The next theme week of math camp is "patterns and math art," one of my very favorite subjects! But before you go, be sure to hop over to Coffee Cups and Crayons for another geometry math activity (using grapes no less!) to tide you over until next Thursday.

Previous camp mathematics fun: 

• Counting game to teach subtraction
• Magic squares

The post T Puzzle (Boggle Your Mathematical Mind) appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

When you are looking for some good activities and ideas for teaching shapes at home or for preschool lesson plans, fit these easy, playful learning activities, shape games and geometry-learning ideas into your schedule. They also work when you want to teach shapes to toddlers or are looking for shapes activities for kindergarten.

Note: this post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may earn commission for this blog.

Explore Pattern Blocks

Pattern blocks come in lots of different shapes and sizes. We love this wooden pattern block set from Melissa and Doug. While kids can certainly use the block to build the preset designs, they are also excellent shapes for further exploration.

Use the pattern blocks to make free form shapes, sort them or create repeating patterns. One fun way is to get out a muffin tin and watch how preschoolers arrange the shapes inside the constraints of the muffin tin cavities.

Felt Pattern Shapes

Repetition and creating patterns is a great activity for building pre-math skills. Felt shapes are an excellent (and quiet!) alternative to wooden or plastic blocks. Plus, you can make a set of felt shapes for patterning at home! Cut shapes like circles, triangles, and squares from different colored sheets of felt. Make as many different varieties as you want!

View our explorations of color and shape patterning with felt here on the blog.

3D Shape Hunt

Remember that classic shape game where kids drop blocks through the correspondingly shaped slot in a big box? This 3D and 2D shape matching game is a similar concept. Teach children about the relationship between three dimensional shapes and their two dimensional counterparts with our 2D and 3D shape matching and sorting activity. Kids hunt for shapes, identify, sort and match blocks with a pictorial representation.

DIY Shape Book

With the free printable template, preschoolers can construct their own cut-out shape booklet. When the book is completed, children will observe how the shapes relate to one another, learning the concept of relative size. The creative process can double as an art project. See our process and grab the template here.

Exploring Triangles

Educators versed in Montessori will be familiar with the blue constructive triangles. The good news is that you don't have to go all in on Montessori education in order for your preschoolers to reap the benefits of playful learning using the blue scalene triangles.

See how we made our own triangles from soft foam instead of purchasing the expensive "official" shapes. The right-angled scalene triangles are especially fun to manipulate

Shape Print Art Project

Upcycle objects based on their shapes. For example, lids and bottle caps are circles, and sponges can be cut into squares, triangles and rectangles. Squeeze out paint onto a paper plate and set out large sheets of paper. Children will love pressing the the different shaped objects into the paint and then making prints on paper.

If desired, print shapes in patterns, sorting by shape, size and color.

Geoboard

A geoboard is a classic shape activity in which little hands build different shapes by stretching rubber bands around pegs on a board. Building your own geoboard is very easy with these instructions.

Shape Recognition

These two shape recognition activities couldn't be easier and you can do them with your little ones when you are out and about. If you find yourself in a waiting room with your preschool-aged child and everyone is getting a bit antsy, pick up the nearest magazine and start to flip through it. Ask your child to point out and name the shapes they see!

Translate the same activity to outdoors. When you are walking through the park your child can be on the lookout for shapes in nature. Is that flower center a circle? Is that leaf an oval? Is the sidewalk made up of squares?

The post Shape Activities for Preschoolers that Build Math Skills appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Trominoes may remind you of tetris, and indeed, the concept is similar. We have adapted the traditional single-player tromino puzzle into a two player game for kids. The game is a fun brain teaser with a mathematical puzzle-y twist. And yet, even if you don't care two hoots about the math concepts involved, it is an excellent boredom buster!

What you need:

• 2 markers in different colors
• Game board grid. 5x5 or 8x8 are good grids to start with. Draw your own, or print out ours, which has one large 5x5 grid, one 8x8 grid and 4 small 5x5 grids (fill out the form below to get the pdf)
• 2 enthusiastic players

Read the following instructions, and then scroll down for some great variations and a single-player puzzle version to extend the learning and fun!

