I have 15 hands on nature math ideas for your younger kids. Also, you may love Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity.
If you have a child who would rather be out filling their pockets with rocks than sitting still at the kitchen table learning to count, I have some fun hands-on nature math ideas for you.
But they are also great for kids who get bored on nature walks and need a little more structure.
Too, these ideas work if you feel like you haven’t accomplished any school this week, but you want to sit outside and enjoy the weather.
There are so many wonderful ways we can incorporate hands-on nature into many subjects, but have you ever considered math?
You can very easily enjoy nature study while learning math with your children.
Yep, there are lots of things you can do to work on math skills while in your own backyard, at the beach, walking around the neighborhood, in a field, at the park, or while hiking.
So, the next time you head out on a nature walk take a few of these ideas below along with you so that you are getting double the benefit out of your time.
Nature Items for Math Manipulatives
I not only have ideas for manipulatives but ideas for math tools to take with you on nature walks as well as some specific activity ideas to get you started.
You can use these items out in the field or bring them home for rainy days or just days that are too hot to get outside.
10 Nature Items to Use for Math Manipulatives
- Leaves
- Rocks
- Shells
- Acorns
- Seed pods
- Nuts
- Fruits
- Sticks
- Pinecones
- Feathers
Those items are great teaching for basic counting but there are a whole lot more ways to use nature items for math.
Real-world learning at its best.
Books to Include In Your Nature Study
Also, add some of these books to your day if you want to include a complete nature unit study.
6 Nature Study Books and Resources
Add one of these resources or books to your study about nature. They all give you a starting point or use one or two of them as a nature spine.
See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world. Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.
The Handbook of Nature Study is a classic Charlotte Mason text. A big book full of information on pretty much every area of nature study from tools to birds, weather, and rocks.
This beautifully packaged facsimile of Edith Holden’s original diary is filled with a naturalist’s masterful paintings and delightful observations chronicling the English countryside throughout 1906. As one of the few true records of the time in print, the handwritten thoughts and paintings contained in The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady transport readers to a more refined, romantic, and simpler time.
Filled with both recognisable, and tropical flora, Botanicum is the ultimate companion guide to the variety of plants, and how they have evolved and grow.
Discover the interconnectedness of the natural world and learn why living things look and behave the way they do in a series of visually compelling information charts, maps, and cutaways, all illustrated in a nostalgic, vintage style. Packed with incredible facts about the natural world and the animals that populate it, the whole family will enjoy the full-page spreads grouped into the categories of habitats, species, and adaptations.
The Thinking Tree presents: A Creative Book of Observation, Drawing, Coloring, Writing & Discovery Through Nature, ideal for all ages (even adults!)
Creativity and discovery at its best, this journal is a bestseller among The Thinking Tree publications! Your nature-loving student will treasure this journal designed to ignite their wonder of the outdoors. With more than 180 lessons and beautiful illustrations, the Nature Study Journal invites the student to read, write, draw, color, explore and appreciate the outdoors while covering a variety of subjects such as science, poetry, observation instructions, and more.
Additionally, look at these other fun ways to add hands on nature math to your day.
More Hands on Nature Math
- Nature Hunt Data & Graph Activity
- Hands-On Nature Study: Bird Color Bar Graphing Activity.
- Finding Symmetry in Nature (Outdoor Math Activity for Kids)
- Backyard Measurement Scavenger Hunt
- Nature’s Math: Earthworm Measuring with Kids
Then, look at these ways to add nature math to your unit studies.
15 Hands-On Nature Math Ideas
1. COUNTING
A fresh method for counting that also helps build fine motor skills in little hands is to roll a die and have your child punch holes in leaves to match the number.
Take it to the next step and use it for addition, roll a second die, have them punch in that number then add them together.
2. SHAPES
Look for shapes occurring naturally in nature like squares, circles, triangles, etc.. point them out and your child will soon be finding them everywhere
3. NUMBER IDENTIFICATION
Teach your child to identify numbers by writing them on rocks, or leaves, or scratching them into the ground with a stick.
If you don’t want to leave permanent marks you can use chalk that is easily washed away. They can be used for ordering, skip counting, and addition/subtraction as well.
4. SORTING
Even the smallest toddlers can sort items by type such as leaves, rocks, and sticks.
5. STICK FRACTIONS
Cut 4 sticks of the same length. leave one as is, cut the next one in half, the next one thirds, and the last one into four equal pieces.
6. MEASURING
Take a ruler, yardstick, or measuring tape outdoors with you and teach your child how to measure the width, height, and circumference of trees, leaves, and more.
7. TALLY MARKS
Use similar-sized sticks to teach your child how to use tally marks for quick counting.
8. PATTERNS
Patterns are everywhere in nature, from leaf groupings of certain numbers to alternating colors on flowers.
9. SKIP COUNTING
You can use any type of nature manipulative for teaching skip counting but also look for patterns in nature to practice it, like this branch where the leaves are in groups of two.
10. ESTIMATING
Have your child grab a handful of pebbles, seashells, acorns, or whatever nature manipulative is handy, then have them guess how many are in their hand. Finally, count them out and see if they are close.
11. GEOMETRY
You can use sticks to create various geometric shapes for your child to identify. Or simply use a stick to draw them in the dirt or sand.
12. GRAPHING
Bring your items home and create a graph for items found-rocks, feathers, etc. or creatures seen on your walk.
13. COMPARING NUMBERS
Make two piles of objects then use leaves or small sticks to as an equality/inequality symbol.
14. SIMPLE EQUATIONS
Write out simple equations in the dirt or sand for your child to figure out, they can use the same stick to write the answer or nature manipulatives.
15. COUNTING FRAME (ABACUS)
Another simple idea that also works on fine motor skills is to carry a handful of small beads and thread them on skinny twigs the way you would an abacus for counting, or just give them a number and have them thread that many beads onto it.
You don’t need anything other than what you find outdoors for math but if you would like to bring along a couple of items to enhance the learning on your trip I recommend:
- Ruler
- Measuring tape
- Small hand pruners (for cutting sticks).
- 2 Dice
- Hole punch
- Permanent marker/chalk for writing on rocks, leaves, etc.
- Bag for collecting items to bring home.
