Insightful Games + Math = FUN!!!

Insightful Games +1 more equals MATH FUN!

 

While Matthew and I were creating our updated Crazy 8 game, Ethan & DH created their own game with the UNO cards.

They drew two cards and added the cards value together.  Then when DH felt E was warmed up then he added a card to have him add up three cards.  He had a great time adding up the totals. But when it came time to play "real" UNO, we were minus an Uno child. (E didn't want to play the real game!)


While I was updating the Crazy 8 game, to have numbers 3-21, Matthew asked if he could write the numbers instead of me.  **Mommy was having a silent party, because that means he created it and will have much more ownership in playing this game + he practices writing his numbers.** The Crazy 8 cards had 4 sets of the same numbers or suit.  I decided two of the same number was fine and we left the 8s alone because we needed more of those numbers because it was still CRAZY 8!  :)  We just wrote over the numbers to turn the values to a double digit number- 4 to 14 or 2 into 20 & 21.  In Texas, Kindergartners only need to recognize numbers to 0-21 & since he loves UNO, Crazy 8 & Go Fish, why not update it to meet those TEKs he needs to master. 

The winner of this game is MOMMY!!! Of course, Matthew too because we combined fun games (which he created) + math skills to equal FUN LEARNING!!!!

 

Insightful Games!

InSIGHTful Games!

 If you don't know already, I love to pin! At night when I can't sleep I will pin until I get sleepy.

I felt a little guilty pinning all these things for my Kindergartner but hadn't made him anything.  I decided I was going to create something that he really is into lately, sight word game.  There are plenty of wonderful ideas from Pinterest and are pinned and planned on creating them....but I used my own creativity to make this for my little guy.  I was going to cut tag cards but then I noticed I found another set of playing cards of Disney Go Fish & Snap that came in a two pack at the Dollar Store.  * I thought instead of going through the trouble of cutting the cards and then being super anal annoyed with different sizes to my cards and/or them not being laminated (a teacher's friend- but once they are laminated then you have to cut them out which may never happen...I'm speaking the truth my fellow educators.)

So I went with the cards that were already colorful and all it needed was my handy Sharpie and mommy writing the words.  Matthew's teacher sends home,on a binder clip, all the words they have studied, so I just used those words.

Only 3 easy steps to create these InSIGHTful Games:

1. I wrote all the words down onto card stock so that we can make variations to the game at a later time.  I like using the cards because younger siblings, or children that aren't familiar with all the sight words could rely on the pictures to help with their game! :) 

2. I matched up all the characters, which were 4 in each set. 

3. I wrote the words twice on the matching card.

 The FUN step is making your game alive with your child, children, or students!

We were playing Sight Word Snap! 

 

 My favorite thing is creating something for all the LOVES in my life and them truly enjoying it!

  

Multiplication Treasure!

Ahoy Mateys! I feel like I started this year, smooth sailing...but I guess I boarded the SS Minnow and instead of getting through a 4 hour trip, I ended up tossed & jolted, or bumped. At about 4 weeks, I was "bumped" or moved to another campus.  My original class number was low (I hate to mention it because I know that in other states their standard class numbers are WAY higher than our state max) 16 to be exact, but I wasn't the lowest in my "former" team.
Although, I sort of felt deserted on a stranded island, I still had lots of hope.  I had heard nothing but great things about my new school & all of those comments are very true! Although, I still left a piece of my heart with my yellow jackets, I'm loving being a Tiger!!!  In fact, my team are pirates so I guess I was taken with them (pirates) to help find the "buried treasure." ( that was my attempt to reference How Became a Pirate, by Melinda Long)

But with much ado, I did find some treasure...Multiplication Treasure!  My new campus struggles in math, which I find the hardest to teach because it comes so natural for me.  I find myself getting upset and hear my inner pirate want to tell them to "walk the plank." So now I'm on the search for anything interactive, fun, exciting to bring my little pirate-teers to be great mathematicians.  I decided to share all my "booty."  I hope you find these helpful for your students.  If you use anything that your kids love, please Pin It &/or leave comments!

Fair winds!!!!
Christina

They loved this one...Warning: Your kids will sing it all the rest of the day!

Websites: 

Math is Fun- Multiplication Lessons
Tons of different multiplication worksheets with some being multiplication table

Super Teacher Worksheets has three great free activities:
I Have, Who Has? Multiplication Game
Multiplication Memory


Wheel Multiplication worksheet