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

Affiliate links are provided below.  See more full disclosure for more information. 

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.

Those first few years working on math facts at home may not seem too difficult, but then comes 5th grade and tons of fraction work.  They’re adding and subtracting, multiplying and dividing, working with common denominators…  

It’s easy to become overwhelmed and frustrated.  

These simple and fun hands-on equivalent fractions activities will help your child feel more confident when it comes to math class. 

There are so many things kids have to learn when it comes to fractions.  

They learn how to add and subtract them, find the greatest common factor (GCF) and lowest common denominator (LCD), multiply and divide…  Fractions took over our whole year when we worked on 5th grade math.  

If you have a young child, cooking provides lots of opportunities to introduce fractions and measuring.    You can make fractions fun for older kids with the ideas below. 

Hands On Equivalent Fractions Activities 

Paper Plate Equivalent Fractions Activity —  Paper plates provide a cheap and simple way to help kids better visualize fractions.  Not only that, but they also help kids really see how different fractions are equal.  

Equivalent Fraction Bump!  — Kids love playing Bump!  This fraction version uses plastic building blocks and has them marking fractions on the playing card as they battle it out to see who can find the most fractions that are equivalent.  

Matching Apples Fractions Game — Can you find the equal fractions on the apple cards?  Turn all the cards over, mix them up, and use them to play your very own game of memory.

S’Mores Fractions Match-Up — Everyone loves s’mores.  With 3 ways to use these cards to work on fractions, kids will have fun matching up the word cards to the fraction, finding fractions of equal size, and determining which fraction is the largest.  

Star Wars Themed Fraction Game  — Play this  fraction card game just like the classic Go Fish game.  It would be fun to play at home for extra practice or to have in a math center at school.  

Equivalent Fraction Bingo — Kids will have fun with this free online game that gives them instant feedback as they hunt for which fractions are equal to each other. 

Fractions Dominoes — This printable game is a fun way to practice equivalent fractions.  Before playing kids should have a basic understanding of equivalent fractions, and how to find them.

Fraction Man — This fraction game is based on the Old Maid card game.  Kids will have fun plracticing equivalent fractions using numbers, models, and number lines.

Match the Hearts — This Valentine’s Day themed math activity is perfect for February.  

Equivalent Fractions Card Game — Kids will have to think fast about what fractions they can use to fill up their circle before their opponent in this free printable card game.  

Whether you homeschool, teach in the classroom, or you’re a parent trying to help boost your child’s understanding of math at home, these equivalent fractions activities will make that math practice more fun.  

You may also like:

• Kinesthetic Math Activities for Kids That NEED to Move
• Dr. Seuss Math Activities 
• DIY Math Manipulatives to Help Kids with Double Digit Math

The post Simple & Fun Hands On Equivalent Fractions Activities for Kids first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Maybe they tap their pencil while all the other kids are listening to the teacher read.  Or maybe they just can’t seem to stay in their seat.

While many kids learn by listening or by reading something, these kids learn best by moving their bodies.  When it comes to learning math facts and other math concepts, these active learners need more than just worksheets. 

These kinesthetic math activities are perfect for kids that need to move.  

Printable math games can make learning more fun, but some kids are kinesthetic learners.  They learn better by moving their bodies.  (This is definitely my daughter.)

That’s why kinesthetic learning activities are so important to incorporate into the classroom and at home.  

You can get kids moving and learning with these active math games. 

Kinesthetic Math Activities

Math Fact Races — Looking for fun ways to practice math facts?  Races are always a hit with kids.  They can race each other, or try to beat their own best time, in this fun idea.

Puddle Jump —  This active math game is perfect for working on number recognition with younger kids.  It’s also a fun way to work on math facts with elementary students.

Math Ball — That beach ball is perfect for making your very own kinesthetic math game.  Use it to work on adding, subtraction, or multiplication facts.

Sidewalk Math Game — Roll the dice.  Move to the math problem and solve it.  This activity makes working on math fact fluency fun for kids.

Nerf Gun Math — Have a stash of foam dart guns in your house?  Put them to good use in this fun active math activity.

Doubles Water Balloon Math — Is your child working on doubles?  This water balloon game makes it lots of fun!

Number Line Run — Use this fun idea to work on number recognition or math facts.

