Looking for some Fun and engaging Halloween math activities to keep your kids busy? Try out these “PICK A WITCH” Digital Game activities with your class and see their excitement skyrocket.
This resource is an interactive digital game which you can use to review or assess your kids place value understanding during their centers time or as a whole class activity.
Here is how the Game Works:
“PICK A WITCH” Game activity is designed to help your kids practice and review the place value of larger numbers like 6 digits in a fun and engaging way.
The resource is a compressed file that unzips to a PowerPoint Activity. The Game activity has 12 question slides and 1 main i.e. “PICK A WITCH” slide.
Display the main slide on the projector and divide your kids into 2 teams. Now tell them to pick a number. The number that they pick you have to click on it to display the question. Once the kids see the question he or she has to answer the question.
You can also award 5 score points to every right answer. Once all the questions have been answered by kids. You can add all their scores and announce which team has won.
All the numbers from 1 to 12 on the first slide are clickable and linked to that specific question number slide. There is a Home button on every question slide to access the main Questions slide which makes it an interactive and super fun game that kids enjoy.
The 12 questions allow you to complete the activity in one go with your class. But it only uses 6 digit numbers. You can use it for fast finishers or as centers digital activity.
As a math teacher with various grade levels teaching experience, I know the struggle math teachers face in their day to day life. Your days are undoubtedly filled with various responsibilities, from strategizing your lessons and managing your classroom to caring for your families. Finding the time and energy to create engaging and effective teaching environments and lessons can be challenging!
This is why I have created this blog post to help teachers like you with the tools and resources you need in order to ensure your students master math while you have more time for yourself and your loved ones.
Why should you help your students in learning maths?
As teachers, I know your first priority is to help your kids master the subject with ease. This is the mere reason why I am excited to share all my valuable findings with you. All math teaching strategies to help you make an impact on students learning and foster independent problem solving and critical thinking in your students.
By implementing these strategies effectively, you can inspire a love for math and develop confidence in their abilities, which is what we all strive for as educators.
How should you think about these math learning abilities in kids:
Learning to solve math is very important for our kids’ everyday lives and a country’s growth. All those students that are good at math perform better in STEM fields which are very important in this information and technology driven digital era.
This is why it is important for schools to help kids develop their mathematical abilities. In recent studies, experts have found that one of the reasons our young learners do not perform well in maths is because math teachers simply don’t have enough knowledge of their subject.
This could be a direct result of the old-fashioned teaching methods still used in schools.
One way to fix this problem is by developing your student’s metacognitive skills. This helps them better equip themselves to solve their own problems not only in maths but in life.
How to implement this in your teaching practices:
Helping your students develop their metacognitive skills is a tedious task. But being a class facilitator to goal during your teaching would be to help them develop their own thinking for every problem that they encounter.
Let’s say your students are working through an area and perimeter of composite figures of project. They can check their understanding of the project by calculating what’s required for the task at hand. Now for every problem that they come across during practicing they should be able to plan it out and then check if the plan works. This type of thinking helps them develop the cognitive skills required to solve complex math problems.
The more your students are able to reflect, plan, and evaluate the math problem at hand the better their understanding gets with time. This is why I like to use math projects riddles and mysteries with my students during my class.
Strategies to help your kids learn math in an interesting way: Here are some math teaching strategies to help kids learn math faster and more easily:
1. Make it Relevant:
It is a powerful strategy in math education that aims to give students some real world experience in their math learning. Through this strategy the educator aims to bridge gap between abstract concepts and real scenarios application, which deepens the students understanding.
Elementary students are in the age group where they are naturally curious about their environment, so connecting math to their everyday lives captivates their interest and sparks more motivation in them.
In traditional math teaching, students are made to memorize the concept and formulas without any practical understanding. This approach keeps them wondering about the purpose of their math learning beyond the classroom. However, by making math relevant to their environment and everyday life, teacher’s have the opportunity to show how math is an integrated part of our everyday life, from simple to complex discoveries.
