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Math Without Textbooks: Hands-on and Creative Math Activities

 Math is a subject that can be hard to teach, especially to kids that are hands-on learners. It is so often approached only with textbooks and worksheets, making it frustrating and boring for kids who need to touch and manipulate. My oldest absolutely dreads doing math worksheets, so I have been scouring the internet for math activities that are fun and hands-on. Here's a few of the activities we've done, plus many more ideas I have on my list of things to try:



Addition and Subtraction:

Use Edible Manipulatives- math manipulatives are great for hands-on learners and they're much more fun if you can eat them when you're done. Foods that are small and solid work best- like M&Ms, goldfish crackers, raisins, or grapes.

Grocery Store Math-  have your child help add totals at the grocery store.

Visual Addition Pom Pom Drop from Hands on as We Grow

Dot Sticker Addition Activity from Busy Toddler 

Math Towers- Unit Block Addition Activity from Nurture Store

Dice Calculator from We Are Teachers

Playdough Subtraction Smash from Mama Papa Bubba 

Double Digit Addition and Subtraction with Lego Bricks from Real Life at Home

Math with Legos- An Activity for Improving Word Problem Skills from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls


Place Value:

Lego Base 10 Math- Legos are great manipulatives for learning about place value. You could write a number and then have your child build it out of blocks, using single blocks for the ones and building 10s blocks for the 10s. Or do it the other way around, build a number out of blocks and then have your child figure out what number it represents.

Place Value War from Childhood 101

Place Value Games from Primary Theme Park

DIY Place Value Cups from the Imagination Tree


Multiplication and Division:

Multiplication and Division in the Kitchen- choose a recipe to make with your child but first have them double or halve the recipe.

Edible Division Activity- grab a favorite snack that can be used as a manipulative (M&Ms, pretzels, goldfish crackers, grapes all work well) and draw several large circles on a piece of paper. Then give your child a pre-counted number of whatever snack you are using. Ask your child to evenly divide the snack between the circles on the paper.

Repeat with other dividends and divisors. Then let your child enjoy their snack.

Waldorf Multiplication Crafts from Multicultural Motherhood 

Spirolateral Math Art from What We Do All Day

Switchgrip Math Game from STEAM Powered Family 

Jellybean Division Activity from Homeschool Blog

Multiplication and Division Flowers from ofamily learning together 

Math Game: Divide and Conquer a division card game idea from Cuppa Cocoa 


Fractions:

Learn About Fractions with Measuring Cups- grab some measuring cups and a jug of water, then head outside and let your kids explore. Ask questions like which measuring cup is bigger 1/4 or 1/3? How many 1/3 cups makes a whole cup? 

Baking Fractions- Bake a cake or a pie then help your child cut it onto equal pieces. How pieces are there total? Talk about what fraction of the pie or cake is left each time someone takes a piece. 

Fraction Cards- a simple hands-on activity that requires nothing but paper, scissors, and a pen. Help your child divide and cut a piece of paper into even sections and label each section of the paper with the appropriate fraction. Use the cards to learn about parts of a whole and to practice adding and subtracting fractions.

Activities for Teaching Fractions with Legos from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

Paper Plate Fractions from We Are Teachers 

Multiplying Domino Fractions  from Relentlessly Fun Deceptively Educational 

Fraction Pizza from Inspired Elementary 

Cookie Fractions from What We Do All Day


Measurement:

Grocery Store Measurements- help your child weigh items in the produce section or the bulk section of the grocery store. Older kids can then help calculate the cost using the weight measurement and the price per pound.

Hands on Area/Volume Measurements- grab a tape measure and have your child measure and record the height, length, (and width if your learning about volume) of various rectangular objects or boxes around your home. Then use the data to calculate area and volume of the objects/boxes.

Measurement STEM Lab- this post has several hands-on measuring activities.

Candy Heart Catapult- Measuring Distance from Stir the Wonder 

Measuring Activity How Far Does it Roll? from Hands on as We Grow

Measuring with Feet from Inspiration Laboratories 


Miscellaneous:

Toothpick Gumdrop Geometry- build 2D and 3D geometric shapes with gumdrops and toothpicks

Math Outside the Classroom- this post has lots of miscellaneous hands-on math ideas.

Math Activities Using Nature Items- this post has lots of hands-on ideas using nature items like pebbles and sticks as math manipulatives.

Finding Symmetry in Nature from Buggy and Buddy


What are some of your favorite hands-on math activities? Share with me in the comments!


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