Skip Counting — Skip counting makes learning multiplication facts easier.   Make it fun with this moving math.

Sidewalk Chalk Math Game — Get the kids outside to work on number recognition or math facts.  They’ll be having so much fun tossing a bean bag or rock on the numbers that they won’t even realize they are learning.

Number Hunt — Preschoolers will have fun hunting for numbers.  You could easily modify this activity for older kids.

Listen and Spray Counting Game — Water always makes learning fun.

Sidewalk Chalk Clock Game — Working on telling time?  This collaborative learning activity gets kids up and moving while working on clock skills.

Over-Sized 100 Chart — Make your own 100 chart that your child can walk and skip through.  Use it for counting skills, working on number recognition, and even math facts.

Hammering Math Facts — Whether you use a pumpkin like we did, or you write numbers on a block of wood or Styrofoam, this activity is a fun way to work on math. 

Measuring Volume Activity — How many 1/4 cup scoops make a cup?  This hands-on math activity helps kids better visualize measurement and fractions. 

These math activities for kinesthetic learners are fun to play and help all learning types to better understand math concepts. 

You’ll also enjoy these posts:

• Kinesthetic Parts of Speech Game
• Homemade Math Manipulatives to Teach Double Digit Subtraction
• Printable Baseball Math
• Fun Games for Kids 

The post Kinesthetic Math Activities first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

I must not be alone because activities with apples can be found in almost every preschool and elementary school classroom at the start of the school year.

Whether you are looking for something to do in a classroom or just a fun fall activity for the kids at home, this collection of the best apple activities for kids is sure to inspire you this fall. 

These activities with apples would be perfect to go with an apple unit in the classroom or homeschool.  They’d also be a fun addition if you are looking for farm unit ideas. 

You could also use them to celebrate Johnny Appleseed’s birthday on September 26.  

Affiiate links have been provided below.  For more details see my full disclosure. 

Apple Activities for Kids

There are so many awesome apple-themed activities to experience this fall.  

I’ve grouped all the activities below to help you find the perfect activity for your kids.

Apple Math Activities

Apple-Themed Skip Counting  —  Recycle plastic lids into the perfect math manipulatives for an apple unit.  Then use them to work on skip counting skills. 

Apple Sorting  —  Sorting is an important skill for little ones to master.  This apple activity for toddlers and preschoolers is a fun way to work on sorting this fall.  

Pom-Pom Apple Math Activities  —  Pom-poms are perfect for working on sorting, counting, working on patterns, and so much more.  

Fine Motor One-to-One Correspondence — This free printable is perfect for working on counting with toddlers and preschoolers. 

Apple Bowling and Counting Game—  Get your child up and moving with this fun counting activity. 

Addition Apple Math File Folder Game—  This file folder game is perfect for a math center in the classroom or to use in your homeschool.  

Roll & Color Apple Worksheet — Kids love to roll dice.  This fun activity will have kids recognizing shapes and following directions. 

Measure an Apple’s Circumference — Kids will have fun estimating the circumference of different apples and then work on measuring skills to see how close their estimate was.  Which delicious apple will be the biggest?  

Apple Graphing — There are so many fun things you could graph about apples.  This free printable pairs perfectly with a fun fall-themed book.  

Telling Time with Apples—  Make working on telling time more fun with this apple printable! 

Greater Than/Less Than Apple Tree Math— This could be called part craft and part math activity.  It would be fun in a math center. 

Fractions with Apples — Elementary kids will have fun working on fraction skills using these printable apple worksheets. 

STEM Activities with Apples

Apple Wrecking Ball — Kids of all ages will have fun designing and engineering their own wrecking ball using an apple.  

Browning Apple Experiment —  What liquids can keep a cut apple from browning?  Kids will have fun making a hypothesis and testing their ideas in this experiment. 

Apple Volcanoes — Kids love to make things explode and bubble!  This is a fun take on a classic kids science activity. 

Bubbling Apples — This one would be fun to do as a preschool apple unit activity.  

Make Apple Seeds Jump— Can you make apples seeds jump and dance?  Find out how in this simple preschool science activity. 

Growing Germs —  Here’s a fun experiment to show just how germy our hands really can be.  What germs will your apple grow? 

Crystal Apples—  This one is part science and part art  — making it a fun apple STEAM project for kids. 

