1. Play Card Games
Develop number sense with card games. Counting, estimating, adding, subtracting, multiplying and working with fractions and money are important skills. The more students use numbers, the better they understand number relationships. The simple game of “War” helps them recognize numbers that are greater than or less than others, or each player can take two cards from the pile and add (or subtract or multiply) their two numbers. The bigger number (or smaller number in subtraction) wins that round. Students practice computation skills, while improving their mental math strategies.
2. Use Storytelling
Have fun with make-believe! Writing stories is great for practicing reading, writing and art skills – all things students would normally do in school. Give them blank pieces of paper or a journal. Have students create their own stories or recreate one of their classic favorites. Maybe have them write down everything they do in one day to turn it into a story the next day – complete with illustrations.
3. Draw and Build
Try out two-dimensional fun: Many students love to draw. Why not incorporate shapes and geometric vocabulary? Ask them to make an ice cream cone using two shapes. Talk about the attributes of the shape. How many sides does the triangle have? How many angles? Which lines are parallel?
Take thinking to the next level with three-dimensional building: Using building sets, let learners explore and create. Ask them to build a structure for a certain purpose or that meets certain criteria (it needs to have a way for people to enter and exit, or it must have a place for the horses to sleep). After they build it, they’ll love describing to you how it functions to meet its given purpose.
