Math Centres

Numbers and Equations

  • Make a Number Book
  • Play Dominoes
  • Math stories:
    Using tiny toys and back ground scenes, make math stories. eg: It was a busy day at the airport today. 3 airplanes landed at the airport and 3 more landed after, there were 6 airplanes all together at the airport…
  • Create equations for a certain number using manipulatives such as beans, keys, unifix cubes, etc. and have each child draw pictures of the various combinations.
    eg: for the number 7, 5 beans + 2 beans = 7 beans
  • Stick some stickers on a piece of tag board and laminate. Ask children to circle the stickers into groups of ten using a washable marker. They ask them to count by 10’s then 1’s to find the answer.
  • Bean Race:
    This game can be played in small groups or in pairs. Students take turns rolling a die. Each time they roll it, they pick up the number of beans that corresponds to the number on the die. The first one to get 100 beans wins.
  • Play War

Geometry

  • Tangram Puzzles
  • Shape Pictures:
    Cut out hundreds of shapes out construction paper and ask students to glue them onto another piece of paper to make a picture.
  • Make Toothpick Shapes:
    Using plasticine and toothpicks, have students make shapes that resemble those drawn on a series of cards.
  • Make Geometric Solids:
    Provide students with photocopies of the maps to geometric shapes. Ask them to cut them out and glue the sides together to make solids.
  • Graphing Geometry in the Classroom:
    Draw a columns on a large roll of paper and label each column for each geometric solid and/or shape they are studying. Ask students to draw pictures of things from the classroom that fall under each column. Eg: a chalk board could go under the rectangle column and a trash can could go under the cylinder column.
  • Make Objects Out of Geometric Solids:
    Have students make things out of all the geometric solids that they put together or beforehand, collect boxes, cans, etc. for them to use.

Patterns

  • Make Pattern Necklaces and Bracelets out of Fruit Loops
  • Make Patterns Using Unifix Cubes
  • Make Patterns Using Keys
  • Make Patterns Using Stamps

Measurement

  • Weight Centre:
    Have a variety of scales and ask students to try weighing things from the classroom. Fold a piece of paper in half and on one side draw an object on the other side draw something that ended up being lighter.
  • Rice Centre:
    Have a variety of jars and a large container of rice. Allow students to explore the volumes of the different jars.
  • Measuring With String:
    Have pieces of string that are a wide variety of length. Allow students to find things around the classroom that are longer, shorter, the same size as the pieces of string.
  • Measuring With Rulers
  • Measuring With Paper Clips
  • Measuring With Shoes
  • Reading a Thermometer:
    Provide some thermometers as well as bowls of water that are of different temperatures. Ask students to record the temperature of each of the bowls.