Apple Reading Activities 

Apple-Themed Sight Word/CVC Word Game— Your child will love this scavenger hunt and reading the words on the apples they collect.  

Bottle Cap Word Sort––  Bottle caps make fun (and inexpensive) manipulatives for this hands-on learning activity.  Kids will take turns sorting the “apples” into the correct basket according to the letter combinations each word starts with.  

Apple Themed Word Bump— If you aren’t familiar with how to play word bump, then you are missing out!  Check out this free printable and fun way to work on spelling and sight words. 

Apple Sight Word Game— Read the word on the apple, then flip it over to see how many points you earn.  How many points can your child get in 1 minute?  Challenge them to beat their score the next time.  So much fun! 

Apple Picking Word Game— Read the word on the paper apple and then you get to “pick it” from the tree.  Perfect for preschool and kindergarten. 

Activities for Ten Apples up on Top —  Ten Apples up on Top is a popular Dr. Seuss book for fall.  Check out these fun  Dr. Seuss book activities to go with the book.

Apple Emergent Reader— Preschoolers and kindergartners will love coloring their very own reader. 

Apple Books 

Apples by Gail Gibbons  — Learn all about this fantastic fruit and how people use it in this brightly-illustrated picture book.

Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship by Edward Hemingway — What happens when an apple becomes friends with a worm?  Poor Mac the apple gets called names, but learns to stand up to the bullies when he decides he’d rather be a “rotten apple” with his friend than a lonely apple.

Ten Apples up on Top! by Dr. Seuss  — Just how many apples can you balance on your head? Kids of all ages will find themselves laughing at this classic book.  

Curious George Apple Harvest by H.A. Rey  —  As usual, George’s curiosity gets the best of him in this fun book.  Will George be able to collect all the apple cider and stop the machine,  or will he find himself in a sticky situation?

How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro  —  Have you ever eaten part of a flower? You have if you have eaten an apple! Find out how an apple grows from bud to flower to fruit–ready for you to pick!

Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg  —  Find out all about one of America’s legends in this colorful and beautifully illustrated book.  

Apple Sensory Activities

Apple-Scented Bubble Dough  —  Find out how 2 simple ingredients can make the most amazing, super soft playdough you’ve ever seen.  Plus, it smells great!

Apple-Scented Cloud Dough—  Here’s another fun, and super simple homemade playdough that smells like apples. 

Apple-Scented Water Beads— Water beads are fun to squish and play with.  Find out how you can make them scented for fall. 

Apple Tasting— When it comes to apple sensory activities, don’t forget the easiest and most delicious one!  

Apple Sensory Bin— This brightly colored sensory bin will inspire you to create your very own. 

Apple Crafts

Apple Stamping Craft— Make art with apples!  This is a classic apple craft for toddlers and preschoolers.  

Apple Suncatcher— Sun catchers are always a fun craft for kids.  This one looks so pretty in the window.

Torn Paper Craft—  Ripping paper is a fun way for kids to strengthen hand muscles.  Use those torn bits to make this fun apple craft for preschoolers. 

Tissue Paper Apple— Here’s another fun way to use torn paper for a kids craft.

Sew a Paper Apple— Work on early sewing skills with this simple paper craft. 

Cereal Apple Tree— Check out how your child can use their favorite cereal to make this apple tree craft.

Pine Cone Apple— This is the most adorable kindergarten apple craft!  It’s one the kids will be proud of. 

Felt Apple Pie— Kids will have so much fun building their own apple pies using this DIY pretend play kit using felt. 

Apple Snacks Kids Can Make

Apple Cars —  These adorable cars made from apple slices are perfect for kids to build and eat. 

Homemade Applesauce—  Making applesauce with the kids is an easy and fun way to enjoy this tasty fruit. 

Homemade Apple Pie—  No apple unit is complete without making apple pie.  

Crunchy Apple Chips—  Make healthy and delicious apple chips with the kids to munch on while reading some of your favorite books. 

These apple activities for kids are perfect for creating your own apple unit this fall.

You may also want to check out:

• 20 Crafts and Activities with Real Leaves
• 30+ Hands-On STEM Activities 
• Halloween Party Ideas 

Originally published August 5, 2016.

The post The BEST Apple Activities for Kids first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.