Math Fact Fun

Let’s not just drill our students on their math facts with timed tests, let’s bring in math fact fun! I believe math fact practice should be fun and meaningful! So I’m sharing three ideas of math fact activities that you can do with your students plus some bonus games! They can do these in the classroom or at home!

Show your students how to make a Math Fact Cootie Catcher!

Cootie Catchers are easy to make and get students doing things with their hands. Add in some addition and subtraction math facts and you will have math facts fun!!

Youtube is filled with videos on how to make these if you don’t know how to make them.

Then show your students how to add in some math facts on each section of cootie catcher.

Put up some math facts on the board so students know what facts to choose from.

Show students how to put a math fact on the four main sections, and then the eight sections on the inside. 

Then show students how to flip up and write a little note. They can be positive affirmations or funny jokes!

Then show your students how to play with a partner. 

 

Partner 1 operates the cootie catcher. 

Partner 2 chooses a fact from the four main sections. 

Partner 1 says the answer to the fact and moves the cootie catcher that many times. 

Partner 2 then chooses a fact from the inside. 

Partner 1 says the answer to the fact and moves the cootie catcher that many times. 

Partner 2 chooses another fact. 

Partner 1 says the answer and opens up that section to reveal what’s written inside!

 

Students can switch and play with each other’s cootie catchers. They can also take it home to practice with family members. Making math fact cootie catchers truly is math fact fun!

 

Show your students how to make Math Fact Board Games. 

Show them how to draw the lines and spaces on a piece of paper. Then post some math facts on the board and help your students fill them into the spaces. Then they can color and decorate them! Then they just need a dice and little objects like paper clips and erasers as their game pieces.

They play with a small group. Each player takes a turn rolling a dice and moving that many spaces. When they land on their spot, they have to say the math fact! 

You can even laminate student’s work and they can play with each other’s board games all year long!

 

In this last idea, bring in some snacks into math fact practice time! We are going to make snack time, math fact time!

Show your students how to draw two ten frames on a piece of paper.

Then give them ten pieces of one snack, and ten pieces of another snack. I find using two different kinds of breakfast cereal works really well!

Then put a math fact equation up on the board. The fact needs to have a sum greater than ten.  For example, 8 + 4. Students fill in 8 pieces of cereal in the ten frame, and then 4 more of the other kind and then can see the answer is 12!

Let’s face it, bringing any food into the classroom is every 2nd graders heaven! And this activity is so simple and won’t cost the teacher too much!

 

All of those activities are math fact fun! But I love bringing some fun into fast finisher activities for my students. So I made fun math fact games for my students to play when they have finished their work early. And they love them!

A favorite math fact game in my classroom is Math Fact Old Maid. Students really get into this game! Each match in the Old Maid game has an equation. As students find matches, they have to figure out the math fact and say it. I also have students record the matches on a piece of paper so I know they are playing the game correctly and practicing their math facts with it. This game is so popular in my classroom that I set out both an addition and subtraction version for students to play.

Another math fact card game I have in my classroom is Math Facts Go Fish. Students are again looking for matches by asking another player for an answer to a math fact. Cards have equal equations. Students have to sort through their cards to find the match, doing math facts in their head as they do so. I love how much practice they get with math facts in this game!

I also set out a set of Math Facts Go Fish with ten frames. Students have to find the ten frames that match the equation as they play go fish.  I also have a recording page with this game to keep students accountable as they are having fun!

But if you are not into cutting and laminating, no worries! I had created Math Fact Riddles that make practicing math facts fun! Students fill in all the answers to the math facts and then use the key to figure out the fun fact! Students get so excited to find out a new fun fact to share with others! Best part about these… No prep! Just print and they are ready!!

 

Speaking of math fact activities that are little prep… Math Facts Bingo is so fun for students and great for teachers because it’s low prep. Just print out the 25 different playing cards. Then print and cut apart the call cards and you are ready to play!

Another thing I love about Math Facts Bingo… You can play it as a whole group activity or set it out as a math center. I love to see students getting the math fact practice they need in a fun way. Want to play Math Facts Bingo in your classroom? Find it here.

 

I hope these activities give you more ideas of how to bring in more math fact fun into your classroom. It doesn’t have to just be math fact timed tests! Change things up with having them create games, using strategies, and having games made for students to play as fast finisher activities.

 

Looking for more math fact games in your classroom? Check out this blog post about 3 Easy to Make Math Facts Games.

I know. You want to make math fact instruction fun and meaningful. But where to start? Make your math fact instruction plan with this free workbook, The 7 Steps to Ensure Math Fact Fluency.