This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for details.
Allow me to introduce you to our Math Activities Basket. It’s becoming our favorite part of the day. Yes, that’s right. It’s even more fun than handwriting. I know. Hard to believe. Read on to find out how we use our math basket in our hands-on approach to living math.
For a full list of your secular homeschool curriculum options, see our Secular Homeschool Curriculum Guide.
Kindergarten Math Activities
Resources for creating an individualized math program for early elementary.
it’s math. in a basket.
We were planning on easing into math for kindergarten. Slowly introduce kinder concepts, play some games, and use the activities from What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know – just some hands on, fun stuff.
The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
My mouse had a different idea…
My plans were not enough. My son is interested in EVERYTHING MATH. From large numbers and counting to time and money.
He told me once that when he’s not talking he’s thinking about numbers. Yikes! My personal nightmare!
It’s hard to let go of what I want: an easy-to-follow, evenly paced math curriculum that comes in a box with a set of cute, bright manipulatives and a colorful workbook with one page per day. However, How-He-Learns trumps What-I-Want every. single. time.
Related Post>>> Child Led Learning is Learning to TRUST
I went back to look at my homeschool goals and thought about how to address his needs.
Then I made a list (okay many lists) of what I have already and what is available through the library and online that will suit our needs. Turned out I had just about everything covered.
I just needed a better way to organize it.
What’s in our basket Each Week?
√ Textbook
√ Manipulatives
√ Weekly Math Literature Selection
√ Game or Puzzle
√ Workbook
√ Dry Erase Worksheet
√ YouTube Video
I’m looking for variety, not confusion. Therefore, although I use a lot of different materials, most of them have companions – I’ll match the text lessons with the manipulatives, the YouTube video will go along with the read-aloud, the puzzle pieces can be used as counters for workbook practice, etc. These are not seven stand-alone components.
Find 15 ideas for independent math practice in our K-2 Enrichment Pack!
What’s NOT in our basket?
X Weekly themes based around one topic
To address his need for variety and make sure we are still hitting everything, I am including multiple topics each week to review, practice, and introduce new concepts.
In the first example basket below, you’ll see that we are introducing money this week. Rather than pull worksheets, games, text pages, and literature all about money, I’ve included pattern review, and practice with adding and zero.
Multiple topics each week provides ongoing practice to master concepts. Plus, he won’t complain that he’s bored… well not too often.
X Too much material / Too many choices
When I first gathered our materials I didn’t have this nifty basket to contain them all. Instead I had a Big Pile of Math Stuff.
Yes, we would eventually get through this Big Pile of Math Stuff, however it was too confusing to have so much material and too many choices.
Choosing from three workbooks, six library books, lots of games, puzzles, and other STUFF was a challenge. I felt like we weren’t getting anywhere.
I still have our Big Pile, but it’s contained behind my desk. I’m more selective about what goes in the basket each week. With less materials I can see the progress. We are digging deep into these math concepts, and he is mastering the material.
RelateD Post>>> Less is More: How to Inspire Creative Play
X Extensive writing
Fine motor and handwriting is a challenge. We practice handwriting separately in a fun way. I don’t want him to feel that math time is tedious and repetitive. And, really, he doesn’t need to write an answer to prove that he knows it.
Drawing boxes and coloring in ten-frames would be frustrating for him. Therefore, the majority of our math work is done orally or with manipulatives.
X Lesson Plans
One of our kindergarten goals is to keep up with grade level standards, but I don’t feel that the primary grades require drawn-out lesson plans in a specific order.
Reading together, learning through puzzles and games, and using manipulatives is naturally engaging. We are covering all the basics and more by following his interests.
Math Activities in our Basket
When it’s Math Time, my oldest opens the box on the floor and we play with what’s inside. This is literally the lesson plan.
He chooses what to do, how much, and in what order. Because the materials are engaging, he gets through everything at least a few times a week.
Manipulatives
One type of manipulatives each week such as a
- piggy bank full of coins
- real working clocks
- measuring tape and rulers
- dominoes
- small dinosaur counters
- legos or duplos
- blocks
- cars…
Simplifying manipulatives has been key. I only put in one type of toy counters each week. Otherwise it just turns into a box of toys. We’ve got plenty of those already!
♦ Weekly Math Literature Selection
Did you know your library has a math section? I keep a pile of math books from the library behind my desk. I choose one math literature selection per week that we read as many (or as few) times as he chooses. He loves read-alouds, so this is where we usually start.
