Math Activities for Kids

Number Line Secret Code Math Activity

August 10, 2018 By Terri Thompson

Number lines. They show up a lot in your kid’s homework, don’t they?

Earlier, I talked about what their purpose is and why your kids are using them so much.

Now, we’re going to have a little fun with the number line by solving a number line secret code.

Use your addition and subtraction skills to find the secret message with this fun Number Line Secret Code math activity for kids.

This is a great way to get a little extra math practice at home. You’re kids will love it and if they’re anything like mine, they’ll want to do this over and over. After all, what kid doesn’t like a secret code?

This project takes a bit more prep than a lot of my other activities, but the results are worth it.

Even the kid who moans and groans over math will jump at the chance to crack the code.

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Create your number line secret code

First, you want to figure out a message. You can write a little note to your child, find a quote, or even a joke.

Since we love the live-action Cinderella movie, I chose a quote from the movie for my oldest (2nd grade) and wrote a short note for my youngest (kindergarten).

I wrote the quote on a sheet of paper and then worked at assigning a number between 1 and 20 for each letter.

If you have a letter that occurs more than once, each occurrence will be the same letter. For instance, in the example above, “E” is always 4.

Next, you’ll need a number line. You can find a number line to download and print in this post.

Write your letter underneath the number it represents.

If you find that you have leftover numbers that don’t have a letter, just use letters that aren’t in your message to fill in the blanks.

Finally, it’s time to make the code. Take a separate sheet of paper and draw a space for each letter in your message. Make the spaces long enough to write a math problem underneath.

Using your quote with the numbers assigned, make a math problem for each letter.

For my kindergartner, I stuck with simple addition problems. She’s just starting to learn how to use a number line. For my 2nd grader, I used both addition and subtraction problems. Some problems were more difficult and others were quite easy.

It’s time to solve the math secret code

Once the girls were home and my oldest had her homework finished, I showed them their secret messages. They were so eager to get to work!

My kindergartner needed a manipulative to move along her number line to find the answer. We found that LEGO Batman was perfect for the job! She worked hard at figuring out her answers and was so proud when she had cracked the code.

My second grader didn’t need much help from the number line, since she was able to do many of the problems in her head. But, every once in awhile a problem stumped her.

Figure out the message when you solve a number line secret code. This is a fun DIY math game that you kids will love to solve!

The girls had so much fun solving their number line secret code message. They even asked for a second set for the next afternoon. Luckily, I was able to reuse their number lines and make a new secret code based off of it.

This fun after school number line secret code activity helped with addition and subtraction, the number line, and even writing practice. It takes a little extra work to set up, but it’s definitely worth the trouble.

My must-have math resources

I love games for practicing math at home. In addition to this fun secret code math game, here are some great games that you can purchase and keep on hand for learning at home.

Commit 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.

Apple Counting Rocks

August 2, 2018 By Terri Thompson

I’ve always been a fan of using manipulatives for math, especially for kids who are just learning a new concept.

You can add with them, subtract, multiply, or even divide. Manipulatives are a great tool to use with any kid to help illustrate math concepts.

This simple set of Apple Counting Stones is perfect for either preschool or early elementary math. They’re easy to make and you only need a few supplies.

Supplies Needed:

Red Craft Paint
Brown Craft Paint
Black Stones

How to make the stones:

Pick out ten black stones. I tried to find ones that were smooth enough on one side for painting and also sat nicely on a flat surface. (I didn’t want a stone that would tilt or wobble.) Also, make sure the surface is wide enough to paint an apple.

Use the red paint to make your simple apple shape. An apple is super-simple to paint. Make a modified heart shape. Make the top of the heart a bit shorter and instead of a point at the bottom, make it wider and flatter.

Keep it simple! It doesn’t need to be perfect. Finish your apple off with a short brown stem.

Note: In order to get the dark, vibrant colors, I had to paint over my apples several times. The first coat went on super thin and then I got a deeper coverage on each coat. Each coat of paint only took a couple of minutes to dry, so don’t worry, this project didn’t take all day. I painted 4 coats, but however many you need depends on the brand of paint you use and how dark you want your apples.

