How many times have you asked your littles to share half of their cookie only to get 1/4? Well, it’s time to teach them a little bit about numbers and fractions so you can start getting at least 1/3. We found 3 simple ways to add a bit of mathematical fun into your eating and cooking time that’ll have your kiddo learning about shapes and numbers too. Read on.
photo: Dustin Ground via flickr
How Many Licks?
How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? This sweet fun isn’t just an excuse for your babe to get their hands on candy. Learning blog A Mom With a Lesson Plan has created a way get your sweetum’s brain churning as they lick their way to the center of a Tootsie Roll. Our favorite part of the plan is how it introduces budding scientists idea of testing hypothesis and comparing results.
Cooking by Numbers
It’s all about setting the stage for having fun with food: Creative blog What Do We Do All Day got her kiddo to count how many pretzels they were making by setting up the scene: ”I am going to divide this dough in half, that makes 2. Then I cut the 2 pieces in half, that makes 4. Hmmm, when I cut 4 pieces in 2, I wonder how many I will have?…..” You can do this math with any kind of dough! How many cookies are you planning to make today?
Marshmallow Geometry
Teach your kids the art of 2D shapes with marshmallows and pretzels! Your snackers may already recognize these shapes, but this is a good learning opportunity to take shapes apart. How many sides make up a square? What’s the difference between an equilateral triangle vs. an isosceles triangle? The terms might be slightly more difficult for your kiddo to pick up, but the main takeaway is that not all triangles are the same. Get Play Dough to Plato‘s guide to yummy geometry here.
What’s your way of adding mathematical fun to your kiddo’s day? Share them in the comments below!
— Christal Yuen