Related Post>>> 110 Math Literature Books for Elementary
♦ Game or Puzzle
He is so excited to learn new games and practice puzzles with math. When I started looking around the house, I found that we had a lot of games and puzzles that practice multiple math concepts:
- Uno
- playing cards
- Yahtzee
- Monopoly
- checkers
- backgammon
- tic-tac-toe
- tanagrams
- sets of pattern blocks and creatures
- pentominoes
I love incorporating games into learning. Not only are they a fun and interactive way to practice math, but we’re also practicing taking turns and following directions.
♦ Fun Math Workbooks
We have a few to pick from: Disney Addition and Subtraction, Discovery workbooks from the $1 Spot at Target, and we use the Kindergarten and 1st Grade Brainquest workbooks from time to time.
I’m going to add flashcards to this category, though they could be a game, too. I usually replace a workbook with flashcards about once a month.
Related post>>> Fun & Flexible Math Workbooks in the Mail!
♦ Math Worksheet on in a Dry Erase Sleeve
Just having an option makes it a little more fun.
I have some number practice sheets from TeachersPayTeachers or sometimes I draw up a few problems.
♦ YouTube Video
He will either watch a math read-aloud or song. These have been great for wrapping up Math. It gives me time to put one thing away and get out the next, and gives him a breather in between. I may include instructional videos down the road.
♦ Textbook: Strayer-Upton Practical Arithmetics
The last addition to our math basket, our textbook, was a suggestion from my virtual homeschool BFFs when I asked for some kind of affordable curriculum that will support oral math practice. It’s a tiny textbook covering two years that we are taking page-by-page.
Originally published in 1934, this book introduces the facts in a very simple, straightforward way. There are many practice questions for each concept with supporting story problems, fact practice, and old timey pictures. I love me some old timey pictures.
Related Post>>> find the BEST Prices on Homeschool Math Curriculum
Weekly Basket Examples
Topics & Materials
Review: Patterns, 2 and 3 Number Practice
Sting Ray and Squid Pattern Blocks, 2 and 3 worksheets for dry erase
Practice: Addition Facts, Adding with Zero
Disney Workbook, Zero the Hero book, A Place for Zero video
New Concept: Coin Names and Values
Textbook pages, Piggy Bank with Coins
Topics & Materials
Review: Subtratction Worksheets
Target $1 Subtraction Workbook, Problems on Dry Erase
Practice: Time to the Hour, Tanagrams
Clocks, A Second is a Hiccup book, What Time is it Mr. Crocodile video, Tangoes game
New Concept: Adding Three Numbers
Textbook, Problems on Dry Erase
What is your kid’s favorite math activity? Tell me in the comments below, and I’ll add it to the basket!
More math from the Resource Room:
- Teaching Money: 5 FREE Ways Get Started!
- Create a Homeschool Workbook! Plus FREE Subtraction Printable
- Easy Kindergarten Money Lesson Plans
- 110 Math Literature Books for Early Elementary Grades
- Save BIG on Homeschool Curriculum for Math
- Fun & Flexible Math Program in the Mail!
More homeschool curriculum on the Resource Room:
- Build Your Library Kindergarten Updated Review and Reflection
- Tips for Choosing an Eclectic Kindergarten Curriculum for Your Homeschool
- First Grade Homeschool Curriculum Choices!
- Don’t Buy Science Curriculum Without Answering These 3 Questions!
And don’t miss our homeschool curriculum and supplement reviews!
Ashley helps parents who want to homeschool find the resources they need to successfully teach their children. Ashley is a former teacher, current homeschooler, published author, and designer behind Circle Time with Miss Fox printables as well as the creator of this website, The Homeschool Resource Room.
Hi!
Thanks for your post. I love this Math basket- I think we may implement one soon!
I have researched some information on the textbook that you are using, and it seems that it is for grade 3-4. Is it working ok with your kindergartener? Mine is 5.5yr old and a total math brain, but I want to make things fun and hands-on for him, while covering the basics too.
Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks!
Julie-ann
Lol, yes! A total math brain! The concepts start out easily enough. I was teaching a lot of what is in the beginning of the book in 1st/2nd public school. We were doing about 1-2pgs per week until we got to around page 40, which starts larger number addition and subtraction. We weren’t going as fast, and he wanted something he could do everyday. I ended up moving to Math in Focus 1st grade. I like it a lot, and he likes that we can do more each day. Strayer-Upton is still in the basket, and I can see us going back to it again over the next couple years. Hope that helps!