Ways to implement:
One way to implement this is using math problems such as calculating discounts during shopping or measuring ingredients during cooking so students can immediately see the practical usage of their abilities.
Such hands on experience solidifies your kid’s understanding of math concepts and boosts their confidence. You can even integrate math with other subjects showing its interconnection with other disciplines.
For example in science students can use mathematical formulas to understand the laws of motion, or in arts, they explore geometrical shapes and symmetry. This type of understanding nurtures a holistic approach to their learning.
In conclusion, this strategy is an essential pillar in math education. It ignites curiosity, foster engagement, and equips learners with the skills they need to tackle real-world challenges with confidence and proficiency.
As students recognize the practical relevance of math, they are more likely to approach the subject with enthusiasm and become lifelong learners and problem-solvers.
2. Hands on learning:
This strategy involves using physical objects, manipulatives and interactive activities to teach math concepts. Students interact, measure and manipulate the objects to understand abstract ideas more concretely. For instance, using counting blocks to illustrate addition and subtraction or using shapes to teach geometry. This approach caters to different learning styles, making math more accessible and enjoyable.
3. Problem-Solving Approach:
The problem-solving approach nurtures students’ critical thinking and analytical skills. Instead of relying on rote memorization, kids are presented with real-world problems that require applying mathematical concepts to find solutions. So if we can encourage them to reason through problems and instill a deeper understanding of math, this will equip them with valuable skills beyond the classroom.
4. Games and Puzzles:
Honestly, math games and puzzles make learning math enjoyable and engaging. For my kids, these create a fun learning environment where students can practice math concepts while having fun.
Games can range from board games that reinforce basic arithmetic to online math challenges that promote strategic thinking. What is most interesting to see is the element of competition between peers. It motivates students to actively participate and reinforce their learning.
5. Personalized Learning:
This strategy focuses that students have different learning paces and needs. As teachers we must adapt to cater to individual needs, offering extra support or advanced challenges based on each student’s abilities. This approach builds a positive learning experience, boosts confidence, and helps students reach their full potential.
6. Visual Representations:
Visual representations use graphs, charts, diagrams, and drawings to illustrate math concepts. It enhances comprehension and memory retention, especially for complex topics. Visualizing information helps students make connections between abstract ideas and concrete examples.
7. Real-life Problem-solving:
Connecting math to real-life situations makes the subject more meaningful and relevant to students. By presenting math as a tool to solve practical problems, such as budgeting, measurements for a classroom project, or understanding patterns in nature, students can see its importance in their daily lives and future careers.
8. Positive Reinforcement:
Positive reinforcement involves praising and acknowledging students’ efforts and achievements. Recognizing their progress and hard work promotes a positive attitude toward math. Positive reinforcement builds confidence and motivates students to continue learning and exploring math concepts.
9. Peer Learning:
Peer learning encourages students to work collaboratively, discuss concepts, and solve problems. This explaining math to peers helps to reinforce understanding and different perspectives which gives new insights. This cooperative learning environment motivates them to develop effective communication skills and teamwork, both of which are valuable in and beyond math class.
Educators can create a supportive and stimulating learning environment by incorporating these strategies into math teaching, helping students learn math more effectively and enjoyably. Each strategy complements the others, contributing to a comprehensive and well-rounded math education for young learners.
Are you ready to learn how to make Boring Worksheets Fun in your next math class and make math the coolest part of your kids day . Try out these fun ideas and say goodbye to boring old traditional worksheets.
In this post I’ve got 11 super fun ideas to make math feel like a game. Imagine your students racing to finish math problems, playing bingo with math questions, or even turning your classroom into a mini escape room.
Let’s make sure learning math is not just about numbers but also about having a great time. And yes you can have fun in you math class even using your old math worksheets that maybe your district in mandating you to use.
1. Math Races:
I am all about healthy competition and honestly my kids even love it. All you have to do is give your students a competitive atmosphere by timing them as they complete their assigned math activities or worksheets. This will motivate them to finish quickly and accurately and turn the routine task into an exciting race against the clock.
