Addition to 20 - Happy Dice

Make small group math lesson happier than usual with the number friends! They will help your students get fluent in addition (within 20) and engage your students in skill based learning. 

You'll simply need the cards (provided in small and large size) and two 10-sided dice. 

Encourage your students to add their rolled numbers using a strategy (or combination) of their choice. They may:

• find or make a ten
• split or partition numbers 
• bridge to 10 with a split number
• use a double or near-double
• count on
• count from 1 - if you notice this, take students back to an easier game like Addition Dice to support them with dot patterns 

This printable game is available, ready to print, in our TPT store today!

And to help you have even more fun in math - here is another idea for using the cards:

Take 3 with Happy Dice

• students have 3 cards from the stack
• they roll to add and remove a card if they have a match
• the first student to lose all 3 cards is the winner

I hope your students have fun with this math game! 

You may also like:

• addition strategy posters
• more addition games
• fun number posters

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Addition

Watermelon Paper Craft

 

Watermelon Paper Folding Craft

If your children are enjoying the paper crafts I've been sharing recently - here is one that combines two squares of paper and some simple folds. It's perfect for emerging fine motor and creative skills!

You'll need:

• pink paper
• green paper
• scissors
• glue
• a marker
• scraps for seeds (optional)

Here are the steps:

You can use them:

• on a bulletin board
• on a banner line
• as part of a bigger summer themed classroom display

I hope your children have fun creating their watermelon. You may also like:

• more fruit teaching ideas
• watermelon counting display
• more paper crafts

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Paper Folding Craft, Summer

Ordering, Comparing and Writing Numbers to 20

Kindergarten students need lots of practice identifying, ordering, comparing and writing numbers to 20. We have a new resource to integrate all of these - and your students will be happily engaged in playful math! 

The Animals Count includes 8 game mats. Have your students write directly onto their mat using a marker. They will

• say number names
• count forward and back
• start counting from different starting positions
• build essential skills for early addition and subtraction (1 more, 1 less)
• practice numeral formation

We've also included number cards. These can be printed on colored paper and used to fill in the missing numbers as an alternative to writing. 

Provided also is a Quick Math Craft - no gluing required. Your children will showcase their wonderful number writing skills by writing one number in each box. You can create a mini math activity with it too. 

Provide number cards and asking students to write the number they reveal from a face-down pile, into the correct position on their craft. This reinforces counting-on for addition too.

After, they can color, cut and display on a math focused bulletin board.

If you have the sets of numbers laminated and cut, keep them ready for some math warm ups too. Here is one for comparing numbers (from the numeral). Students flip 2 numbers and put them in order from smallest to biggest.

If you have the Big-Little Dog Puppets from the Pond Coloring Club you could use these to engage students and remind them about how to sort.

I hope your students love learning to work with and write numbers to 20! You may also like:

• a pack of more math games and activities for numbers to 20
• more math warm ups
• other puppy and dog themed activities

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math warm up, Numbers to 20

Less is Best for Hippo - A Math Warm Up for Comparing 3 Digit Numbers

Here is a playful, engaging math warm up that will help your students compare 3 digit numbers. You can modify it to 2-5 digit numbers easily by simply using more dice. 

Less is Best for Hippo - Math Warm Up Comparing 3 Digit Numbers

• tell students that Hippo is hungry and ready for some watermelon but he'd like the piece with the least seeds 
• students each roll 3 dice and must create the largest number possible on a blank watermelon playing mat - e.g. with a 3, 2 and 5 rolled they must make 532
• numbers are compared (students may write them on a piece of paper or whiteboard) and the smallest number wins a token (counter)
• play several rounds
• encourage lots of math language for comparing numbers - bigger, smaller, biggest, smallest, more, less, the same, equal, let's compare etc

 

The watermelon playing mat is available in our Math Number Display pack. They are perfect for creating a visual display for counting that also enhances your classroom decor. Have a set for activities and games as well. 

Hippo is one of our Alphabet Posters!

You can hold them up at random as another math warm up and have students tell you:

• the number
• double the number
• the difference to 20

If you're in the Pond Coloring Club, you'll find a free Watermelon Sails page this week. Before coloring each pair of students in your class can play a math warm up on one page. 

They simply take turns to color 1, 2 or 3 seeds to see who will complete the final seeds on the page. They will be thinking mathematically as they count, compare and plan their next color. 

