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If you’re looking for some FUN Math Activities that will have your kids excited to learn, you’ve come to the right place! Read on to find 15 engaging, hands-on games, projects, and activities that will get your kids excited about math!
Fun Math Activities…?
Do you find that you math lessons can get a bit… dry? That math isn’t as exciting as, say, science experiments or art projects?
I get it. We’ve been through a few math curriculums in our years of homeschooling, and I had the opportunity to use with two of the most popular manipulatives-based programs while I was teaching public school.
Math programs do what they can to make math fun – using bright manipulatives, fun little characters, and games. And to be honest, that’s all my mathy-brainded oldest child needed.
But when it came time to teach my younger kids, it took a bit more effort. I found that in order to engage them, I really needed to jazz things up in the math department. When I did, it made a world of difference.
If you find that your kids aren’t looking forward to math time – or maybe that YOU are not looking forward to it, it’s time to inject a little more fun into your lessons.
Adding hands-on projects, games, and a little creativity to your plans might be just the thing to get your kids to sit up and pay attention. And maybe even start to love math.
Fun Math Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten
Before we start, I want to share my #1 recommendation for getting little kids interested in math: math-themed picture books. This is an EASY way to get kids around ages 3-7 to start thinking about early math concepts like numbers and counting. Find fantastic recommendations here >>> 110 Math Picture Books with links to YouTube Read AloudsElementary Grades
1. Domino Line Up from Busy Toddler
This is such a cute idea for a counting game with dominoes. Extend this activity by putting numbers in order, ordering non-consecutive numbers, and skip counting.
Working on number correspondence with dominoes? Pick up our set of Count and Write Dominoes 1-20 pack to correspond with your lesson plans.
2. Fishing Math Game from Buggy and Buddy
A fun game to practice number recognition and ordering numbers while working on fine motor skills. Buggy and Buddy give really simple instructions for creating this game at home, or you can find a cute wooden fishing game by Melissa and Doug on Amazon.
3. Geometric Shapes Math Activity from Little Bins For Little Hands
Little Bins shares a few hands-on geometry activities that will have your kids naming and identifying shapes in their lessons and in the world.
4. Hands On Addition from Busy Toddler
I love this little pom pom and egg carton activity from Busy Toddler. A great example of how adding a simple set of manipulatives can make fact practice more fun.
But you don’t have to stop at pom poms! Use any of your kids’ favorite toys or game pieces as manipulatives. It’s an easy way to take those worksheet drills to the next level!
Our favorite manipulatives are dinosaurs!
5. Even and Odd Number Hop from Parenting Chaos
Parenting Chaos shares a fun way to take learning outdoors! A sidewalk chalk hop is a creative and active way to practice even and odd numbers.
Rainy day? Turn this hop into an indoor activity by writing numbers on index cards and placing them on the floor. Hop, stomp, and jump around to find fact practice answers, put numbers in order, or make an even and odd path!
Fun Elementary Math Activities
Mastering the basics can be an uphill battle for a lot of kids. There’s a bit of exploration and a lot of memorization involved to be fluent in the four basic operations. Below you’ll find ideas on how to expand on your daily lessons and have more fun with math!
6. Math Facts Activity with Paper Cups from Fun Learning for Kids
I love this math facts activity with from Fun Learning for Kids. What a fun way to practice math facts. This example is addition, but you can create your own game with subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals or fractions, too!
7. Teaching Coin Recognition and Coin Value from Mosswood Connections
Mosswood shares a game that is easy to put together that will give your kids hands-on practice with real coins. Using games is a great way to learn all about money. For more money games see this post >>> 10 FUN Money Games for Kids!
8. Lego Math Challenge from Little Bins For Little Hands
Little Bins shares a challenge that brings math word problems and our favorite building toy together! LEGOs are fantastic to use as math manipulatives. You can cover everything from addition to symmetry, geometry to fractions with pieces that you’ve collected over the years. Find more creative teaching ideas for your LEGOs here >>> 10 Great STEM Activities with LEGOs!
9. Watermelon Seed Spitting Measurement Game from Schooling A Monkey
A hilariously fun math game that will have your kids laughing and learning all the way through. Schooling a Monkey shows us how to practice estimating, calculating, and measuring outside in the sunshine.
10. Ping Pong Ball Math Toss Game from Buggy and Buddy
A fun idea from Buggy and Buddy. Pick up a free printable for this comparing numbers game. I love the idea of ping pong toss for choosing numbers. Expand on this game by using a toss game (ping pong, bean bags, balls) to select numbers to add, subtract, multiply, or divide.
11. True Aim Math Game from Mosswood Connections
Don’t skip your math lesson to play outside. Mosswood has great ideas for how to use sidewalk chalk and a stone to make your math time more fun.
12. Homemade Pick Up Sticks Math Game from Teach Beside Me
Who doesn’t love a throwback? Remember that old game of pick-up sticks? TBM has turned it into a multiplication game that is fun practice for two.
13. Dice Probability from Schooling A Monkey
Schooling a Monkey shows us a cool homemade dice game that will help you calculate probability and create a table.
14. Fraction Math Trees from Teach Beside Me
Creating a fractions tree is SUCH a creative way to introduce fractions. This is a wonderful way to combine art and math and get your visual learners and budding artists interested in a math activity!
15. Switchgrip Math Game from Steam Powered Family
Oral drills are a good way to encourage mental math and Steam Powered Family shows us how kids can answer questions in a new way. SPF shows us how to create a cool math game using a switchgrip. Don’t have one of those? Use a water gun, slingshot, nerf gun, or bean bag toss to aim for your answer.
Where to go next?
- 110 Math Literature Books for Early Elementary Grades
- 10 FUN Money Games for Kids!
- Teaching Money: 5 Fun & Free Ways to Get Started!
- Money Management for Teens & Tweens: Practical Life Skills
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.