2. Worksheet Bingo:
Another idea that you can implement is turn your normal daily worksheet problems into a bingo game. Which basically means with each correct answer you made your students to mark off a task or problem completed and check off a square. What can even motivate them more is to give them a small prize or award recognition for their effort or to the one that get a line first.
3. Math Puzzles:
Using puzzles as worksheets where with every problem that they solve gives them some clue for the next problem they need to solve. It can be a riddle, a hidden message, or a mystery that gets solved with each correct answer. I used on of these mystery puzzles worksheets for reviewing addition and subtraction inside my classroom and my kids just loved it.
4. Interactive Worksheets:
Using technology to turn your already made worksheets into interactive digital activities. This way you do not have o do the work again and still keep your kids engaged in fun way. Best way I do it is by turning the task cards in to images and then adding those task cards as background images inside Google Slides(TM) and add a text box on top of it for my kids to put their answers.
Second thing that you can do is insert the same task cards as images in Google forms(TM) and use the multiple choice option to create a multiple choice self Checking activity like this for your class, either way your kids are gonna love the special twist of learning experience you put on turning boring worksheet fun.
5. Group Challenges:
Team work in important for every classroom whether its ELA, math, arts or even music. No matter what you are teaching encouraging teamwork by having students work in small groups to complete the the assigned math task. This way they can develop their social and leadership skill along side learning which is a win win. Students can discuss strategies and help each other out which fosters a collaborative learning necessary for their future growth.
Creating activities like math mazes, puzzles or mystery activities gives them the opportunity they need to develop their collaborative skills and turn boring worksheets into fun learning experiences.
6. Real-World Application:
Connect math problems to real-life scenarios. This not only makes the worksheet more interesting but also helps students understand the practical application of what they’re learning.
7. Math Stations:
Set up different stations around the room, each with a math task or worksheet to complete. Students rotate through the stations that breaks the monotony of boring routine and adds movement and excitement to the class.
8. Creative Rewards:
Positive reinforcement is essential for kids to learn and get motivated to do better next time. You can give them their favorite snack as an award, a Home work pass or a chance to play their favorite game.
9. Incorporate Art:
Have them illustrate their mathematical thinking into art. This gives them the ability to develop further their problem solving skills and critical thinking skills.
10. Math Journals:
Math journals like goal journals and others can be useful. Instead of boring worksheets, have students keep math journals where they not only solve math problems but also write about their thought process, making the activity more reflective and personalized. This helps students organize their thought and develop creative thinking.
11. Escape Rooms:
Design worksheets that mimic an escape room challenge. Each correct answer helps “unlock” the next section until they “escape” by completing the entire sheet. This adds an element of adventure to the task.
Remember, the goal is to make learning math not just educational but incredibly fun too. So, try to use these strategies and ideas to your advantage, and turn boring worksheets fun and use them to your advantage. Here is one such example of an multi digit addition and subtraction escape roomI did in my that my kids totally loved.
Use this and see your students discover the joy in numbers, and most importantly, develop a lasting love for learning. Implementing all these ideas might require a bit more effort on your part but I assure you it will be 100% worth it.
Find the tips useful, share with other teacher friends!
You not only have to explain the basics but also make sure your fractions lessons are engaging enough so they pay full attention during the learning period and do not get distracted.
In this blog post, I will discuss with you some new and easy ways I have found helpful in teaching fraction operations to my kids during math class to help them engage with the problems at hand and be happily willing to practice adding and subtracting fractions.
So, let’s dive in…
1. Fun Fractions Maze Activity with Task Cards – Save the Queen
This activity includes a printable self-checking maze that you can use with your kids to have them practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division of fractions with unlike denominators.
Each fraction operations maze activity comes with 12 task cards and a self-checking FUN maze, which keeps kids inspired to learn, but you do not have to spend all day grading.
The activity is story-based, in which your kids become detectives, helping the Queen bee, who is lost in the jungle, return home. For that, your kids have to work through the problems to bring her back home.
