1st Grade
Addition with Rocks: An Outdoor Math Activity
Whether your child is just learning a new math concept or needs help reinforcing a skill, math manipulatives are always a big help.
Manipulatives aren’t just a fancy new math term, nor is it something you need to run out and purchase. It’s simply a group of small items used to illustrate a math concept.
I’m teaming up with a group of bloggers to showcase ordinary items you probably already have at home and the fun ways you can use them to reinforce math concepts. We’ll be doing some addition with rocks. It’s a great indoor or outdoor math activity.
We’re using a basic item, rocks.
With rocks, you can do math anywhere… in your house, in your backyard, on a camping trip, in the park.
They’re easy to find. And, if your kids are anything like mine, you may already have a nice collection of rocks at home.
We’re using them to reinforce addition skills, but they can be used in many other ways.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.
My youngest daughter just finished kindergarten where they started learning the basics of addition.
She understands the concept, but doesn’t have her facts memorized. (It’s a bit too early for that anyway.)
Right now, the reinforcement she needs is to work on is the concept and manipulatives are perfect for the job.
How do we illustrate addition with rocks?
It’s simple.
Check out the picture above. The problem we need to solve is 3 + 2.
Add 3 rocks and then another 2 rocks. Add the rocks together and you have 5. Easy peasy.
Even before a child is writing the number sentences, they can start learning the basics with manipulatives.
Make 2 piles of rocks and ask your child how many rocks they have all together.
Or, start with a small group of 3 rocks. Ask your child to add 2 more to the pile, and then ask them how many they have all together.
It can be a very simple way to sneak in a bit of math practice.
Other fun ways to use rock manipulatives:
Practice subtraction. Start with a pile of 7 rocks and ask your child to take away 3 rocks. How many do they have left?
Use the rocks to help when adding 3 or more numbers together.
Do you have toddlers or preschoolers? Use them simply to learn how to count. Help them count a small pile of rocks. Or, ask them to collect 10 rocks.
Have you ever practiced addition with rocks?
Rocks aren’t the only fun everyday math manipulative you can use. Check out all the great ideas from a group of fantastic bloggers at this link, or on the image below.
You may also enjoy one of these fun math activities:
Plus 1 Minus 1: An Easy Math Card Game
Learning math facts. It’s something that’s just got to be done.
Usually the default recommendation is to drill with flash cards. Sigh.
I know flash cards aren’t always the worst thing and I do know kids who actually enjoy them.
But, my two girls just aren’t all that fond of flash cards drills. (Or maybe they just know that Mommy will come up with a cool game that’s way more fun…)
So instead of grabbing flash cards, I grabbed a deck of playing cards to practice our plus 1 minus 1 math facts.
Plus 1 Minus 1 is an easy math game that reinforces the concepts of adding 1 to a number and subtracting 1 from a number.
It’s simple and fun.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.
How to play this Plus 1 Minus 1 math game
To play the game, remove all the kings, queens, jacks, and jokers from the deck. Shuffle the cards and lay the pile face down.
This game can be played by one or two kids.
Decide ahead of time whether you will be playing Plus 1 or Minus 1.
Each player takes turns flipping over the top card on the deck and quickly adding 1 to that number (for Plus 1) or subtracting 1 (for Minus 1). If they answer correctly, they can keep the card. Simple, right?
When I play one-on-one with my girls, I flip over the card and my daughter answers. Her goal is to be able to collect the entire deck!
Other Ways to Play
Play Plus 2 Minus 2, Plus 5 Minus 5, Plus 10 Minus 10, or whatever set of facts your child needs to learn. It’s very easy to mix up the game.
Add a little challenge. If they flip over a red card, they need to add one. If they flip over a black card, they need to subtract one.
Play a speed round. How fast can you go?
Maybe it’s just my own dislike of flash cards, but I’d much rather play a fun game to practice facts than drill.
Plus 1 Minus 1 is fun, easy to play, and needs no special supplies other than a deck of cards. Perfect!
More fun math games
Exploring Greater Than or Less Than with Playing Cards at Better Than Homework
5 Quick Ways to Learn About Writing Number Stories
We’ve done Number Stories at the Park and played with a Number Stories Store.
Now, I’ve got five more quick ideas for writing number stories.
