Family Math Activities for Kindergarten and First Grade

The following activities are to give you ideas of ways you can get things done during the day, yet still incorporate math and spending
time with your children into that time. Have fun!
hape Find
Look for as many shapes as you can in the
world around you.
examples: circles, squares, rectangles,
triangles, ovals
How Much !ill it "ost#
While shopping, read the prices of items.
Compare two prices. Which is more, which is
less.
$n the Kitchen
Every time you follow a recipe you are doing
math. aving students help is not only a life
skill, !ut also a math one.
"follow a recipe
"shop for the materials prior to cooking
"omparing !eight
Choose an o!#ect $like a % l!. !ag of sugar&.
'ind something you !elieve weights less, more,
or the same. Check using a scale.
%se the cloc&
"ow long does it take to ((((. )ime it.
"*redict how many times you can do something
in one minute. +o it and compare to your
prediction.
'rive and "ount
Choose an o!#ect to find, for example, a
!icycle. ,s you are driving count the num!er of
!icycles you see on your route.
(um)er Find
Choose a num!er. ave your child look for this
num!er on signs, license plates, mail !oxes,
street signs, etc. When the num!er is found,
point and say the num!er. Continue until you
reach your destination, or give it a time limit. -t
is fine if the num!er is a digit in a larger
num!er. 'or example: find the num!er .
. %/. ).01EE .
nd
2treet
Money
)ake a small handful of coins $num!er and type
!ased on your child3s age 4 kindergarten, start
with less than 56 pennies&
" name the coins
"Count the total value.
"flip coins $pro!a!ility& and count heads and
tails
"read the dates
$n the Tu)
)ake at least five different $safe, not glass&
empty containers into the tu!, or at the sink.
"*redict which will hold the most or the least.
7rder them. 8se water to pour from one
container to the next. What is the actual order
of volume9
"*redict how many of one container will fit into
another. *our and count to find the actual
amounts.
*ost a family calendar
"What day is it today9
"What day was it yesterday9
"What day will it !e tomorrow9
"0ecord special events or appointments.
"ow many days until the event9
"What day is the event9
*lay (on+electronic games and activities
:ote: this list is #ust to get you started 4 any
game that counts, compares, uses logic,
measures, etc.
"Candyland "Cootie
"+on3t 2pill the ;eans "<aht=ee
"8no ">emory
"2orry ")rou!le
"Connect 1 " 0acko
"Loads of card or dice games
nac& Math
"Count the o!#ects.
">ake up stories involving the food or snacks
!eing eaten to show addition or su!traction.
)ell how many in all or how many are left.
"compare lengths 4 which is longer9 Which is
shorter9
(ow. . . Thin& of other ways you can use math in your everyday activities. ,emem)er, math includes not only adding, su)tracting,
multiplying, and dividing )ut also measurement -temperature, length, weight, volume, time., area and perimeter, num)ers, place value,
collecting and evaluating data, comparing, ordering, sorting -thin& laundry and silverware!., fractions, pro)a)ility, geometry and so many
more daily things!
/* !alla&er 0122