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3 digit numbers, math warm up

Shark Paper Craft

I've shared some fun folded-paper craft projects with you recently and have a shark for you today! Your children will need just a square piece of paper, some glue and scissors. Have some scraps of white paper ready for the teeth too!

You can add them to an underwater, ocean or beach themed classroom display. Brainstorm some 'sh' words and have a word focused literacy bulletin board to complement your reading program. 

Don't forget that over in the Pond Coloring Club we offer you a shark themed countdown for summer. Your students can color a fish each day on their last 10 days of school. 

Here are the steps to follow. I recommend making a few first so you are very familiar with it before you attempt to teach your students. 

I hope you have fun with paper and your students love it too!

You may also like to find more:

• ocean ideas for the classroom
• fish ideas for the classroom
• some free sh words for a bulletin board

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ocean, Paper Folding Craft

Let's Make a Paper Bee

I've shared a few paper-folding crafts with you over the years. Paper folding is a great first step for students to learn as they begin to become more independently creative and explore their own ideas by making.

Although it can be challenging to help a whole class of students with the steps, it is well worth the effort. Once students have made several projects and are confident with various folds their creativity can blossom. Provide a box of paper scraps, scissor and glue and let them explore!

Make teaching some initial projects, more manageable for yourself as the teacher by:

• expecting that the first lesson would be challenging
• starting with simple projects that require just a few folds
• demonstrating the steps with the largest paper you have available so students can clearly see how the folds progress
• as you demonstrate, give short verbal instructions to support the fold
• have a coloring page or similar activity at students desks, and work your way around the other tables, demonstrating and helping 5-6 students at a time

Here is a bee craft with just a few folds. The first fold - from square to triangle across the diagonal - is great for students to master first.

You'll need 

• squares of paper
• scraps of yellow paper
• scissors
• crayons

Follow along to learn the folds:

I hope your students love making their bee - perhaps you can make a giant hive from a sheet of card and have them displayed as a class group!

You may also like to:

• let students cut antennae from paper scraps
• find some bee coloring pages
• learn a bee action rhyme

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bees, Craft for Kids, Paper Folding Craft

Crab Craft - Paper Folding

Support your students' developing skills in fine motor with some more paper craft! Here is a crab project they can make with just a square of paper and some scraps of white and pink. The finished crabs look great on a ocean or beach themed bulletin board or creative art class mural.

Here are the steps! 

Your children may also like to make

•  a paper craft fish
• a fun frog

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fine motor, ocean, Paper Folding Craft

2D Shape Drawing Update

 

Integrate math and ELA with our fun shape friend drawing projects! There are now 12 shapes in the pack - it you have it already, find the new additions when you next visit your account!

Students will start each character with a basic 2D shape and then add features and details to create a character. Encourage them to make their own choices as well as using the steps I've provided as a guide. 

After drawing they can:

• name their character
• make a list of the character traits of their shape friend
• brainstorm some story ideas
• write a story or descriptive paragraph to tell about their shape friend
• paint or color their drawing

Here are the steps for drawing one of them, your students can follow along:

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2D Shapes, Directed Drawing

Shark Dice - a Math Warm Up

Here is a math warm up for the first few minutes of your small group math lesson or to use at the conclusion of a math lesson. Students who finish early may like to team up to play! 

It will see students review:

• addition
• comparing numbers

Use dice that fit your students ability. Six sided dice work well for kindergarten. Students will play in pairs. 

You need:

• 2 dice per pair
• a small collection of counters per pair (to help keep score)

Shark Dice Math Warm Up

• students sit with their partner
• students take turns to roll 2 dice
• the student who rolls, calculates the total of the roll using an addition strategy of their choice
• the other player closes their eyes and is allowed to gently 'tip' the dice one turn
• a new pair of numbers is created after one die is tipped in one direction
• the new total is calculated
• if the new total is lower, the tipper gets one score counter
• if the new total is higher the roller gets one score counter

To create a faster-pace warm up, remove the scoring element and have students simply practice adding and comparing. 

I hope your students love this new warm up and are excited for math!

Find more 

• math warm ups
• activities for addition

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Addition, math warm up

Shark Directed Drawing Project

One of the drawing projects in our recently updated My First Summer Directed Drawing pack is a shark. It is full of whimsical character but perfect for emergent-drawers with simple lines and shapes. 

