Are you excited for the new year? I am so ready to start fresh and jump in feet first. I absolutely LOVE January and the start of all things new (and it doesn’t hurt that it’s my birthday, too! ;)). If you’re excited to try a new daily math approach this January, you’ve come to the right place. This set of easy, low prep math calendars is a great way to work on important math skills. Kids love the daily challenge, and you will love how easy and motivating they are! Read on to learn about the January Math Problem of the Day Calendars, and how to get a copy for your home or classroom.

*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure policy here.*

January Problem of the Day Calendars:

Not sure what these calendars are all about? This FREE download includes 3 one page, black and white calendars for the month of January. One calendar for grades K-2, one calendar for grades 3-5 and one calendar for grades 6-8.

Each day of the month includes a math problem, covering a huge variety of math skills.

>>>The fun twist? Each day, the solution is equal to the date!

This makes them self-checking, so kids can know whether or not they’ve solved it correctly, and can make corrections if necessary.

This may also mean that some kids will try to write the answer without actually solving the problem. I’ve got some ways to help prevent that though!

Ways to Use the Math Problem of the Day Calendar:

1. One way to use this is as a simple, daily warm up. This can be during morning time, as soon as kids come into class, or during your daily calendar time.

Allow kids to work out the solution independently and then discuss it as a group.

2. If you have kids who are likely to skip the math and just write the day’s date, require them to write out their thinking for how they solved it.

This would be an easy way to incorporate a daily math journal time.

3. Or you could simply use the daily problem as a class discussion starter and talk through different ways to solve it.

Once one child explains or shows how they can solve it, ask someone else to solve it differently.

4. Another really fun way to mix things up is to cut the calendar into pieces and have your kids solve it like a puzzle.

Print out a blank calendar page, and as they solve the problems they can glue them onto the correct dates on the calendar.

This will also eliminate the temptation to write the solution without actually doing the work.

**Quick Note: If you and your students love these calendars, you can buy the full year sets at the links below. A new *update* for 2026 is that each month now includes 2 calendars: one shown here, where the solution is equal to the date, and one where the problems are scrambled and not equal to the date. These versions are only available in the full year calendar sets.**

Topics Covered on the January 2026 Problem of the Day Calendars:

Grades K-2 Problem of the Day Calendar Topics:

• Addition and subtraction
• Money (U.S.)
• Time
• Comparing numbers
• Word problems
• Place value
• Math vocabulary

Buy the Complete K-2 Calendar Set HERE!

Grades 3-5 Problem of the Day Calendar Topics:

• Place value
• Addition and subtraction of 3-4 digit numbers
• Multiplication and division
• Long division (new)
• Adding fractions (like denominator)
• Elapsed time
• Word problems (1 and 2-step)
• Area and perimeter
• Math vocabulary

Buy the Complete 3-5 Calendar Set HERE!

Grades 6-8 Problem of the Day Calendar Topics:

• Multiplication and division
• Operations with fractions and decimals
• Exponent properties
• Order of operations
• Solving linear equations
• Area and perimeter
• Surface area and volume
• Math vocabulary
• Word problems

An additional challenge included on the middle school calendar (level 3) are “create your own” problems. Occasionally, rather than a given problem, kids are asked to create a math problem with a given solution.

This helps them think about the math they’re learning at a higher level, and gives them the chance to challenge their friends.

Buy the Complete 6-8 Calendar Set HERE!

So I hope you and your kids love these calendars as much as I do, and if you have any other fun or unique ways to incorporate them into your daily school routine, shoot me an email to share!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE January Problem of the Day Calendars!}

More Fun Winter Math Ideas:

• Build a Snowman Place Value Set
• Snow Day Math Outside
• Create a Snowflake Fractal
• Hot Chocolate Math Investigation
• Winter Solve & Color Addition Pages
• I Spy Winter Counting Booklet

The post January 2026 Problem of the Day Calendars {FREE} appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

I occasionally like to think of myself as a runner. Unfortunately, being an “occasional runner” does not lead to increased strength, endurance and overall improvement. What it ends up looking like is running for 2-3 days in a row, then taking a break for a  week or two. Inevitably, when I go to run again, it feels like I’m starting over. My muscles have to work back up to their prior strength and even though I might have been able to run 3 miles two weeks ago, I can no longer make it that far without walking & taking a break.