Variations and Questions

The following ideas are for kids who would like to further explore some of the mathematical concepts of the tromino puzzle or game strategies.

Vary the grid layout. Does the grid need to be square? What happens if you have an uneven number of rows and columns, such as 5x4 or 8x9?

Does it help to go first?

Where is the best place to put your first tromino? Why?

How does using only one or both tromino shapes change the game?

Change the rules so that the player who places the final tromino loses. If the tromino placed last is the loser, how does that change your strategy?

Single Player Tromino Puzzle

Here's how to use the game board grid as a problem-solving exercise for a single player. The goal is the completely fill the grid with L-shaped trominoes. Can it be done?

How many L-shapes can you place on the grid? Using a different color marker for each tromino so you can easily track your work. What if you vary the size of the "L" from 2x1 to 3x1 or 3x2? What if you vary the size of the grid?

I bet your kids can do a much better job than this:

More mathematical puzzlers and games:

• Subtraction game, aka "Nim"
• Multiplication dice game
• Fraction games

The post Trominoes: Mathematical Puzzles for Kids appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Why you give them this paper triangle puzzle of course! When they first see it they will guffaw and laugh,

That's so easy, Mom!

But you know better. You also know from trying out these family brain teasers that they won't back down from a challenge, especially one they think is oh-so-easy! This simple geometric paper puzzle will stump them and keep from asking for screens longer than you think!

And the clincher is that once they solve it–if they ever do [insert evil laugh here]–they will want to stump their siblings, friends, relatives and teachers!

How do you make this genius triangle puzzle, you ask?

Well, I'm going to give you the secret step-by-step instructions below.

How to Make the Triangle Puzzle

What you need:

• Scissors
• Square paper such as origami paper. Origami paper won't lie entirely flat. If that is important to you, use card stock. But don't get bogged down with the type of paper. Use whatever you have, as long as it is a perfect square.
• Ruler
• Pencil

There are two methods of cutting the square into triangles. You can either draw the lines to be cut, or fold them so there are no pencil marks. Potentially, pencil marks offer clues to solving the puzzle (thus potentially shortening the solving process and cutting short your coffee break!).

Step 1:

Take a square piece of paper and mark the midpoint on each side.

Step 2:

Using a ruler, draw a line from the top middle point to the left side middle point.

Step 3:

Using the ruler and pencil connect the top middle crease to the bottom right corner.

Step 4:

Draw a line connecting the bottom middle crease to the left middle crease.

Step 5:

You now have four triangles. These will form the pieces of the puzzle. Cut out the triangles.

Finally:

Mix up the triangle pieces and hand them over to your kids, telling them to arrange them in a square.

Head off to finish that coffee.

Note: If the pencil marks are too much of a giveaway you can create the triangles with a folding method instead.

Here's how to use the folding method:

Grab the corners of the square and start to fold paper, as if in half. Instead of creasing along the middle, just squeeze the edges where the midpoint on the sides would be. Rotate and repeat with the other two edges.

Now fold down the left corner thusly:

Next, fold the edges in the following ways:

1. top middle crease to the left side middle crease
2. top middle crease to the bottom right corner
3. bottom middle crease to the left middle crease

In the video instructions below I have a tip for making those creases! However, if you want to avoid any extraneous creases and folds, then use the ruler to measure and mark the midpoint of each side.

Finally, cut out the triangles along the creases.

Make as many as you want in all different sizes and colors, and mix them up for an added challenge!

Do you want to step up your DIY puzzle game? Introduce your kids to the famous T Puzzle! The T Puzzle takes an adult an average of 30 minutes to solve and your kids will love to stump the grown ups in their lives. Both the T Puzzle and this paper triangle puzzle may remind you of tangrams, but of course they are not quite the same thing!

