3 Hands-On Ways to Practice Math Skills

This post is written by Danielle of Blessedly Busy.

There’s no way around it, kids need to practice math skills. Some more than others. If the thought of yet another math lesson is sending your child into tears, all you need is a worksheet and a little imagination. You provide the worksheet, these three quick hands-on review games will provide the rest.

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Create a Matching Activity

Write the answers to the questions of a worksheet on another piece of paper. Encourage your child to match the answers with the correct problems from the worksheet.

If he gets 25 as an answer and there is no 25 listed on the answer page, he knows that he needs to work the problem once again. Not only will you be adding a little interest to a familiar activity, but you'll also be giving your child a way to check his answers, making the activity more independent.

With a few more supplies, there are several more easy ways to create variety.

Instead of a plain sheet of paper, write the answers on a page of blank dot stickers. Allow your child to match the correct answers with the corresponding math problem.

Or, cut up a completed worksheet to be used for a second round of review. Be sure to separate the answers from the problems. Give the problems to your child, but hide the answers in a jar of beads. Encourage him to find each answer in the jar and match it with the correct problem.

Does your child really need to get some wiggles out? Create an obstacle course in your backyard  (or if you're brave, in the living room.)  Put the math questions on one side of the yard and the answers on the other. Allow your child to race back and forth to try and find the problems and their matching answers.

Create a Sorting Activity

Write out all of the answers to the worksheet on slips of paper. Group similar answers together into 2 to 4 piles. Make applicable titles for each group and write these out onto scrap paper or make a chart on lined paper. 

When your child is ready to play the review game, mix up all of the answer slips and encourage him to resort them into their appropriate columns. 

Make a Maze

Print out a blank maze. (Find them for free at krazydad.com/puzzles.) Using game pieces from a board game that you currently own, set out "obstacles" in the maze. Determine how many math questions your child has to answer correctly in order to conquer each obstacle.

For instance, should your chosen "obstacles" be foot soldiers, riders, and trolls, the rules of engagement could be the following:

Foot soldier: correctly answer 2 problems
Rider: correctly answer 4 problems
Troll: correctly answer 6 problems

Then, invite your child to play. Hand him a game piece and encourage him to set it at "start." Allow him to proceed through the maze. When he comes upon an "obstacle," insist that he answer the appropriate amount of math problems before he can move on in the course.

The game ends when he makes it successfully to the "finish" with his game piece. 

There's no need to end math time with tears. Up-cycle a worksheet with one of these hands-on review activities.

(Need more math ideas? Head to Blessedly Busy.)

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Danielle is a homeschooling mamma of 5. She is committed to making life with young children easier and sharing her passion for math. If you would like to learn more about teaching math to multiple age groups visit Blessedly Busy or follow her on: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter