Fun Math Activities for After School

Combine Math and Art

Math and art intersect in lots of ways. I use math art projects as a way to get my more practically inclined son to engage his creative side. For kids more naturally inclined towards artistic projects rather than math, these are a great way to get those left brains fired up.

Tessellations

Patterning is mathematical! Teach your kids about a fun patterning technique by first showing them the basics of how to create an abstract tessellation pattern. Then, create themed tessellations. As a bonus, making tessellations can be extremely relaxing–great after a stressful school day. We have instructions for the following:

• Cat tessellations
• Heart tessellations (three ways!)
• Star tessellations (two ways!)
• Ghost and bat tessellations for Halloween

Math Tool Art

Draw with math and geometry tools like a compass, triangle and circle protractors and rulers. See how we created compass art mandelas

Use a protractor to create parabolic curves.

Möbius Strip

Math has a built in WOW! factor, which kids can demonstrate by cutting Möbius strips

• Make a Möbius strip. Cut it and see what happens. It's not what you think. After your kids have mastered the basics, cut a Möbius strip into two hearts!

Manipulate Shapes and Patterns

Make artistic designs with shapes. Start with simple triangles, move on to circles and advance to spirolaterals!

• Play around with homemade Montessori triangles. The triangles can be formed into lovely shapes and patterns, all the while teaching a bit of how geometry works.
• Explore Fibonnaci patterns with circles
• Use graph paper to draw spirolaterals and practice multiplication tables.

Explore Dot to Dots

My kids loves dot to dots, especially Extreme Dot to Dot puzzle books. They are also handy to tote along to restaurants or waiting rooms. My kindergartener gets down on the floor with a DIY giant dot to dot. Toddlers can join in the after school fun with their older siblings by completing this fun DIY toddler-friendly dot to dot puzzle!

MORE: Math Art Projects for Kids

Play a Math Game

There are loads of fun games that help kids practice their math and number skills. The following are some of our favorites:

Play Shut the Box. We have a printable version of this classic game so you don't have to run out and purchase the original wooden game.

Lu-Lu Dice Game - this is a traditional game from Hawai'i that teaches kids to recognize quantities

KenKen - this is a spin on Sudoku which requires minor calculations. Completing a puzzle gives a real sense of satisfaction.

Another spin on Sudoku is this colorku wooden puzzle. Both my kids played this for hours. It may not use numbers, but kids are learning logic, patterning, and one to one correspondence.

Card games like Tens Go Fish, Make Ten and Turn Over Ten use a standard deck of cards. (Tip: click on the name of the game to get our easy to follow instructions and start playing right now!)

Kindergarteners will enjoy the sorting element of our DIY number matching game.

Keep these 10 handy materials at home so kids can invent their own math games.

Kitchen Math

Every cook knows that cooking requires fractions, addition, and sometimes a bit of geometry. The bonus of math practice in the kitchen is that it always results in something delicious.

Here are some ideas that we tried:

• Measure and fold hand pies for a practical application of geometry.
• Twist pretzels into numbers.
• When using a timer, practice subtraction. For example, "We set the timer for 30 minutes. 20 minutes are left, how many minutes have the potatoes been in the oven?"
• Make an array of cookies on a baking sheet.
• Cook anything with this excellent children-centered cookbook from America's Test Kitchen.

Read a Math Book

You didn't think I'd let you go without a few books to pick up on your next trip to the library did you?

Use the following lists to find the perfect math-themed book for your child:

• Math chapter books are great for both independent readers and as read alouds
• Math picture books for K-2nd grade
• Advanced concept math picture books, 3rd grade and up
• Fibonnaci picture books - teach kids about patterns in nature