The post Triangle Puzzle Will Stump Your Kids Longer than You Thought Possible appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

My kids love brain teasers and figuring out how to fit triangles together to form a heart shape has just the right amount of challenge for inexperienced puzzle-putter-togethers, while still being a satisfying accomplishment for puzzle masters. Plus, who doesn't love a geometry activity or a math art project?

I like it because it may take a moment to figure out the trick, but once you see the pattern, completing the heart is a breeze.

The puzzle consists of twenty-two equilateral triangles. You can use our printable or, for an extra challenge, older kids can use a protractor to draw their own template.

Heart Geometry Puzzle How-To

Solve the geometry puzzle by arranging the pieces into a heart shape! (see the end of this post for a graph of the solution if you need help.

Geometry puzzle solution: 

The post Heart Geometry Puzzle to Make Your Kids Love Math! appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

The Sim pencil game was invented in 1969 by Gustavus Simmons, a cryptographer, who described it in the Journal of Recreational Mathematics.

It is a pencil and paper game, so it's totally free and you can play anywhere with anyone of any skill level. Plus, it's a great thinking game with a mathematics and geometry twist! Sounds perfect, right?

How to Play the Sim Pencil Game

What you need:

• Paper
• 2 differently colored pens or pencils
• 2 enthusiastic players
• Your wits

Objective:

Force your opponent to complete a triangle in his or her color.

How to play:

Play 6 dots on the paper in an hexagonal arrangement as you see in the photo. The dots are the vertices.

Decide who goes first.

The first player (blue) draws a straight line between any two vertices.

The second player (orange) draws a straight line between any two vertices.

Turns alternate in this fashion until one player has completed a triangle in which all three sides are his or her color and thus, loses the game.

In the image grid below you can see the progression. In the final grid you can see the small orange triangle in the upper right, but orange has not lost. The losing triangle must use 3 of the original dots as vertices.

Notes:

As an alternative to a blank piece of paper, you can pre-draw the possible lines in pencil (see image below, and video demonstration above). Players then trace over lines in their respective color. This is a good alternative for younger kids. Just remember that lines must alway begin and end on the vertices.

About the Sim Pencil Game

If you want some light reading you can read about the mathematics behind a winning strategy for the second player here. It is very difficult to memorize and master the winning strategy, however, so game play is essentially evenly matched between players.

If you are familiar with mathematic theories, you will know that the Ramsey theory applies to Sim game play. I, however, am not equipped to explain Ramsey theory to you. I will leave that to the professionals. Read about Ramsey theory here.

More brain teasers and games!

Brain teasers for family gatherings

Pentalpha, a star-shaped brain teaser puzzle

T-puzzle, a puzzle and brain teaser in one!

The post Sim Pencil Game: A Mathematical Brain Teaser for 2 Players! appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

Making a shape book is a lovely hands-on, artsy way to learn about shapes, alongside our other recommended shape activities.

If you saw yesterday's post about the Kaleidograph Design Toy this cut out shape book follows a similar concept. Each page opens up to reveal a new shape in descending size. As with all of Babble Dabble Do's projects, the design of the book is exceeding pleasing to the eye.

How to Make the Shapes Book

The first thing you need to do is head over and download the template ---> My Shape Book Template (at Babble Dabble Do). You will also find all the instructions for assembly on Ana's post but we put our own spin on the book by printing the pages on watercolor paper.

My 5-year-old and I decided to color our book with watercolors, but Ana has some other variations, too.

At first my son was quite adamant that I NOT cut out the shapes! I had to explain to him that the entire design and function of the book was based on the cut outs so he relented, but insisted that I cut them out veeeerrrry carefully.

I think his favorite part of the whole project was stacking the shapes in order. He had recently played with the Kaleidograph, so the concept of shape layering and relative size was fresh in his mind.

He liked naming the shapes as he turned the pages. Geometry lesson? Check!

He did, however inform me that I had forgotten to include a diamond and a "rumpus." (That would be a "rhombus" to the rest of us.)

