Kids will have fun creating these DIY Math Manipulatives.  They are perfect for teaching kids how to do double digit math. 

These will work as base 10 manipulatives, and can help kids visualize what is happening in double digit addition and subtraction problems, whether they are learning the “new” way or the “old” way.  

Affiliate links are provided below for your convenience.

Having objects to move around when learning to add or subtract can really help kids visualize what is happening.

Popular objects to use in math centers include bear counters, buttons, and tiny erasers.  

Your child may also enjoy using toy cars, mini figures, or other favorite items they have at home.  When working on early subtracting you can even use playdough and play Subtraction Squish.

DIY Math Manipulatives

Materials Needed:

• Pipe Cleaners (Chenille Sticks)
• Pony Beads
• Scissors

Cut the pipe cleaners into 2 1/2  to 3 inch (6 – 7.5 cm) long pieces.

Have your child string 10 beads onto each piece of pipe cleaner.   You can further challenge them by having them put the beads in a pattern.

Bend the ends of the pipe cleaner pieces to help keep the beads on.  

How to Use Homemade Math Manipulatives

Once you have your DIY math counters ready, use them for some hands-on math.

Get out 2 small plastic containers to hold your manipulatives.  

Put the pipe cleaner sets of 10 in one bowl.   Put a handful of single beads into the other bowl.  

One way to use the DIY manipulatives is to talk about place value in two-digit numbers.

Write a two-digit number on paper, or use a set of number cards like we did.  

Use the strands of 10 to represent the number in the 10’s place, and use the single beads to stand for the 1’s.  

For instance, in the photo below, there are 6 strands of beads to stand for the 6 in the 10’s place, and 3 single beads for the 3 in the 1’s place in the number 63.

Do this several times together until your child seems comfortable with the concept.  You can even stop to count each and every bead on your homemade manipulatives to prove you really have the same number of beads as the number.

There are so many ways to make math fun.  Another way to use your manipulatives is to work on counting by 10’s.   

As your child is counting by 10, line up the beaded pipe cleaner pieces — so there is one pipe cleaner with 10 beads for 10, two when they count 20, and so forth.  This is a great way for them to see what counting by 10’s really means.  

Of course these DIY math manipulatives are also great for helping kids visualize double digit math problems.

These are perfect for helping kids better visualize place value as well as what’s really happening when you add or subtract those double digit numbers.

Why spend money on expensive math counters when you can make your own?  For other ideas on how to make your own base 10 manipulatives, check out The Measured Mom.

More fun hands-on math ideas:

• Kinesthetic Math Activities
• Simple Hands-On Measuring Activity 
• Nerf Gun Math
• ABCs & 123s — Hands-On Learning Ideas 

Note:  This updated post originally was published November 28, 2014.

The post Make Learning Easier with DIY Math Manipulatives first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

This Nerf Gun Math Game is perfect for working on math facts at home. 

It’s one of our favorite Nerf gun games.  

We had so much fun with our Nerf Gun Sight Word Shoot that we couldn’t wait to pull out the foam darts and try another learning game with Nerf guns.  

This time we used them to work on math facts. 

This activity isn’t just for boys.  In fact, this is one of my daughter’s favorite kinesthetic math activities.  She loves getting to move while learning.  

Nerf Gun Math Game

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Materials Needed:

• Nerf Gun & Darts
• Flash Cards
• Cardboard Blocks
• Painter’s Tape

This activity can be done with whatever math facts your child is working on at the time.  We used flash cards with addition facts, but you could also use subtraction, multiplication, or division facts.  

To set up your “math range,” roll a small piece of painter’s tape and stick it on the back of each flashcard.  Then use the tape to secure the flashcards to your blocks.  (Tip:  If you don’t have cardboard blocks, check your recycling for cardboard boxes and soda pop cans.)

I suggest starting with 8-10 flashcards.   This will keep your child from feeling too overwhelmed.  You can always add more and make a larger set up as they begin to feel more confident.  

To keep your darts from flying everywhere, and make clean up faster, you can  use a large piece of cardboard or a sheet as a back drop.

Once your range is set up, have your child find their favorite foam dart gun and plenty of darts.

Have them read the math fact and answer it before shooting the flashcard.  If they answer correctly, they get to shoot the card.