How to use your Apple Counting Rocks

Play a Simple Counting Game: Use these rocks with a child who is just learning to count. Give your child small groups of the rocks and have them count them one at a time. This is a simple way to practice counting with a child who is still working on 1-10.

Play Apple Hide and Seek: Hide the apple rocks around the room. Have your child search for them, counting along the way. Once they reach 10, they’ll know they’ve found them all.

Use the Stones as Manipulatives on a Ten Frame: A ten frame is a great way to visualize numbers from one through ten. Have your child place 4 stones on a ten frame. Then have them count and add the correct number of stones to fill in the ten frame.

Another version is to have the stones already on a ten frame. Place anywhere from one to ten stones. Have your child count and tell you how many stones are there. Practice being able to say the amount without having to count each stone one by one.

You can get a ten frame to use with these stones at this link. It prints landscape and takes up almost a whole sheet of paper. It’s the perfect size to use with your Apple Counting Stones or any other larger manipulative (such as Duplo Blocks or toy cars).

Make a set of apple counting rocks for some fun math activities. You can use them to count, to add, to subtract, or with a ten frame.

More fun ways to use your Apple Counting Rocks

What Makes 10? What number combinations will create 10? Use the ten frame and your stones to find out. If you have 4 stones, how many more do you need to create 10? For an added challenge, try it without the ten frame.

Practice Adding: Set out two groups of stones. Have your child add the two groups together. How many stones are there total?

Practice Subtracting: Set out a group of stones. Ask your child to take away a certain amount. How many are left. For example, give your child 5 stones and ask them to take away 3. How many stones do they have left?

These Apple Counting Stones are a great math tool and can be used in so many ways. How will you use them?

LEGO Addition: Add & Fill a Base Plate

March 7, 2018 By Terri Thompson

You know a great way to get kids excited about learning? Get out the LEGOs!

There are so many learning activities you can do with LEGO bricks, from science to STEM, storytelling, reading games, and of course, math.

This LEGO addition game is a fun and simple way to get kids excited about homework. So, grab your LEGOs and let’s go!

Set up this LEGO math activity

For this game, we’re going to use our addition skills to fill up a LEGO base plate. So, the first thing you’ll need is a LEGO base plate. You can grab any size you want, but keep in mind that the larger the base plate, the more time this game will take.

You also need a large selection of LEGO bricks. Make sure to get as many different sizes as you can. I found that it is helpful to have quite a few LEGOs with one bump for this game.

Finally, you’ll need a pair of dice and a willing player.

How to play this LEGO Addition Game

The goal of this game is to add and fill up your LEGO base plate.

Start by throwing the dice. Add the two numbers together and find a brick with the correct amount of bumps. You may have to combine 2 or 3 bricks to get the correct amount of bumps.

Attach your bricks to your base plate.

Now keep going. Throw the dice, add them up, and attach your bricks to your base plate.

Keep on adding and attaching bricks. You may need to use your puzzle solving skills to fill in the plate.

The game is over as soon as you fill your entire base plate.

It can get tricky when you only have a few bumps left to fill at the end, so it’s up to you how you want to finish. You can keep throwing the dice until you get the exact number you need to fill your base plate. Or, you can throw the dice and just add the amount of bricks that it takes to finish filling your base plate.

How many LEGO bricks did you use altogether?

Extend the Fun

Play with two or more kids. Each player has their own base plate and they take turns throwing the dice. Who will fill their base plate first?

Practice your estimation skills. After you fill your base, estimate how many LEGOs are on the plate before counting. How close were you? Or, you can try estimating how many LEGOs you will use before you begin the game.

Start with a filled base plate and use subtraction to remove all the LEGOs. How long will it take to get an empty base plate?

Do you have any fun ways to play this LEGO addition game?

If you enjoyed this LEGO addition game, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook or you can save the photo below on Pinterest

You may also enjoy one of these fun math games:

Addition War Card Game

Subtraction with Loose Parts Math Activity

Math Paper Plate Games

Pick Two LEGO Math Game at Creative Family Fun

Thumbprint Addition Activity at Rainy Day Mum

Fun Hundred Chart Games and Activities

January 5, 2018 By Terri Thompson

If you’ve got a child in elementary school, chances are you’ve seen a hundred chart.