Once the kids have completed the activity, you can use the printable reward card to reward your kid’s hard work and create a positive motivation for them to practice their math skills happily the next time!
Are your kids bored with their daily boring math routine work and want to have some fun and excitement while learning new concepts?
Try adding Solve the Room activities to help them get moving and learn all at the same time!
Solve the Room is my kid’s favorite activity as it allows them not to be glued to their desks but to move around the room while working on the problems. The best part is that it is very easy to set up.
All you have to do is print the question cards and place them in different spots inside your classroom. Next, give students their recording sheets. Kids move around the room, looking for problems with adding and subtracting fractions.
They solve the problems and record their answers on the recording sheets provided. You can also instruct them to use the back of the recording sheet to show their work, which is always a good idea.
If you want to try these activities for your next class, Click here.
3. Color by Number Fractions Activities
Coloring is LOVE for all my kids – no matter their age.
Primary, lower elementary, or upper elementary, you name it!
The easiest way teachers can use it to their advantage is by making any doodle on a piece of paper along with a bunch of practice problems and giving them to solve and color.
Using color by number activities in elementary math classes can enhance engagement, reinforce concepts like perimeter and area of complex figures and volume of rectangular prism creatively, and facilitate differentiation for diverse learning levels.
These activities make working on math problems more enjoyable for students and provide valuable tools for teachers to effectively deal with the challenges of teaching elementary mathematics.
Looking to add some fun color by number activities to your next lesson? I have created these 5th grade fraction operations color by number activities that you can use to skyrocket your class math learning outcome. Want some fraction word problem worksheets? Click HERE to check them out.
Kids in upper elementary classrooms are more inclined to learn math through games because math games provide the same environment as today’s gadgets and screens but with the goal of learning something new.
This is why, in today’s teaching, it is more important than ever to use game-based learning methods in our math classrooms.
In my 10+ years of teaching math to elementary students, I have never encountered a time in my classes when, whenever I pull up a game, my kids do not get excited.
It has always been the case for me, no matter what the type of game is! It can be digital as well as printable but what would never happen with board games or game shows is a dry class with no learning excitement for a hard subject like math.
Honestly, I feel that having printable games or digital game-based activities should be in every teacher’s toolkit. They are a compelling way for kids to connect and engage with your teaching content. Still not convinced?
Here’s a list of why math games are important and how to integrate them into your lesson planning.
1. Enhanced Engagement during Math Class
This is what we all want? I mean, I do! And the best way to increase your class engagement is by using math games to make learning more interactive and exciting.
Gamification helps develop critical thinking skills, which are essential for children’s future success. Students are more likely to participate and stay focused when they play a game in pairs, compared to just working through a set of problems on a worksheet.
So, make your kids work in pairs next time you want them to add some accountability to your math lessons. The added accountability helps them push each other and encourages a sense of responsibility.
Looking for some fun games? Melissa, a fellow teacher, coach, and TpT author, has a blog post that can give you a comprehensive idea of the benefits of using math board games in classrooms.
2. Improved Understanding with Math Games
Understanding is the most important part of the learning process. It is the integral part that should be focused on during lesson planning.
If your kids can understand the basics of any concept, like fraction operations or the order of operations, they will be able to think through them, understand them, and solve problems on their own, which should always be the goal.
This collaborative environment that is created as a result of their teamwork can help them feel more comfortable sharing their thought processes and strategies with their class fellows.
With games, we can present kids with the same math problems in various formats like multiple choice, true-false, or even open-ended, which then helps students to see concepts from different angles.
This is crucial as it deepens their understanding and helps them apply math skills in various real world situations.
During my lessons I try to give kids as many practice problems as possible, but after we have
ended a lesson I prefer other formats like multiple choice or true false using interactive activities or riddles to check their understanding and see where the gaps are!
3. Immediate Feedback
Of course, getting feedback is important! But what’s more important is making it fun not just for kids but for you too. I try to incorporate self checking games during lessons because of the immediate feedbackkk!