Reading the flashcard out loud adds an auditory component to the visual and kinesthetic parts of this activity.  That means your child is using at least 3 different learning styles, helping them learn those facts even faster.   

Once the Nerf darts start flying, your child will be having so much fun they won’t even know they’re learning.

You may also enjoy these fun ways to practice math facts at home.

Math Shooting Games

Looking for more math games with shooting?  Check out these ideas!

• Shoot & Add — Use plastic cup targets and foam dart guns to work on adding skills
• Water Gun Subtraction — Kids will have fun shooting at the sidewalk chalk targets and learning to subtract.  
• Water Squirter Math —  Answer the problem right and knock down the targets with water squirters.  
• Stand Off Water Math Game — This one is so much fun on a hot day!  Answer correctly and shoot the person across from you.  Answer incorrectly and be squirted.  
• Times Table Shooting — This is a free online game.  You can even decide which math facts your child needs to practice.
• Zombie Math — In this free online game you are fighting zombies.  The zombies disappear if you answer the problems correctly.  

For more fun hands-on math activities check out these fun posts:

• Subtraction Squish
• Math Fact Races
• ABC’s & 123’s: 40 Play Activities to Build Letter, Number, and Shape Skills

Nerf Gun Accessories We Love

Originally published Jan.14, 2016.

The post Nerf Gun Math first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

This week we’ve been having fun with this simple hands-on subtraction activity.

This is one of our favorite kinesthetic math activities for kindergarten.   It’s perfect for teaching kids about subtraction. 

Affiliate links have been provided in the post below. 

Once your child understands the concept of subtraction, you may want to check out these other fun ways to practice math facts at home.  

Subtraction Squish:  Hands-On Math Subtraction Activity

Setting up this subtraction activity is super simple.

First use a piece of masking tape to create a number line on the kitchen floor.  We are working on subtraction facts up to 20, so our number line went from 1-20.  You can easily adjust this to fit your individual child’s needs.

Next, have the kids roll quite a few balls from play dough.  (This is great for improving fine motor skills!)

You can use store bought, or try making this super soft homemade play dough.  

Then it’s time to play!

You can ask a variety of subtraction problems aloud.  You could also use flashcards with this activity, allowing them to work independently.

Once you ask the subtraction problem, have your child line up the correct number of play dough balls and then squish them to find the right answer.   (For instance, if the problem was 10-6, they would put a  ball on each number up to 10, and then squish 6 of the balls.  Looking at the remaining un-squished spheres, helps them see the answer is 4.)

You’ll find more hands-on learning ideas in our book ABC’s & 123’s: 40 Hands-On Play Activities to Build Letter, Number and Shape Skills.  

Not only is Subtraction Squish a fun hands on subtraction activity, it is also a great sensory activity, too!

The kids had fun squishing the play dough in a variety of ways, including with their toes.  Looking to add another level to the sensory fun? Try using Tutti Frutti Scented Dough.

You may also like:

• Drive to the Sight Word
• Build a Craft Stick Catapult 
• How to Make a Soda Pop Geyser

Originally published May 4, 2015. 

The post Subtraction Squish! first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

And, chances are, whether they are in 1st grade and are working on addition and subtraction, or they are older and are memorizing multiplication and division facts, you hear a lot of grumbling when you get out the flashcards.

Stop the grumbling and get them excited to learn with these fun ways to practice math facts at home.

It’s amazing the difference a few simple math games can make.  

Affiliate links may be used in this post for your convenience.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

I remember doing speed drills in elementary school and flipping through flash cards at home.   

Educational games for kids, like these games to practice math facts, make learning those facts much more fun, which means less stress for both of you.  

When your child gets to double digit math, check out this trick for teaching double digit addition and subtraction. 

Fun Ways to Practice Math Facts 

Baseball Math — This printable game makes working on multiplication facts fun.  Your child can play it solo or with a friend.  

Nerf  Gun Math —  Turn your child’s love for Nerf guns into a fun learning experience they’ll ask to do again and again.  

Math Checkers — Love checkers?  Print out your own checker board that’s designed to work on multiplication facts. 

Chutes & Ladders with a Twist — Playing board games as a family is always fun.  With one simple twist you can use a classic board game to sneak in some addition and subtraction facts practice.   

