Numbers and Shapes are the Zest!

Jun 16, 2023

Our new printable math game helps review addition and subtraction within 5. You'll be able to observe and assess your students fluency with facts or their dependence on counting.

Students will

take a card
answer the addition or subtraction
count if needed (a lemon-tree with 5 lemons is provided as an activity mat - they can model the addition and subtraction process by picking lemons off the tree)

Your students will gather a collection of facts they know and further develop their addition and subtraction develop fluency.

I want to share with you one alternative way to use the game mats once you have them printed! It is also perfect for extending their math into numbers 1-6.

You'll need:

the Lime Tree game mats
dice
pattern blocks hexagons and triangle

Students will:

roll a dice
gather a matching number of triangle pattern blocks
keep rolling and gathering more triangles
as a set of 6 is completed, they trade it for a hexagon

It's a good idea to show students how 6 triangles are worth one hexagon before they start the game! Let them make some to help develop an understanding of how the numbers combine.

The aim of this game is to be the first player to get all 5 hexagons (lemons) on the game mat!

Over in the Coloring Club today I have a free activity page. Your students may like to make a shape lemon with crayons, scissors and glue too!

I've found that most students love free play with pattern blocks. Take this engagement and encourage some more structured activities with our puzzle and activity cards. Here is a set for triangles and hexagons.

Using triangles and hexagons (and linking them to numbers) is a wonderful way to to begin working and playing with numbers to 6 and beyond.

Here is a set of cards to get you started. Let students build the designs freely or incorporate dice and create a number or addition game (see video below).