March Break = math fun … really!

If you’re running out of March Break ideas, don’t despair! Help is here — movies and video games don’t need to be your only fallback. You can have fun with learning games — seriously — and math is a great place to start. Sylvan Learning’s experts recommend using household activities to develop and reinforce math skills.

Here are 10 fun activities from Sylvan

1. Have a “number of the day.” Today is the 17th. How many ways can you get to 17? 9+8 or maybe for an older child, 3×5+2 or 34/2. Have a contest and earn small candies for finding the most ways to add, subtract, multiply or divide other numbers to equal 17. Look for the number while on a walk, at the store, or when driving. Just count whatever you choose – the mere act of counting raises math awareness. Count red cars, dogs, potholes or the number of ads in a TV show. Celebrate with hugs and high fives when you reach your number.

2. Play games and keep score. Kids love games, so play up the role of scorekeeper. Research their favourite sport and play with the numbers. Help them see various ways to slice and dice a game’s numbers— most goals in a game, highest attendance ever. Let kids come up with categories. Play card games that use math – even in “Old Maid”, you can track results and explore statistics. Then you might graduate to “Cribbage” or make up a game together. Try games with dice or dominoes, or a board game that encourages counting. Jigsaw puzzles and puzzles like Sudoku, which may require some teamwork, are excellent for learning about patterns. Monday has the easiest so start with it.

3. Use manipulatives. Manipulatives are objects that kids can, well, manipulate to visualize numbers. Use egg cartons and raw macaroni to count out arithmetic problems, or make piles of paper clips, marbles or gummy bears to visualize counting by five or ten.

4. Learn to estimate. Explain that when a guess is based on prior experience or knowledge, it’s called an estimate. Estimate a fun concept — how many slices of pepperoni on the pizza or how many coins in a piggy bank? Estimate, then count to check accuracy. Celebrate with hugs and high fives when estimates are close.

5. Tell time. Estimate how long it will take to drive somewhere. Ask questions such as, “When should we leave to get to the rink at 10 if it takes 15 minutes to get there?” Add in velocity discussions – “We’re going to Truro and the speed limit is 100 kms/hour – what time should we leave?” Add in weather – “If we have to go about 10 kms/hour slower because of fog, how much longer will we need?”

6. Embrace junk mail. Junk mail can be useful – “If we get 10 pieces of junk mail a week, how much can we expect this month?” To learn sorting skills, categorize the mail by postal codes or types of mail. If you receive catalogs, use them to “pretend-shop” using a simple budget. “How many things from this catalog can I buy for $50?”

7. Guess the number! Guess the number your child is thinking between, say, one and 20. Ask smart math questions so they will learn strategies for when it’s their turn. “Can I divide it by two? Is it between three and 12?” Fill a jar with jelly beans and guess the number– tell them if they are high or low and give another chance the next day.

8. Use money. “I have three coins that equal forty cents. What are they?” As he gets quicker, increase the number of coins.

9. Play store. Save old cereal or pasta boxes — and “stock” shelves of a pretend store with them and some cans. Have your child put prices on each one. Then, go shopping in his store. “How much for two of these? I don’t have enough money. Which box shall I put back to be within my budget?” If you want to make this a deeper experience that involves budgets, go to the store and make a list of prices together first.

10. Explore shapes. Look for various math-related objects, shapes and patterns – squares, circles, rectangles, patterns in the windows of a building, tiles in a floor, or the arrangement of colours in a sweater. Recognizing patterns helps with future math – counting by threes, for example, or learning multiplication.

For more ideas about how to help children with Math, Sylvan Learning can help. Sylvan creates personalized plans based on homework needs, including help catching up on missed skills, instruction in class material and concepts, improved study habits, a dedicated place and time where trained teachers help with assignments and targeted, engaging activities using an iPad.

For additional educational resources, visit www.SylvanLearning.com, call 902-425-2223 or email [email protected]