DIY First Grade Math Game

Perfect for homeschool or classroom fun, this easy DIY first grade math game is loads of fun! Want to avoid the summer slide? Add this fun game to your child’s weekly activity during summer break. It’s a perfect DIY craft for classrooms too. Just get several students to pitch in with the caterpillar math craft, then everyone can take turns playing! Read on for more details.

First Grade Math Game

Your first grader has been honing basic math skills for some time—now it’s time to put them to the test! Challenge your child’s mental addition and subtraction of numbers one through ten with this fast-paced caterpillar math game. This adorable DIY game provides plenty of equations for math practice, as well as hours of fun to boot. As your child’s skills progress, continue to challenge him by tacking on numbered circles to your growing caterpillar.

First Grade Math Game

What You Need:

• Different colors of paper
• 1 set of googly eyes
• 2 pipe cleaners
• Black pen, crayon, or marker
• Glue
• Pencil
• Scissors
• 2 dry beans
• Stopwatch or egg timer

What You Do:

1. Help your budding artist draw or trace 11 circles on various light-colored pieces of paper, then ask him to cut them out.
2. Have the child write the numbers one to ten on the segments with one number on each circle. Count with him as he goes along.
3. Once finished, ask the child to put the circles in order with number one at the front and number ten at the end.
4. Next, have your child glue two googly eyes in the middle of one circle, then draw a smile underneath.
5. Use 2 pipe cleaners for the antennae and glue them on a few millimeters above the eyes so they stick out from the head.
6. Starting with the head, have your kid glue the segments together in order, overlapping the edges of each one until they form a long caterpillar.
7. Now it’s time to play! Place the caterpillar on the floor or table so he faces away from you, then have your child step a few feet back.
8. Allow him to lightly toss two dry beans until each one lands on (or very near) two numbers. Make up a subtraction or addition problem, set the stop watch for anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds, then ask your child to solve the equation without using paper.
9. Keep an eye on your timer, and whenever he gets a certain number of problems correct, give him a small prize for a job well done.

 

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