Monster Math

The song “Monster Mash” is always popular near Halloween time.  As I prepared our math activity this week, I found myself singing to the tune of the song:  “Let’s do some math,   monster math…  Let’s do some math, on a learning path…”  Monster Math is a simple hands-on math activity that is perfect for Halloween time or anytime.

To prepare for the activity, fold 6 inch squares of colored paper in half.  Cut simple monster shapes from the paper, using the fold as the center of the monster.  You will also need wiggly eyes to go with your paper monsters.

One-to-One Correspondence

You can use the monsters to work on counting skills and one-to-one correspondence.  Use a pen or permanent marker to write a number on the bottom of each monster.  Have your child count the correct number of wiggly eyes to put on each monster.

Addition

You can also use the paper monsters to work on addition facts.  Using the paper fold down the middle of the monster, write a number 0-9 on each side of the fold, with a plus sign between the numbers.

Have your child put the correct number of wiggly eyes on each side of the monster. Then have them count how many wiggly eyes there are total to determine the answer to the addition fact.

Maneuvering the wiggly eyes to create silly looking monsters is great for working on fine motor skills.  Plus, the hands-on math activity makes math more fun.

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