SUMMER MATH GAMES
SHELL HUNT
You will need a sand bucket and shovel, some sand and some small shells.
Fill the bucket half full with sand.
Place the shells in the bucket and mix them under the sand.
Give the bucket and the shovel to your child.
Have him dig in the sand with the shovel until he finds a shell.
Have him place the shell on a tray and continue hunting for shells.
When he can find no more shells, have him count how many shells he found.
 
STONE GAME
This is a simplified version of a Native American counting game. You will need five flat stones for this game.
 Mark one stone with a star and the rest with a moon shape. You can use paint or a marking pen.
Leave the opposite sides of the stone blank.
Place the stones in a small plastic cup or basket.
Show your child how to roll the stones out onto the ground.
Explain that you get one point for each rock that lands with its moon facing up and two points if you get the one with the star. Rocks with no pictures, get no points.
Have your child roll the container with the rocks and count her points.
Variation: Play with 2-4 players and keep track of your points. After everyone has had a turn, the person with the most points is the winner.
 
SPIDER LEGS
You will need a black washable ink pad, some paper and a fine-tip black marking pen for this activity.
 Set out the pad and the paper.
Have your child make 4-6 black finger prints on his paper.
Next, give your child the black pen and have him put four legs on each side of his prints to make black 8-legged creepy crawly spiders.
 
FISHING GAME
Make a simple fishing pole by tying a short length of string to one end of a wooden spoon.  Tie a strong magnet to the end of the string.
Cut ten fish shapes out of construction paper.
Attach a paper clip to the front of each fish shape.
To play the game, place the fish shapes on the floor.
Let your children take turns catching fish for one minute.
Have each child count how many fish she caught, then put the fish back on the floor for the next person.

Variation:  Number the fish shapes from 1 to 10.  As the children catch each fish, have them say the numeral written on it.
 
COUNTING POTATOES
 Set out a basket of potatoes.
Have your child remove potatoes from the basket and set them on the table or floor, while he repeats the following rhyme.
One potato, two potato, three potato, four,
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more.
Eight potato, nine potato, ten potato, stop!
Have child repeat the rhyme while he replaces the potatoes in the basket.
 
FELT BOARD FLOWERS
You will need yellow and white felt scraps, plus a blue felt board for this activity.
 Cut out six felt 1” circles from yellow felt.
Using a black marker, write the numerals 1-6 on the circles.
Next, cut out 21 white flower petals.
Place the yellow felt circles on your felt board, randomly.
Give your child the white petals, and have her arrange petals around the yellow circles, according to the number in the center of each circle. Example: your child would place four petals around the flower center that reads “4”.
 
ADDITIONAL SUMMER MATH GAMES – can be found at the Game Station - Outdoor Math.
  

 
 

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