Beach Ball Math — Get ’em up and moving while they learn.  A game of catch is all it takes for kids to have a ball with math facts.

Multiplication Facts Search —  Just like a word search, only for math!   These are perfect for kids in 3rd grade and up.  

Classic Kids Card Games — Discover how you can use 2 classic kids card games to help your child master those math facts.  

Hammer in the Math Facts —  Hammering nails is always a fun activity for kids.  Turn that activity into a fun way to practice math facts with this idea.  You can easily substitute a thick piece of Styrofoam for the pumpkin.

15 in a Row —  Turn those flashcards into a fun game you’ll both enjoy.  

Cootie Catcher Math Practice — Do you remember making paper fortune tellers (some called them cootie catchers) as a child?  Your child will have fun using these folded papers to work on math skills.  

Math Fact Dominoes — Create your own craft stick math dominoes for your child to use to work on those basic math problems.  

Math Races — Make flashcards more fun with this kinesthetic math activity.  

Dice Math — Have a collection of dice at home?  Use them in this fun dice game to practice math facts. 

Egg Carton Math — Recycle that empty egg carton into a fun way for your child to work on addition or subtraction skills. 

Math Fact Islands —  Do your kids love hopping and jumping?  Get their wiggles out while they work on those basic math skills. 

Math Facts Zap! — Have you ever heard of Zap?  (Sometimes people call it Kaboom or Snap.)  It’s a super easy game that kids can play alone or against a friend.  How many math facts can you get correctly before you get the Zap?  

Math Building Cards — This is a fun STEM activity for kids that’s perfect for working on math as well as engineering skills. 

Matching Hearts Math — Make your own memory game to work on those math skills.  This version is done with hearts, but you could use other shapes or plain note cards as well.  

Plastic Egg Math Hunt — Those colorful eggs aren’t just for candy.  This math facts activity idea is perfect for kids of all ages.    

Math Facts Bingo — Everyone loves Bingo!  Print out these addition and subtraction bingo cards to make learning more fun.  

Who says working on math has to be boring?

Try some of thes fun ways to practice math facts at home. 

You may also enjoy these math ideas:

• Hands-On Fractions Activities 
• Kinesthetic Math Activities
• Simple Activity for Measuring Volume

Games to Practice Math Facts

The post Fun Ways to Practice Math Facts at Home first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

If you are looking for some fun ways to practice math facts at home, this simple idea would be perfect this month.  

Get the kids moving and having fun with this simple Easter egg math activity.  

We love using our colorful eggs in lots of plastic egg activities each spring.

There are so many fun ideas for little ones, but this one is perfect for elementary kids.  After all, they deserve to have fun while learning, too! 

Easter Egg Math Activity

To begin, decide which math facts your child will be working on.

For early learners you may want to focus on simple addition problems.  For older kids you can use it to work on subtraction, multiplication, or even division facts. 

You could even make it more challenging by creating problems using a combination of math facts.    

Once you have determined which math facts to focus on, you can start creating your problems.  

Cut small slips of paper that can fit inside your eggs.  Use a pen to write a math problem on one slip, then write the answer to the problem on a separate slip.  

Continue doing this until you have enough problems and answers to fill the eggs you are using.

In each egg place either a piece of paper with a problem or an answer.    To make it even more fun, you may want to include a small piece of candy or a sticker in some of the eggs as well. 

When finished, make sure the eggs are closed securely.  Then hide them.

Hunting for eggs outside is a great way to get the kids moving in the fresh air.   Of course, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can hide them inside instead.  

Math Facts Egg Hunt

Once the eggs are hidden, give your child a basket, or a small bucket, and send them on their math facts egg hunt.

Have them place the eggs they find into their basket. 

Once they have collected the eggs you may want them to open them indoors.  We discovered the tiny slips of paper blew away in the slightest breeze.  

Challenge your child to match the math problems with the correct answers.  

If you have more than one child participating, they can help each other.  

We had a lot of team work going on as the kids worked together to solve the problems.  For instance,  “I have 8×5.  Do you have 40?”

Saying the problem and answer out loud adds a new layer to the learning. 

Your child has the visual aspect of seeing the problem, the auditory factor of hearing it, and some kinesthetic learning going on as they manipulate the slips of paper to match problems and answers.