We all want our kids to rise and shine but none of us want to go through the painful time taking act of grading and checking the assessments and creating the report cards.
That’s why math games can actually be a handy tool. It provides us with a way to keep ourselves on top of all the stuff other than teaching by utilizing the power of active learning, allowing students to practice and reinforce their skills in an interactive way.
It allows students to quickly see the results of their actions and understand what they need to improve. This immediate reinforcement can increase their confidence and motivate them to learn more.
4. Fun and Motivation
Let’s be honest: It is a chore to make math enjoyable and personalize activities for every kid. However, I believe learning is not only enjoyable with games; students are more than ready to engage with the material. Math games can turn a challenging subject into a fun and rewarding experience, which enhances a positive attitude towards math.
Digital games can be easily integrated into your lesson plans and are great for individual or small group work. One way is to customize games for different skill levels, making sure that all students, regardless of their abilities, are challenged appropriately and can progress at their own pace.
You can create different stations with various math games, like “Digital Fraction and Decimals Pixel Art Bundle.” Just assign students one of the activities and keep them engaged by exposing them to different types of problems.
Another way is to organize math game tournaments or challenges inside the classroom to add an element of friendly competition. However, this can even create a challenge of managing competitiveness among students. For this, make sure to emphasize the importance of teamwork and collaboration more. This can motivate students to practice more and improve their math skills.
Lastly, have students discuss what they learned and reflect on their strategies after playing. This will help solidify their understanding and encourage them to think critically about problem-solving techniques.
Math games are a fun and effective way to review important math concepts like decimal operations inside classrooms. Incorporating math games into your classroom can transform the way your students learn and engage with math. Making lessons interactive, engaging, and fun will help your students develop a deeper understanding and a love for the subject.
Halloween is just around the corner, and I believe it’s the perfect time to have a little spooky fun insides of our math classrooms using exciting Halloween math activities!
We all know that keeping kids engaged is the biggest challenge we face, especially on a day when they have costumes and candy on their minds.
But trust me with the right activities, you can turn this festive season into a enjoyable and exciting learning experience.
Want to know how? Here is a list of 11 spooktacular Halloween themed math worksheets and activities that will have your students excited to solve difficult math problems and practice their math skills.
1. Halloween Math Activities: Place Value Game Show
Kicking off the list is the “Pick A Witch” Digital Game, a Fun digital review that makes learning place value as exciting as a Halloween party.
It is an interactive game in which students are will identifying six-digit numbers and choose the answer correctly using their place value knowledge.
The digital game is more like a game show that can be used as a whole-class activity or as a center activity. “Pick A Witch” theme on the main slide adds the Halloween twist to the game and keeps kids hooked.
Students would select witches to reveal the problem they need to solve. And once they have solved the problem, they record their answers on the recording sheet.
Using a digital Halloween math game show can be perfect for reinforcing place value concepts in a fun, engaging way.
Basically, it’s a proven option to keep their attention on the task at hand in a spooky, festive way!
2. Spooky Fraction Scavenger Hunt: A Halloween Adventure in Math
But if the hunt includes a holiday theme it’s like math fun but on steroid.
If you want to turn your math classroom into a haunted house of learning, using a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt is a good option.
This Halloween fraction activity will get your students moving around the classroom, solving math problems uncovering clues that takes them to the next challenge.
Each problem they solve brings them one step closer to completing the hunt.
And it’s a great way to combine physical activity with learning, all while embracing the Halloween spirit.
3. Haunted Order of Operations: Solve the Room Halloween Activity
Order of Operations can sometimes be a tricky concept for students to grasp, but this “Solve the Room” activity can be turned into an exciting learning experience.
Imagine all your students excited to solve math problems without you instructing to keep them focused on task.
Best way is to get your classroom filled with math problems displayed in spooky places, just waiting to be solved.
As students move around the room, they must use their knowledge of the order of operations to solve each problem correctly.
Now you might be wondering how this activity is different from a classical math Scavenger hunt.
