Looking Back: DIY Geoboard

Way back in 2009, I posted about one of my first DIY educational projects... a tot-friendly (with supervision, of course) geoboard.  (Original post can be found here.)

This was a big hit with Robbie (who was 25 months old, I believe).  We used hair elastics with no metal bands to make it easier on his baby fingers.  He used this geoboard (and loved it) until his chubby little fingers were ready for the real deal.

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Our Calendar and Free Printables

It's been a few years since we've had a calendar as part of our school day. I gave it up due to space issues and the fact that Robbie had a good grasp of the concepts. I've wanted to add it back in and have been struggling to find something that will work for us. I think I've done it!!! 

 

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Printable Ten Frame Cards

This week, Robbie started learning how to "make a ten" when adding for sums over ten. I made these Ten Frame Cards so that he could have a fun way to practice.

I used four symbols that I thought Robbie would enjoy (alien heads, yin-yangs, hearts and lightening bolts). The numbers 1-10 are represented in two different ways for each "suit" of cards.

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Greater, Less Than or Equal with Dominoes

Robbie liked our math game yesterday. He would take two dominoes and use our greater/less than or our equal to symbols after tallying each domino.

If he looked irritated in the last picture, it's because he was anxious to get to this. He really did enjoy the math activity.

What domino games are popular in your home?

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Place Value or Addition Teens Print and Fold

I made these for Robbie to review his teens and thought I'd share. Simply click on the image below to open or download the PDF file. (I printed ours on colored card stock for interest and durability.)

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Our DIY Hundred Board Activities

I've always wanted to have a nice, wooden hundred board for Robbie, but I never could justify the cost. I spent last evening making a few hands-on hundred board activities for under $10. Using three pre-laminated hundred charts (the printable ones just seemed too small for my tastes... these are approx. 1"x1") and a set of All About Spelling magnets, I made a traditional hundred board as well as a puzzle version. We're keeping it all on a large old cookie sheet.

I cut the border from one hundred chart to make it fit the cookie sheet. I placed a magnets on the blank side of another and then I cut those out.

It was super easy! 

 

We have a few of these wooden containers (we've had them for years) and I simply cut some craft sticks and glued them together and into the container to make a divider. It worked perfectly! 

From the third chart, I cut 25 sections in various shapes (nerd that I am, I used Tetris shapes) and placed magnets on the back of those, as well. This was the first thing Robbie did this morning!!

  I know I'm not the first to do these things, but I thought I'd share, anyway.

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Check out other (and admittedly, much cooler) math ideas over at
Math Monday



Have you checked out our Math Printables or our Math Ideas Pinterest Board?

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Ways to Make Six Through Ten Printable

 

(decomposing numbers 6-10)

One of my repins on pinterest inspired me to make these for Robbie. I thought I'd share them in case anyone else would be interested.

Robbie will start with 0+ (whatever number he is working on) and have a color for each addend. He will continue to write each problem and color the blocks in the corresponding colors to represent what he wrote.        Click the image to download the file. It is a PDF which includes a sheet for each number (6-10).

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Check out other (and admittedly, much cooler) math ideas over at
Math Monday



You can find the repin of the original on my Math Ideas Pinterest Board. Click here for our other Math Printables.

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Sunny Side Up! Easter Egg Math Facts

Robbie is very comfortable with his addition and subtraction facts to ten, but a bit more practice couldn't hurt.

Here is his math facts tray set up with his "6" eggs and his spatula. (I've made several sets of eggs to be switched out.)

He simply cracks open an egg and places his problems "sunny side up". He reads the problem and answers it, then he flips the egg with the spatula to check his work. (No cheating!!)

(a close-up with one flipped to show the answer on the back)

Robbie enjoyed flipping these eggs more than I thought he would.

I made the eggs from white and orange foam sheets. I simply cut the egg whites free-form (but small enough to fit inside the plastic Easter eggs) and cut the "yolks" in circles. I then wrote the math problem on the yolk and the answer on the back.

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Check out other (and admittedly, much cooler) math ideas over at
Math Monday



Have you checked out our Math Printables or our Math Ideas Pinterest Board?

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Symmetry (and more) with Linking Cubes

Our recent extracurricular math activities have brought out the linking cubes. We haven't used these in a very long time. I found an activity book that I'd forgotten about and Robbie is having fun doing an activity or two each day or so.

Here is a look at a bit of his work on symmetry with linking cubes.

He also wanted to do this puzzle. Unfortunately, I was unable to locate three of our linking cube colors (30 cubes) until later in the week, so he was only able to get so far.

Of course, there was also lots of free play with the cubes.

Yes. He made Mario.

This is the book we've been playing with (there is also one available for grades 3-6)..


.. and these are the cubes we have..

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Check out other (and admittedly, much cooler) math ideas over at
Math Monday



Have you checked out our Math Printables or our Math Ideas Pinterest Board?

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Math Scrambler

Robbie loves his new "Math Scrambler" I made out of an egg carton. When he closes it and shakes it, the 2 washers (any item small enough to move around inside when shaken will do) will land on two numbers. He simply writes the problem & answer and does it again.... and again, and again.

I got this idea from First Grader at Last.

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Check out other (and admittedly, much cooler) math ideas over at
Math Monday



Have you checked out our Math Printables or our Math Ideas Pinterest Board?

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St. Patrick's Day Math Printable

  This is a bit of basic number bond review I made for Robbie to use for St. Patrick's day. I thought I'd share the file in case anyone was interested. Simply click the image below to access the file.   

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You can find other fun ideas on my St. Patrick's Day Pinterest Board.

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Current Math Shelves

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*Please excuse the picture quality. Our camera is barely hanging on right now.

Here is a pic of our current math shelves. You can see Robbie's little wooden calendar from one of the bargain bins at Target as well as his Singapore math books. (Yes, I know, our science and read-alouds are also on this shelf).

Robbie's addition cups. I made these from foam sheets and craft sticks (both from the Dollar Tree).

I managed to get a shot of Robbie using his clock tray with his Rightstart clock cards.

In addition to the above items, he also has a tray with basic number cards and a junior abacus for when we play "Go to the Dump" (Rightstart Math Game) as well as his regular abacus (which he uses for free-play and sometimes for his math lessons).

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Check out other (and admittedly, much cooler) math ideas over at
Math Monday



Have you checked out our Math Printables or our Math Ideas Pinterest Board?

Read more »