This Easter egg math activity is a fun way to work on math facts this spring.  

You may also enjoy:

• Kinesthetic Math Activities
• Using Plastic Eggs to Work on Contractions
• How to Make Crystal Eggs

The post Easter Egg Math Activity first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Sometimes it is hard for kids to understand how fractions fit together to make a whole.  

Manipulatives are a great way to help kids visualize tricky math concepts. 

You can make your own paper plate faction manipulatives to use in this equivalent fractions hands on activity.

For more fun ways to teach fractions, check out these other hands-on activities for equivalent fractions.

We’ve talked about fractions while talking about measuring cups and working on money, but my kids were struggling with understanding how different fractions could be put together.  

This fraction activity really helped. 

My kids had fun decorating our paper plate fraction pieces with colorful sprinkles and turning them into cookies.

You could also leave the plates plain or turn them into pepperoni pizzas.  Letting your child decide how to decorate them will make it more meaningful for them.

No matter how they decorate them, you will cut and label the plates following the directions below.

Equivalent Fractions Hands on Activity

Use a black permanent marker to label one paper plate 1 whole.

Fold another paper plate in half, making sure the edges match.  Crease the fold and then carefully cut along it.  Label each portion 1/2.

To make your fourths, fold and cut another plate into halves.  Then fold those half portions in half again and cut them apart.  Label these each as 1/4.

Do the same thing to make the eighths, and then fold the fourths in half again, making sure the edges line up.  After cutting on the fold lines, label each portion as 1/8.

If desired, you could follow this method to make slices that are each 1/16.

By placing all the corresponding pieces together on top of the 1 whole plate, you can easily show your child how they add up to one whole. 

This makes it easy for your student to see that eight 1/8 pieces equal a whole and four 1/4 pieces equal a whole.

You can also make 1/3 and 1/6 pieces for your child to work with.

To make 1/3 pieces and 1/6 pieces, start by folding a paper plate in half and cutting along the fold. Then fold one side of each half over 1/3 of the way and fold the other side over. Carefully line up the edges, crease the folds, and cut along the folded lines. Label these as 1/6.

To make 1/3 pieces, use one of your 1/6 pieces and line the edge up along the edge of a blank paper plate.

Use a pencil to draw a line along one side of this piece, then lay a second 1/6 piece right next to it and use the pencil to draw a line on the other side of it, creating a piece that is 1/3 of your paper plate.

Do this again to equally divide the plate into three pieces. Label these as 1/3.

For more math ideas, check out these DIY math manipulatives to help teach double digit addition and subtraction.  

Equivalent Fractions Activity

The paper plate fractions are great for learning how to create a whole using all the symmetrical pieces, like all the 1/8 and all the 1/3 pieces.

They are also good for teaching equivalent fractions.

By placing 1/4 pieces onto the halves, your child can see that it take two fourths to equal one half.  They can also use these pieces together to find new ways to create a whole.

You can continue this with other fractions.

How many 1/6 pieces does it take to equal 1/2?

After working through several together, allow your child to explore the fractions on their own.  Remind them that pieces must fit side by side without overlapping.

How many different ways can they use the fractions to create a whole?

Adding and Subtracting Fractions Hands on Activities

You can also use the paper plate pieces to work on adding fractions with common denominators.

Line up several fractions with the same denominator (number on the bottom).  Show your child how 1/8 + 1/8 + 1/8 = 3/8.     Demonstrate a few other problems before letting them explore further on their own.

These simple DIY fraction manipulatives are perfect for equivalent fractions activities.

Being able to put the smaller fractions together to form larger fractions allows kids to really see how the fractions are related and makes a tricky math skill easier to learn.

Looking for other fraction ideas?  Check out the printable Fraction Flowers from Teach Beside Me.

You might also enjoy these hands-on learning activities:

• 15 Fun Ways to Practice Math Facts at Home 
• Paper Plate STEM Activities 
• Printable Punctuation Mark Stick Puppets 
• Exploring Magnetism
• ABC’s & 123’s: 40+ Hands-On Activities for Alphabet and Number Skills 

Originally published January 18, 2018. 

The post Make Learning about Fractions Fun with This Hands-On Activity for Equivalent Fractions first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.