

Learn about predictions

Weather forecasting is all about making predictions. But, these predictions are pulled out of thin air, they’re based on a lot of information like weather patterns, radars, climate, and more.

You can learn more with one of these informative books:

Weather Forecasting by Gail Gibbons

Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons

What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda DeWitt

Or, you can try this activity to learn more about weather prediction. Record the weather first thing in the morning. At the end of the day, go back to this prediction. Was the weather forecast correct? What changed?

Next look at the extended forecast and find the prediction for three days from now and five days from now. Was the forecast correct? What changed? Can you come up with some reasons why?

Use the weather report to plan the week

How does the weather report help you plan for the day or for the week? It can tell you whether you need to wear a winter coat or a light jacket. Or whether or not you need to grab an umbrella.

Are you planning a trip to the pool? Sit down with your kids and the extended forecast and have them help you pick the best day to go.

Look at the weather report before picking out your clothes for the next day. How did the weather report help you plan?

Other weather report activities

What else can you learn with a daily weather report?

You can find all sorts of information: rain totals, wind speed, air pressure, pollen count, etc.

You can look up cities around the world and see how it is different from what where you live.

Can you come up with some more ways to learn with a daily weather report?

Get ready to learn with these fun daily weather for kids activities. Learn to read a radar, use the weather forecast, and more.

Learn More With a Book About the Weather

Combine this weather activity with a fun book to learn even more. Here are some great weather books that I’d recommend:

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Math Activities for Kids