Newspaper Fraction Dancing!

Turn on the music! This math activity comes from Mrs. King Rocks! Kids learn about fractions by folding and dancing on newspaper! Visit Mrs. King's Music Class to see the activity in action!

Watercycle Red Light Green Light

Switch up Red Light Green Light by incorporating the water cycle!
Precipitation = Green (Kids run and wiggle their fingers like rain)
Evaporation = Yellow (Kids walk slowwwly and lift their arms up to the sky)
Condensation = Red (Kids stop and create a cluster. They place their arms around each others' shoulders - hug!)

Polygon Patterns

Explore vertices and diagonals while seeking patterns in polygons! Have kids predict the number of diagonals a triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, and octagon have. Split kids up into teams. Then, have them problem solve by drawing diagonals on shape outlines. Make sure kids use different colored markers for each diagonal (so they can count them). Also, have a teammate tally each diagonal drawn. Can they find a pattern?! How many diagonals does a hexadecagon have?!

Mr. Evaporation

Have kids construct an Evaporation Cup Man or Lady! Check out Miss Klipfel's first grade evaporation project! Kids decorate a cup, add water, cover the top with a material (punch holes or not), and wait till it evaporates! They measure their "friend" and keep track of any changes. Does material affect how fast or slow water will evaporate? If you don't punch holes in your material, will it evaporate?! Have kids make a prediction. As a class, create a graph showing their predictions. See the experiment in action here!

Place Value Battleship

This idea comes from Two Sisters that Teach! Kids get a number grid with the different place values and a page to create their secret number. First, they come up with a number and write it in the boxes (shown above). Then, they take turns asking each other questions.

Example: 
Do you have 7 tens?
Is your number in the hundreds place greater than 2?

If they guess correctly, they got a "hit!" So, they circle the number on their grid. If their guess was incorrect, they make an x through the number on the grid. The first one to figure out their opponent's number wins!

Click here for a printable!
For more battleship fun using a 100 grid click here!

Transformation Aquarium

This math / art activity is inspired by Classroom Magic's transforming goldfish! Kids learn about transformations by creating a mini paper aquarium! Kids cut out and decorate fish that represent each transformation!

To incorporate even more math into this project, have kids "purchase" items for their aquarium. Kids "buy" pebbles, plants, and fish! Click here for a printable!

Paper Chain Gang

Kids are given 5 strips of paper. They write something they are really good at on each of their strips. They link their strips together to create a small paper chain. Then, they measure it!

As a class, they help link all the chains together. Use blank strips of paper in between each child's chain. Have kids estimate the length of the giant chain. Then, as a class measure it! Did anyone come close to guessing the actual length of the chain?!

Discussion:
Look at the variety of talents in the room! (Compare the length of their chain to the giant class chain.) If we all work together, we can accomplish anything!

Fraction Tree

Kids construct a paper tree of fractions! First, they create a trunk and branches. The trunk represents 1 whole. Once they have their trunk cut out, they cut branches to represent 1/2 and 1/4 of their trunk. Then, they paint leaves with a q-tip and write down the fraction for each color they used.

Click here for an example of a different fraction tree kids can make!

Food Chain Freeze Tag

This activity is inspired by Eecko World's "We're All In This Together." Rather than having kids play tag using organisms from a single food chain, make it more challenging by adding a variety of food chains!

Give each child a construction paper headband with a different plant or animal that is part of a food chain (include organisms from different habitats). Take students to a large open area outside. Kids have to look for a plant or animal that their organism consumes. They tag what they eat! If a child is tagged, they must freeze (stand still)! Who is left at the end of the game?!

Afterwards, have kids try to find organisms that belong to their habitat (creating small groups). Kids must problem solve and try to figure out who belongs in their "group." Also, where would you find the organisms in their group? What habitat do they live in?!

CHEEZ-IT Area & Perimeter

This activity is all over pinterest! What a great way to introduce the concept of area and perimeter to kids! Start out creating squares and rectangles and find the area/perimeter. Then, have kids construct irregular polygons (and find a/p). Once they understand it, give them an area and perimeter and see if they can construct the MYSTERY shape!

Connect 10

DIY math game from Books, Blocks, and Baskets! Kids try to make ten by connecting 4 numeral chips: horizontal, vertical, or diagonal! Check it out here!

Lego Comprehension

Kids try to build an identical structure by only listening to each others' instructions! 

Place something in between 2 lego plates, so kids can't see each others' lego building base (no cheating!). Kids take turns giving instructions. They must be very detail oriented (describe color, size, and placement). Also, they have to have good listening skills, so they place the lego in the correct spot! When they're finished building, they look at their structures to see if they are identical. Did they give good directions?!

Place Value Hopscotch

Create a place value hopscotch with sidewalk chalk! (You can include higher values or decimals as well). One player hops and the other watches and figures out the number. 

Ex: 823,005
The player hops 5 times on the 1
0 times on the 10 and 100
3 times on the 1,000
2 times on the 10, 000
8 times on the 100,000
The other player must watch closely, so he can figure out the number. Then, he writes the numeral on the pavement.

After kids take turns hopping a couple times, have them compare the numerals they made. Which number is the largest? Who created the smallest number? Can they point out the odd and even numbers they created?