Outdoor math activities provide kids with fun and engaging exposure to math. Outdoor spaces offer parents and teachers opportunities to engage children in a joyful math learning experience that helps develop a positive attitude toward math. Outdoor activities motivate and foster the inquisitive nature of kids to learn math. Below are ways you can use outdoor activities to teach math concepts.
Organizing fun games
Games are fun and engaging and grab the attention of kids quickly. Rather than the kids playing the usual games, you can introduce new games like stepping stones that are math based. As math concepts for kids progress from 1st graders to math for 5th graders and beyond, the more complex it becomes. Hence the tutor needs to find games that fit the kid’s level of learning. As they play the games, they will be learning math and enhancing teamwork.
Prompt the kids to notice patterns and shapes.
The world is full of different colors, patterns, and shapes. As you are walking outside with the kids, you can prompt them to notice the changing patterns and shapes of various objects. For example, trees differ in the form of their leaves. Get the kids to count different leaf shapes that they can identify. You can opt for animals or flowers if your surrounding has no trees. Nature patterns help the kids think abstractly, interpret their surroundings differently, and connect their observations to math.
Respond to children’s observations and questions.
Children are naturally curious about anything they come across. Teachers can use this outdoors to teach math concepts. Walking around, you might hear kids asking how far we are going or how far we are from the classroom. Instead of assuming or making assumptions, why not measure the distance with the kids? Help them add, subtract and determine the length. If you need help tackling a question, you can use tools from math websites to work them out.
Collect and use outdoor learning materials.
Outside spaces provide free math learning tools and materials like sticks and pebbles. Rather than buying materials like beards in a thread, maximize the use of outdoor materials to teach math. You can separate the kids into groups and administer different tasks as they collect the materials. One group can collect ten sticks, while another collects twenty stones. Since these materials are not perishable, kids can use them indoors to learn later. Instead of using books, you can use the ground to work on the calculations while outside.
Use simple, practical questions.
Early child math learning is critical in how they tackle math questions and their attitude toward math later. Outdoor math learning allows tutors to ask practical questions. For example, “how many 10cm sticks would I need to build a house that is one meter tall?” Such a question involves counting and measuring, and in the process, the child will enhance critical thinking by building a stable house.
Conclusion
Teaching math concepts outdoors is more manageable and fun as the kids often initiate most activities. The tutor is only there to guide the kids in undertaking different tasks.