Here’s how: Solve the Room activity is not self-checking and you might need to help kids while solving problems to develop their problem-solving approach to the problems on hand.
Whereas scavenger hunt is a self checking activity. Every next problem card displays the answer of the previously solved one .
This is super helpful for kids because they get to know if they did the previous one right.
I normally use scavenger hunts first to get them thinking and solving problems and helps build their practice muscle.
Whereas Halloween Solve the Room is used as a quick fun way to assess my kids concepts and the area they still lag behind.
Why use both? Because this activity not only reinforces their understanding of BODMAS but also adds excitement and competition that maks it perfect for a Halloween-themed 5th grade math lesson.
4. Halloween Color by Number: Math Practice Meets Creativity
These worksheets cover include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. As students solve the math problems, they reveal the colors they need to use to complete the picture.
I have found color by number activities the best during centers or as a math intervention activity. You can also use the finished artwork to display in your class and kids will love you for this as it helps them boost confidence.
If you want to get access to free math resources and timely deals to help you with your math planning throughout the year, then join the list here.
5. Candy Corn Place Value Puzzles: Hands-On Halloween Math Fun
Place value is a building block concept in math, and most kids even in 4th or 5th grade still struggle with this basic concepts.
These candy corn-themed puzzles are a good way to enforce the understanding of the skill during Halloween season.
Each puzzle piece, the students goal is to complete the candy corn.
There are 3 pieces of each candy.
Students have to match the given number to its expanded form and word form to complete their candy.
This activity is perfect for small group work or math centers, as it allows kids to solve the puzzles in collaboration with other classmates.
6. Halloween Themed Addition and Subtraction Worksheets
Addition and subtraction are essential skills for young learners, and these monster-themed worksheets make practicing them a blast.
Each worksheet has almost 8 to 12 problems for kids to practice their basic operations.
The Halloween twist makes these worksheets more engaging and encourages students to work through the problems with excitement.
These can be used as morning work, homework, or in-class practice.
7. Witchy Math Fun: Independent Math Work Pack
The Halloween Independent Math Work Pack is a spooktacular resource designed to make 5th grade math practice engaging and enjoyable for students during the Halloween season.
Halloween 5th grade packet factors multiples fraction addition and subtraction along with word problems
Filled with a variety of activities, this independent work pack allows students to independently work on their essential math skills like fraction addition and subtraction, word problems on multiplication and division all while having fun with a witchy twist.
The work pack also includes a fun way to practice factors and multiples of whole numbers. You can use them for centers or hand them to your students as homework to complete the choices are endless.
The packet not only captures lets their young minds practice, but also gives them an opportunity to plan a monster bash party, where they are given a budget and have to plan a perfect bash for their friends.
This project makes it perfect to apply what they have learned about decimal and whole number addition, subtraction, along with percentages and calculating discounts to a real-life example example making it a good addition to your classroom during the spooky season.
Bringing Halloween into Your Math Classroom
Halloween is a time for fun, and with these spooktacular math activities and you can bring that festive spirit into your classroom while keeping your students engaged and enthusiast.
No matter if you’re looking for games, hands-on puzzles, or creative lessons, there’s something here for every type of learner.
By using these activities in your Halloween lesson plans, you’ll be able to create an atmosphere of learning and excitement for math that lasts long after the holiday is over.
Looking for a 3 digit addition problem worksheets to practice 3 digit addition or subtraction with your students? Look no more because I got you covered.
Helping students work on word problems is a daunting task.
Especially if you are trying to encourage them to think independently on math problems and solve them on their own.
That is why I have created these fun and engaging 3 digit word problem worksheets that are free for you to grab and teach now.
Print the problems you want your students to work on and hand them to your class. Students can solve the word problems independently, or you can help them complete the task.
What I like to do in my class is put them in pairs. This way, even if one of the kids gets stuck, they can help each other out and figure out the solution.
Here are a few benefits of using 3-digit word problems worksheets in your classroom
Increase in reasoning and problem solving skills
More understanding of the topic by using comprehension skills
Able to break down more significant concepts into small problems