After drawing they can paint, crayon - adding extra detail and texture if they choose. Along with step-by-steps drawing guides, the printable pack includes writing papers. Encourage your students to write by first:

• reading about sharks (this is a good site)
• talking about what you read 
• writing some information or a word list on a chart or your board
• modelling how to attempt a simple sentence or two (depending on the writing abilities of your class)
• encouraging students to attempt their own writing

Here is how to draw the shark if you'd like your students to follow along! 

In addition, if you're in the Pond Coloring Club we have an All About Sharks page today! Glued into a writing book or inside a writing folder, this page would look great with the drawing adjacent! 

I hope your children enjoy drawing a fun shark and reading all about them!

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Big Numbers for Classroom Bulletin Boards

Support your students learning in a range of leanring areas in math with our big numbers display. Each numeral-shaped poster features different representations for the focus number - standard dot patterns, ten frames, finger counting and number words. 

Make your math display interactive by clipping them to a line so they're easy to get down for math activities and warm ups. Let me share a few with you:

Counting

• students count a matching number of counters (or blocks) for each number

Matching Pieces

• print 2 sets of numbers
• cut around the dice, frames and blocks
• have students match the correct pictures to each number

Puzzle

• print 2 sets
• cut one number up in chunks after laminating
• students put the pieces together to make the numeral

Each of these activities encourages students to spend time looking at different representations for each number - supporting visual memory and learning to instantly identify numbers.

Our Big Numbers are available in 3 color options and contribute to your bright, happy classroom community! 

• bright big numbers
• soft pastel big numbers
• neutral big numbers

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Classroom Decor

Subtraction Fact Warm Up

Here is a math warm up for subtraction. It can also be used as a lesson introduction or mini math workshop! Students will understand that from any 2 numbers, 2 subtraction stories (or facts) can be created. You just need:

• counters in 2 colors
• a dish
• dominos

Model several first, talking about what you are doing and building an understanding of the key concepts. 

Students then:

• take a domino
• tell the 2 numbers - here we have 5 and 2
• total the domino - 5 and 2 makes 7 altogether
• build the numbers with counters (this is important)

• use a dish (or piece of paper or their hand) to conceal one number
• talk about what has happened
• 7 take away 5 leaves 2

• conceal the other number and again, talk about the subtraction - 7 take away 2 leaves 5

One of the games in our Subtraction Problem math pack will help students build a deeper understanding of related subtraction facts. It is called In and Out and each activity card shows fish in and out of the ocean!

Students can 

• describe the subtraction story 
• model it with counters on the card
• perform the subtraction (moving counters off the card)
• record it in numbers (directly on the card or on a whiteboard/paper)

Find the pack (which also includes activities to scaffold this concept) over in our store!

You may also like:

• more math warm ups
• more math packs
• more fish ideas

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math warm up, Subtraction

Reviewing the Doubles Strategy for Addition Math Warm Up

If you're on my newsletter email list you'll know that I occasionally send you a bonus printable Itty Bitty Reward Card with a seasonal or special-theme! 

They are fast-prep circular cards to give each student to keep at their desk or cubby. They help you manage your classroom and contribute to a positive community by having students collect stickers or stamps as they make positive choices throughout the day.

• find the full set in my store
• get the bonus cards on my newsletters

In addition to classroom management you can use them in a math warm up! Today I'll share one with you for reviewing the doubles strategy (with numbers 1-5).

Double Dots - A Math Warm Up for Addition

• each student has 2 cards (each with 5 dots)
• students roll and show a double by placing the same number on each card
• they find the total (e.g. double 2 is 4)
• if they roll a 6 they roll again
• challenge: keep a cumulative total, the first to 100 (or 50) wins

• for more activities and games for doubles, take a look at our Math Pack
• find more math warm ups here
• find more engaging ideas for addition here

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Classroom Management, Doubles, math warm up

Learn Together Poster

Encourage your students to work collaboratively in the classroom with:

• a mini class discussion and construction of an anchor chart
• a shared reading of a book with teamwork as the theme (and explore the theme)
• reminding students daily - perhaps a classroom poster that you can refer to often, displayed somewhere at student eye level

I added a We learn together poster to the big bundle for you! 

Use the blackline version as a coloring page or to have student work included in your poster.

Two color options are included - brights and neutrals. 

Collaborative Math Warm Ups

If you're encouraging cooperation and teamwork in your classroom community, involve those skills in your math warm ups this week!

