I have 21 hands-on math activities for elementary and middle school. Also, look at my page How To Homeschool Elementary Students Like A Pro.
As our kids get older, it’s so easy to start shying away from teaching more advanced math concepts. Especially if you were an English major in college, like someone I know. *cough* me *coughcough*
Math is taught very differently now than it was when I was in school.
When I started looking at upper elementary and middle school math concepts to teach my children a couple of years ago, I felt completely lost. It was like going back to school myself!
But, over time, I’ve gotten more comfortable with these concepts.
I’ve also found a few ways to make abstract math ideas come to life with these fun hands-on math projects and crafts!
There are 21 math learning activities below that are perfect for upper elementary and middle school students, even if you’re not math inclined yourself.
First, look at these fun living books to add to your day.
10 Math Books for Kids Who Love Math
Add some of these books about math for a day of fun study or for your home library.
Looks at the history of mathematical discoveries and the lives of great mathematicians.
Presents the life of a Egyptian woman who lived in fifth century Alexandria and became a respected scholar in mathematics and philosophy.
A small green inchworm is proud of his skill at measuring anything—a robin’s tail, a flamingo’s neck, a toucan’s beak. Then one day a nightingale threatens to eat him if he cannot measure his song. Children will enjoy the clever inchworm’s solution and delight in finding the tiny hero on every page.
Pictures, puzzles, games, and simple activities introduce the mathematical concepts of counting, comparison, and measurement
This Sir Cumference Series 12 Books Set includes: 1. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table 9781570911521 2. Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi 9781570911644 3. Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland 9781570911699 4. Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone 9781570916014 5. Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter 9780439025805 6. Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens 9781570917288 7. Sir Cumference and the Viking's Map 9781570917929 8. Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert 9781570911996 9. Sir Cumference and the Roundabout Battle 9781570917660 10. Sir Cumference and the Fracton Faire 9781570917721 11. Sir Cumference Gets Decima's Point 9781570918452 12. Sir Cumference and the 100 PerCent Goose Chase 9781623543211
Penrose, a cat with a knack for math, takes children on an adventurous tour of mathematical concepts from fractals to infinity.
Join Zero on his math adventure as he discovers his place through multiplication. Zero is lonely in Digitaria. He can't play Addemup with the other numbers because he has nothing to add. All the other numbers seem to belong and they all have a place, but when zero discovers multiplication he thinks he might have a place there. He sets out to find King Multiplus who also is curious about what will happen when Zero gets thrown in the mix. With math and wordplay A Place for Zero is the perfect introduction to multiplication and number placement. A playful way to make math less intimidating and more fun to explore.
Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. And, it's true, many of them do. But Paul Erdos never followed the usual path. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head. But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty. Instead, he traveled around the world, from one mathematician to the next, collaborating on an astonishing number of publications. With a simple, lyrical text and richly layered illustrations, this is a beautiful introduction to the world of math and a fascinating look at the unique character traits that made "Uncle Paul" a great man.
Mouse and her friends want to play tug-of-war, but they’ll need to use some everyday math to figure out how to make teams that are equal. As Mouse looks at various solutions she is not sure what it means to be equal. Nothing works until Mouse starts to think about it mathematically
and divides the teams based on weight. Wonderful illustrations capture
Mouse and her animal friends from whiskers to tails as they work to measure and equalize their teams based on size, weight, and effort. A
perfect addition to any STEM/STEAM collection that shows readers how
math can be used in everyday problem solving.
Meet Raye Montague – a "hidden figure" who made waves in the U.S. Navy! After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.
All of these math crafts and projects are adaptable, so you can use them for several grade levels.
21 Hands-On Math Projects
If you have one child in middle school and one in elementary school, you could use the same activity and just adjust the kinds of problems involved to suit their ability. It’s up to you!
1.Celebrate Pi Day with this gorgeous Pi Art Skyline craft.
2. Display fractions visually with this neat Fraction Tree the kids can make.
3. Play this easy Sidewalk Chalk Math Game and use equations, exponents, or any math concept your child is currently studying.
4. Learning to multiply fractions can be tricky. This Hands-On Multiplying Fractions Activity can help.
5. Show the kids how the Fibonacci sequence works with this lovely Fibonacci Art Project.
Hands-On Math Projects
6. Create math art with these LEGO Tessellations.
7. Combine art techniques and basic multiplication with this Skip Counting Pointillism Art.
8. If your kids love Minecraft, these Printable Minecraft Math Cubes will be a perfect DIY manipulative.
9. Get comfortable with four-digit numbers with this simple Safe Cracker Math Game kids can play on their own.
10.. Hands-on multiplication activity.
If you’re looking for ways to make math more meaningful check out Loving Living Math
11. Kids love to write secret codes. This Number Line Secret Code Activity looks like fun.
12. Introduce the concept of statistics with this “sweet” Candy Statistics activity.
13. Encourage creative kids to use Math Journaling to demonstrate mastery of math skills in an artistic way.
14. Play a matching game and practice spotting polygons with these printable polygon flashcards.
15. Show kids how chaos theory works with this easy Chaos Theory Activity.
16. These Printable Long Division Puzzles are excellent for helping kids become comfortable with division.
17. Create your own measurement tool with this cool build a LEGO balance project.
18. Play a game of Multiplication Checkers and get some fun times tables practice.
19. This beautiful Parabolic Curve Art is a nice way to add STEAM learning to a lesson.
20. Build this DIY Abacus Craft to use design and create a math tool at the same time.
21. Work on measurement outdoors with this Sunflower Garden Math activity.Which of these hands-on math projects do you plan to try with your kids?
I’d love to know how they work out for you!