The ideas are quick, simple, and designed to show you just how easy it is to incorporate math practice into your day-to-day life.
Life it busy. (That’s an understatement, isn’t it?) But, no matter how busy life is, all you need is 5 minutes for some quick math practice with your kids.
Here are 5 super-simple, super-quick ways to practice writing number stories with your kids.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.
1. Draw a Picture
If your child loves drawing, combine math with art. Have them draw a picture of a number story.
It may be as simple as an apple tree. An apple tree had 4 apples. 2 fell off. How many apples are left on the tree?
Or it can be as elaborate as your child wants it to be. The premise is simple. Use drawings to help tell number stories.
2. Number Stories: Road Trip Version
Combat boredom in the car by making up number stories. Use the scenery outside the windows to help you out. Take turns making up number stories and solving them.
An example may be: I see 5 trees on the right side of the road and 7 trees on the left. How many trees are there altogether?
This is also a quick way to practice math while you’re driving back and forth to activities during the week.
3. Use your child’s favorite characters
Do they love super heroes? Or maybe your child is completely into dinosaurs. Whatever the favorite, use your child’s favorite characters to help illustrate number stories.
Captain America fought 3 villains and Spiderman fought 4 villains. How many villains did they fight altogether? Use toys if you have them or pictures in a book. Or, you can just take turns telling number stories to each other.
Let your kid’s favorite characters play a starring role and you’ll have a fun twist on math practice.
4. Go on a walk
We went on counting walks when the kids were younger. But, now that they’re older, those counting walks can turn into number story walks.
Use the things you see as inspiration to create number stories during a walk. I see 3 green houses, 2 white houses, and 1 grey house. How many houses are on this block?
5. Use manipulatives
Sometimes kids just need to use their hands and move things around in order to “see” the math problem. Manipulatives (any small thing you can use to count) are a great way to illustrate math problems.
Use tiny erasers, rocks, beads, LEGO blocks, or anything small item you have. Use them to help solve your number stories.
For example: If you have 5 heart erasers and take away 2, how many hearts do you have left?
Math practice can be so easy!
Use any or all of these ideas to help your child practice writing number stories. Maybe one idea will work better than others. Or maybe you keep all the ideas in mind so you’re not constantly doing the same type of math practice over and over again. You can have fun with math!
What are number stories and why do I keep talking about them? Click here to find out.
You may also like one of these fun math activities:
Pick Two: A Fun LEGO Math Game
Number Stories Store: A Pretend Play Math Activity
It’s doesn’t take any special supplies to put together a play store.
We’ve done so many different versions, grocery stores, jewelry stores, and toy stores.
You may think of a pretend play store as a preschool activity. But, as the kids are getting older and working hard at their math skills, it can become so much more.
Since we’re been talking about number stories so much lately here at Creative Family Fun, I thought I’d show you how to use a pretend play store to practice solving and writing number stories with a number stories store.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for more details.
Set up your Number Stories Store
Pull out your pretend food, some toys, school supplies, or anything else that can make up a store. I’m sure you’ve got something to use at home!
Label each item with a price.
Use pretend money or empty out the change jar (use the real stuff for some real life practice) and you’re ready to go.
What kinds of number stories can you create?
If you want to buy 4 cookies that cost $.25 a piece, how much money do you need?
You have $.50. How many cookies can you buy?
You get the picture.
Talk through all your purchases, by turning them into a number story.
Let your kids pick a selection of items. Have them talk their way through their purchase.
I’m buying a stick of butter for $1.25 and some broccoli for $.75. How much will they cost?
I have $2.00 and I’m buying some spaghetti noodles for $1.50. How much change will I get back?
The more your child practices number stories, the easier it will get.
If you get down to the basics, a number story is just a real-life application of math, and, shopping is a real-life activity that everyone can relate too.
Not only will your kids practice number stories, but they’ll get some money practice too at their number stories store.
Do your kids still like to play store?
Most of the food items used in this post are from Melissa & Doug. Links to the items are below:
Slice and Bake Cookie Set
Fridge Food Set
Wooden Pantry Products
Wooden Donuts
You may also like one of these math activities:
5 Quick Ways to Learn About Number Stories
Math Paper Plate Games at Better Than Homework
Counting Money Busy Bag for Big Kids at Views From a Step Stool