Hands on Math Activities

a blog post about math activities

Math centers can be pretty daunting, but if you have the right activities (and of course some good old classroom management) they really can be great! I’m all about EASE. I have no time for complicated centers that need to be changed every day 0r even every week! Here are a few simple activities that you can use in your centers.

One of our favorite activities is the 120 chart puzzle. These little puzzle will last me all year and the kids still beg to do them! SUPER simple, does require a little prep, but once it’s done, it’s DONE forever! Just print out a 120 chart, laminate it, cut into pieces, and throw it in a bag (you may want to number the pieces to keep them organized)! This could be a student activity too, to create their own 100 or 120 chart puzzles to keep in a center for everyone. I created some 100 & 120 chart puzzles too, pre-leveled. Find those here.

Task cards/roam the rooms/scoots, whatever you call them, they. are. genius. I usually have two centers with task cards in them. We adore them, they help us extend and practice our learning, and they take a while to do too hehehe. These math task cards are our current fave!

I always always always keep math facts in one of my tubs. As much as we practice, math facts never seem to stick in these little firsties minds. We are currently working on our missing addends. The best part of this center, I just throw some facts into the a sheet protector and it’s ready to roll. We also LOVE these sand timers that keep us focused and feeling inspired to get our facts done ASAP (affiliate link).

We are also working on counting coins (specifically pennies and dimes since we are working on place value 1’s and 10’s). I love reusing items for different purposes and even though it’s NOT time for Easter eggs anymore, we don’t care! It’s fun to break something open anyway! Just stick some coins inside the eggs and BAM, an instant center. Super easy prep and the kids love it.

If you would like the counting coins record sheet, you can grab it HERE or click on the picture below!

If you enjoyed these activities, make sure to check out all the great link-ups with Mrs. Willis’ Kindergarten for her Hands on Math activities.

These are also tons of hands-on ideas on my Pinterest board.