The watercolor paper was too thick to staple, so I used a hole punch and a piece of yarn to bind the shape book pages together.

Take a peek at what Ana created:

Children's Books about Shapes

Read these books to teach your children more about the wonderful role shapes play in our world. I also have a list of math art books for more creative goodness. (Titles are affiliate links that earn commission from qualifying purchases.)

Museum Shapes. Recently my son's kindergarten class went on a field trip to the MOMA, and my older son's 3rd grade class has visited both the Met and the Guggenheim. (I know! How cool is that?) I love that we are able to visit some amazing art in person and no doubt you have a wonderful museum or gallery near you. One of the best ways for young kids to learn about art is to look for familiar shapes in the pictures.

Round is a Mooncake: A Book of Shapes. Told in a gentle rhyme, a young girl looks around her home and neighborhood and discovers the shapes in objects. Many of the objects are culturally Chinese, like dim sum and inking stones. There is a glossary at the back so kids can learn about any unfamiliar items. I'm a big fan of Grace Lin's illustrations, which bring this book to life.

Mouse Shapes. Three mice hide and escape from a cat by building with colorful shapes in this classic book. This is a nice introduction to shapes for younger kids.

Color Zoo Board Book. Lois Ehlert's signature bold, graphic style is on display with this clever board book. The die-cut concept is similar to what Ana has created with her shape book for our project. As each page is turned a new layer reveals a different animal. On the reverse of each page, the shape is labelled so young kids can compare which shapes are used to make each creature.

When a Line Bends . . . A Shape Begins. Rhyming text takes kids on a journey demonstrating how a single line can transform into all kinds of shapes and objects. Got a ball of string? Cut off a piece and let your kids explore the concept on their own.

Find five more books to read at Babble Dabble Do.

Thanks again to Ana at Babble Dabble Do for designing this project. We hope you are enjoying our Book Art series as we look forward to bringing you another awesome project and book list soon.

The post My Shapes Book Math Art Project (Child-Made) appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

I'm not sure what's in the math cards for my younger son. Maybe he'll need extra help in math, maybe he'll love it. Only time will tell (as the saying goes).

Many parents look for ways to supplement their kids' math learning after school, whether that's extra help or extra stimulation. For kids who "hate math," traditional worksheets are a tedious bore. Try a more playful, creative approach to encourage your kids to see the mathematical possibilities in other areas of life. Here are some suggestions: (Note: affiliate links are included below.)

Create Math Art

Yup, you read that right. Math and art intersect in lots of ways. In fact, I use math art projects as a way to get my more practically inclined son to engage his creative side. For kids more naturally inclined towards artistic projects rather than math, these are a great way to get those left brains fired up.

• Make tessellations. Kiddo has done this a few times. I always join him, because truthfully, I find it quite relaxing!
• Draw with math and geometry tools like a compass, triangle and circle protractors and rulers.
• Make a mobius strip. Cut it and see what happens. It's not what you think.
• Play around with homemade Montessori triangles. The triangles can be formed into lovely shapes and patterns, all the while teaching a bit of how geometry works.
• Play with shapes by making your own tangrams. Kiddo adores playing with the magnetic X-Ball we got at a local math museum.
• My 3rd grader still loves dot to dots, especially Extreme Dot to Dot puzzle books. They are also handy to tote along to restaurants or waiting rooms. My kindergartener gets down on the floor with a DIY giant dot to dot.
• Explore the Golden Ratio in art. (via Craftwhack)

Play a Math Game

• Kiddo loves Sudoku and KenKen. Not only do these kind of number puzzles work logic and math skills but completing a puzzle gives a real sense of satisfaction.  He started out with Kindergarten Sudoku and loves his colorku wooden puzzle.
• Play a family game that uses math. Getting the whole family involved makes it more fun and adds an extra layer of support. Take a look at 5 of our favorite math games.
• Play a card game with your child like Tens Go Fish, Make Ten or Reduce It, a card game that teaches fractions.
• Put together a simple DIY number matching game perfect for Kindergarteners.
• Put together a DIY math puzzle game to show different ways of writing the same problem. (via Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational).