Pause and encourage your students:

• it's wonderful to see you working and learning together
• we can learn from one another
• it's great to see you waiting your turn and letting your friends enjoy their learning too

Pattern Making

• have a small group at the guided math table
• give each student a small collection of counters
• start a color pattern - e.g. green-blue-yellow
• students take turns to put the next counter down in the pattern
• keep growing the pattern together as a group
• challenge: have students put the next whole repeating-section down on their turn (in this example, they would put down 3 counters g-b-y)

Dominos

• a traditional game of dominos is a wonderful collaborative game - encourage instant recognition of the standard dot patterns
• challenge: ask students to tell you the total of their domino
• challenge: ask students to compare the total of the domino they are placing down with the one that came before - is it bigger, smaller or the same?

Collaborative Puzzle

• ask the students in your group to complete a puzzle together collaboratively
• students take turns to put one piece down
• here is one I would like to share with you - they roll, match a pattern block and find a place for it on the mat

I hope you love the new poster and these math warm up ideas! 

You may also like:

• more math warm ups
• more cute classroom posters
• more pattern block shape activities

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Classroom Decor, math warm up, ocean

All the Fish in the Sea Math Warm Up

 

Here is a math warm up you can use to engage your students at the beginning of a small group lesson. Play it with a small number of students. 

Your students can:

• recognize numbers 1-20
• count on from various starting positions within 1-20
• represent numbers with actions

To play All the Fish in the Sea

• have a set of number cards in your range (here we're using 1-20)
• you could print number posters 6 to a page to make cards
• put all the number cards (fish shaped if possible) into a dish 
• tell your students to watch and try to catch a fish and ask them to call the number
• the first child to call the number correctly can be said to have 'caught a fish' and they keep the card
• all students say the number and clap/count forward to 20
• e.g. you pull 4 from the dish, students race to say 4 first, all students say 4 (and then count and clap 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 ,18, 19, 20)
• once all your cards have been used, you can tell students that all the fish in the sea have been caught and its time to put them back
• call a number and the student who has this number passes it back

You can also do a quick number identification warm up by having your students quickly call each number after mixing up the cards. Extend it the following day with the number +1. Or, play this video on the side of your electronic board workspace! 

I hope your students enjoy this math warm up. You may also like:

• more math warm ups
• ocean themed no-prep activities
• the fish number cards

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math warm up, ocean

Starfish Drawing

If you have the My First Summer Directed Drawing pack, scratch out that 32 - it's now 48 projects! I added 4 new drawings today for your children to complete on one of the four pages provided for each. Perhaps they will make a summer drawing book?   

Here is one of the new projects - a starfish! After drawing they could watercolor over crayon! Draw some extra fish and sea creatures too. 

You may also like:

• a starfish animation
• more directed drawings
• a Beach Bucket List craft

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Directed Drawing, Starfish, Summer

Muddy the Blue Yabby

A 2D shape yabby was added to the alphabet craft bundle today! A yabby is an Australian crayfish. Some are blue. 

I decided to draw one and am sharing it with you! Perhaps your little ones can follow along with the steps and after, crayon and paint. 

A long time ago a girl I know called someone who cared for her - Muddy a spontaneous blend of Mummy and Daddy. I always thought it was a beautiful way of describing something very special. Perhaps your children have a 'Muddy' and could create a special card for them this week! 

I used watercolor over crayon. 

Your students may like to:

• draw the surrounds - rocks, mud, water etc
• research yabbies
• add their special work to a wow wall
• do more directed drawings

If you would like printable steps for students to follow, find them in our store and bundle! 

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Directed Drawing

Roll an Ice Cream Math Game

If you are using any of our ice cream themed activities, games or resources I'm sure your students will be almost instantly engaged! 

But just in case, you can ignite their learning with a quick warm up activity! Here is one for math.

It's fast to prep - all you need is dice and pattern blocks. They will roll, trade and aim to be the first to build an ice cream! 

Roll an Ice Cream

• show students a completed ice cream - a hexagon on 2 trapezoids
• tell them how many scoops they are aiming for (hexagons)
• take turns to roll and take a matching number of green triangles

• as 3 triangles are rolled, they can trade for a trapezoid 

• the first 2 trapezoids make the cone cup
• after, each trapezoid-pair can be traded for a hexagon

I hope your students love this super sweet shape game! 

A follow up ice cream addition worksheet can help students with counting-on, doubles, missing addends and more - read all about them back on this post. 

Here are some more helpful ideas you may like:

• more pattern block activities
• more ice cream activities
• more math warm ups

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Addition, math warm up, pattern blocks