Lots and lots of hundred charts.

Hundred charts are so useful, and they’re also A LOT of fun.

Check out all of these awesome Hundred Chart Games and Activities. You’ll love them and your kids will have lots of fun learning!

Learn and play with one of these 12 Fun Hundred Chart Games and Activities. The ideas are varied from gross motor to quiet time activities.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

What is a hundred chart and why do we use it? This post offers a great explanation about why hundred charts are such great learning tools.

Fun Hundred Chart Games

Guess the number with this simple Hundred Chart Hidden Number Game. (And grab a printable hundred chart here too!)

Can you put a hundred chart back together? Try this fun puzzle game, Wacky Mixed Up Hundred Chart.

Take it outside and play with a huge Driveway Hundred Chart. Creative Family Fun shows you how to make one and some fun ways to play.

Fill in the missing numbers with this fun hundred chart puzzle at Creative Family Fun. This is such a fun idea!

Make a big, hands-on sticky hundred chart from Coffee Cups and Crayons and go on a scavenger hunt to find the missing numbers.

Create some colorful Hundred Chart Puzzles like these from Playdough to Plato. This is such a fun and simple game to have on hand.

Combine math with art when you create 100 colors to make a colorful hundred chart from NurtureStore.

Uncover a missing letter in your hundred chart. Find these printable Mystery Letter Hundred Chart printables at This Reading Mama. They’re a fun quiet time activity you can take anywhere.

Turn a hundred piece puzzle into a hundred chart with this fun idea from Miss Giraffe’s Classroom. Check out the entire post for several more fun hundred chart activities.

Make a hundred chart out of sticky notes. Check out Reading Confetti for inspiration.

Turn your hundred chart into a game of Battleship with this fun idea from 123Homeschool4Me. Fun!

Take colorful craft sticks and turn them into a fun Rainbow Math Hundred Chart from The OT Toolbox.

Which of these fun hundred chart games and activities do you want to try with your kids?

Learn and play with one of these 12 Fun Hundred Chart Games and Activities. The ideas are varied from gross motor to quiet time activities. #math #hundredchart #BetterThanHomework

Three Digit Addition With Playing Cards

October 17, 2017 By Terri Thompson

It seems that once your kids get past first or second grade, learning becomes a lot less hands-on, especially with math.

Of course, part of the reason is that things just get harder and so much of it involves putting pencil to paper. Take three digit addition for example. It takes a lot of loose parts to find 356 + 729, not to mention, it’s way too time consuming. Can you imagine?

It’s not impossible, though, to make things a bit more interesting. There’s no need to work an endless page of addition problems, when you can grab a set of playing cards and get the same amount of practice.

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.

Set up this three digit addition activity

First, you’ll need a deck of playing cards with the Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Jokers removed.

Shuffle the cards and lay them face down in a pile.

You’ll also need a paper and pencil.

Hands-on three digit addition practice

Instead of solving three-digit addition problems on a worksheet, we’re going to use our playing cards to find our math problems.

Draw three cards and lay them out next to each other. Then, draw three more cards. Lay them out underneath the first three cards.

Now we’ve got our two different three digit numbers.

For example, in the photo below, we have the numbers 348 and 687.

Use the paper and pencil to solve the addition problem.

Keep drawing cards to work several more three digit addition problems.

Special note:

When doing this three digit addition activity, you need to keep in mind you child’s level in math. If they haven’t learned regrouping yet, you will need to control the cards. Instead of randomly drawing cards, lay out a few addition problems instead.

Fun variations to this activity

Is your child still working on two digit addition? Just draw two cards for each number. Or maybe they’re already up to four digit addition. Just draw the amount of cards you need.

Test your answers with subtraction. Subtract one of your numbers from the total to see if you solved your addition problem correctly.

Work in pairs. Each child would draw their own set of cards (6 in total) and solve the problem. Who has the biggest total? Who has the smallest total.

Do you have any fun variations to try?

If you enjoyed this three digit addition activity, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook. Or you can save the photo below on Pinterest.

Math Activities for Kids

Number Line Secret Code Math Activity

Create your number line secret code

It’s time to solve the math secret code