Studies find that the more positive and confident a child feels about a school subject, the greater success they’ll have. Just in time, summer is a perfect opportunity for kids to discover that math is FUN. Read on for ideas and tips for making real-life connections and experiencing math in action.
Summer learning activity ideas for parents to make math fun for kids
How are you influencing the way your kids feel about math?
Here are some simple DOs and DON’Ts for parents and guardians to keep in mind:
Build your kid's confidence in math
Do:
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Point out the many ways we use math every day (e.g., measuring for recipes, paying a bill, calculating tips)
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Engage in activities with your kids that require math, such as cooking or shopping
Don't:
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Talk about math as "easy" or "hard"
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Say “I don’t like math” or “I’ve always been bad at math” because kids may take this to mean that math skills are inheritable
Look for fun ways to apply math to real life
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Focus on the math that kids use every day! Explore one or two math topics per week throughout the summer. Watch these educational BrainPOP movies to see how math applies everywhere, from learning to tell time to estimating a budget and much more!
Nature is bursting with math and summer is a great time to discover its many forms! You may want to watch the BrainPOP movie Fibonacci Sequence to find out how and why this sequence shows up in nature.
Then take a walk outside to see for yourself the many epic examples of math in all its natural glory. Keep a list or take pictures of what you find along the way:
Uncover math all around in nature
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Symmetry in butterflies, leaves, and spiderwebs
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Fibonacci sequence in flowers, such as a sunflower
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The shape of honeycombs (according to mathematicians, a honeycomb’s shape offers the perfect balance of strength and space required for honey storage)
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Patterns in rainbows, markings on animals’ coats, ripples in a pond.
Encourage your kids to play math learning games throughout the summer
Put your child's math smarts to the test by encouraging them to play BrainPOP's and BrainPOP Jr.'s fun math games. Here are some of our favorites:
This math game asks kids to estimate ships' positions on a number line.
Battleship Numberline
FOR GRADES K-3
This math game asks kids to pick up as many monsters in as few trips as possible!
Monster Schoolbus
FOR GRADES K-3
Calling all cooks! From measuring to timing, math is a main ingredient for cooking! Find a recipe to try, and let your kid do the calculating. For example, if you are doubling a recipe, encourage your child to figure out which operation to use and calculate the amount you need for each ingredient. Brush up on your kid's measuring skills with the following BrainPOP topics!
Incorporate math in the kitchen
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