Measure in the Kitchen

Every cook knows that cooking requires fractions, addition, and sometimes a bit of geometry. The bonus of math practice in the kitchen is that it always results in something delicious.

• Measure and fold hand pies for a practical application of geometry.
• When using a timer, practice subtraction. For example, "We set the timer for 30 minutes. 20 minutes are left, how many minutes have the potatoes been in the oven?"
• Make an array of cookies on a baking sheet.
• Twist pretzels into numbers.
• Find a kid friendly cookbook for recipes for further inspiration. (via KCEdventures)

Read a Math Book

You didn't think I'd let you go without a few books to pick up on your next trip to the library did you?

• Math chapter books are great for both independent readers and as read alouds.
• Find some math picture book inspiration on my Pinterest board.
• Read about Fibonacci and head out to the park to find math in nature.

What about you? How does your child feel about math? Do he like it? Hate it? How do you support math after school? Share your ideas in the comments.

The post 25 Playful Math Activities for After School appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

This 3D shape sorting activity is based on a similar Montessori shape sorting activity using Geometric Solids which matches 3D solids to the corresponding 2D shape.

Note: this post contains Amazon affiliate links that may earn commission.

Materials Needed

Blocks in various shapes. You'll want cubes, prisms, cones, rectangular solids, cylinders, etc. I love these plain geometric blocks.

Large piece of white paper. You know I love our roll of butcher paper and use it for all kinds of activities at home!

Marker or crayon.

Set-up

Place the paper on a table or floor. Using your marker, divide it into four sections. In each section draw the following 2-dimensional shape (one in each section): square, rectangle, circle, triangle.

MORE: Best Sorting Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers

In the image below, you can see a green shape in the corner of each section.

Instructions

Show your child how the base of a solid matches up to the 2D shape in each section of the paper.

Show them how to sort the 3D shapes to the corresponding 2D shapes.

It's as simple as that! If you like, follow up with questions like, "How did you decide where the pyramid went?" Or, "Was there any shape you had trouble with?" "Why did you decide the cone went next to the circle instead of the triangle?"

The best part of this activity is that is usually ends up in a lot of free block play at the finish!

MORE: Easy diy puzzle ideas for kids for toddlers to tweens

Idea first published 5/1/09, updated 2022,

The post 3D and 2D Shape Sorting Activity for Kids appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.

True, kid-made compass mandalas may not have the same precision as those created with the help of a computer or an experienced grown-up, but that shouldn't stop anyone from exploring the beauty of this compass geometry art project!

As you shall see, our compass art mandala activity was designed as a process art project. In other words, we were more interested in the exploratory process than the end result. That means this mandala project the way we did it is better for preschool and younger elementary kids than older kids exploring precise mathematical concepts. However, the video at the end of the post is an excellent resource should that be your goal!

Compass Art Mandala Instructions

Materials:

• Compass
• Pencil
• Art supplies like markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.
• Paper. We upcycled some cardboard.

Instructions:

Place the compass point in the middle of the cardboard.

The reason we used cardboard rather than construction paper was because its depth held the compass point steady, helping little hands make a complete and perfect circle.

Draw as large a circle as the compass will allow.

Once the initial circle has been made, without adjusting the compass, place the compass tip at a point on the circumference and draw an arc from once side to the other. Repeat as many times as you want

Since this is a compass art project for kids, precision was not the goal. Exploration was the goal and instead of perfect arcs, my son just wanted to make more circles, intersecting them however he wished.

That was A-OK by me.

After drawing with the compass, the final step is making your mandala, or "psuedo-mandala," as the case may be, colorful.

Use your art supplies and fill in the arcs, swishes, quadrants, semi-circles, whatever geometric shapes appear! Use whatever colors you wish. This is a process art project!

The post Compass Art Mandalas: Round and Round We Go appeared first on What Do We Do All Day.