Engage Your Kindergarten and First Grade Students with a Fun Math Craft!
Hello, amazing teacher friends!Are you looking for an exciting and hands-on math activity to kick off the school year? I have just the thing for you—a math craft that’s perfect for your kindergarten and first grade students to practice their shapes, numbers, and fine motor skills. This craft not only reinforces early math concepts but also helps build social skills and confidence as they explore their classroom and school environment.
Introducing the Little Number House Math Craft!
This craft is a fantastic way for young learners to practice cutting, gluing, and number recognition while creating their own little house for a class number street!Here’s how you can use this activity in your classroom:
What’s Involved:
Color or Paint:
Begin by having your students color or paint simple 2D shapes like triangles, squares, and rectangles. These shapes form the parts of their little houses.
Cut and Glue:
After their creations are dry, students will cut out the shapes (perfect for practicing those early scissor skills) and glue them together to build their houses.
Add Numbers and Dots:
Each house will have a door where students can either glue a number or write one. They will then draw two sets of dots on the windows to represent that number. For example, if a student makes a house for the number 6, they might draw 4 dots on one window and 2 on the other.
Display and Compare:
Once the houses are complete, display them on a class “number street” on your bulletin board. This will not only celebrate their hard work but also create a visual representation of numbers in the classroom.
Follow-Up Activities:
Shape Walk:
The day after completing the craft, take your students on a “shape walk” around the classroom or school. Use classroom iPads to photograph objects that match the shapes they used in their houses. This activity reinforces their understanding of shapes and helps them become familiar with their school environment.
Math Warm-Up Game:
Incorporate a fun game where students use a puppet to follow instructions such as “walk to the house with 2 and 3 dots” or “find the house with the number 10.” You can adapt the complexity of the instructions based on your students’ skill levels. This game not only reinforces their counting skills but also encourages movement and engagement.
Counting and Sequencing:
On different days, you can have students place their houses in forward or backward counting order. This practice helps with number recognition and sequencing skills.
Additional Resources:
Additional Resources:
This Little Number House Math Craft is available on Teachers Pay Teachers. It includes various templates and options for your students, plus it's in a bundle (optional) with an action rhyme finger play called “On the Door.” This rhyme helps reinforce counting and number recognition in a fun and engaging way.
You can check it out here: Little Number House Math Craft and the bundle here.
It’s a wonderful way to start the school year with creativity and learning.
You can check it out here: Little Number House Math Craft and the bundle here.
It’s a wonderful way to start the school year with creativity and learning.