Note: This post is sponsored by Komodo Math, but all opinions are completely my own and based on my own use of the program with my 5th grade child. Read our full disclosure here.

Building math fluency is a lot like running. It requires consistency & dedication. Short, but purposeful practice actually doing math. What do you think will be more beneficial to a student who struggles with math–spending 2 hours slogging through problems once a week, or spending 15-20 minutes a day five times a week? Shorter, but more frequent practice & study sessions help kids become more confident in their math skills and helps their brain retain what they’re learning better than cramming it all into one huge session (plus, kids have short attention spans, so good luck trying to do 2 hours of math!)

This is one of the things I appreciate about Komodo Math: it is designed to provide short, regular practice that’s effective & aimed at exactly the skills your child needs to work on.

If you have a child or student in grades K-5 who could benefit from extra practice, I invite you to check out Komodo Math.

Komodo Math Review:

Here are some things my 5th grader and I have enjoyed about Komodo Math so far: 

• A real teacher is involved in creating a custom learning plan, based on your child’s needs and their score on the initial assessment
• There are short, clear teaching videos to teach & support each math topic
• The math practice sets are focused, without being overly busy or difficult to navigate
• Parents can further customize their child’s learning plan (you can decide how many problems they do in each set, what they need to score in order to move on, etc.)
• There is the opportunity to make corrections, allow students to reflect and learn from their mistakes (rather than simply telling them the answer as soon as they get it wrong)

(And just a quick note–my child is in 5th grade, which is the upper age range for Komodo, but this would also be a wonderful support for younger kiddos. There are lots of great visual models in the problem sets and videos, and personalized support from a teacher to create a learning plan that best suits them).

One thing that was a little stressful for my child initially was the timer on each problem set. This does not count down, but simply tracks their time spent. Once I explained that she didn’t need to feel rushed or pressured, that she can take all the time she needed, she felt better.

But I also love that I was able to easily turn the timer off with the click of a button in the parent dashboard. It’s not helpful or motivating for her, so I turned it off by clicking “hide lesson timer.”

The dashboard also provides transcripts and a dyslexia option that changes the colors in the app to minimize visual stress.

Although the math practice is not gamified, Komodo does emphasize motivation & celebrating milestones and wins in the learning process. They also strive to include parents in this as well, allowing parents to set specific goals and rewards for their children within the platform.

To motivate my child, I added a “pool time” reward to her account. Whenever she completes the requirements this summer, she can redeem her reward for some relaxing time at the pool.

After each session a short report is emailed to parents. They can then reply to the email with some encouragement and the message is sent to the child right inside the app. (<–This is such a unique feature and a great way for parents or other supporters to be involved in learning and cheering the child on!)

If you’re looking for something to help your child prevent the dreaded summer slide or something to help them fill in math gaps, or just give them a leg up in math for the next school year, see if Komodo Math is right for you.

Getting Started with Komodo Math:

You can get started with a free trial so you and your child can test it out to decide. Setting up the app and your family account is easy.

Once you sign up, you’ll need to download the app to your device(s) of choice. I downloaded it to my computer because I think that’s the easiest device to use, but it’s also available for Apple & Android tablets and phones.

Once you’ve got the app downloaded, you’ll create an account login and get your kids set up.

For each child, you can provide relevant information about their needs and learning (this includes current grade level, but also accommodations they might need, such as extra time, if they are dyslexic, etc.).

Then you’ll just have your child take a quick assessment. This is not long or overwhelming, but it allows the teachers at Komodo to get a snapshot of their current understanding, speed and fluency.

After that, you’ll need to wait while a teacher sets up a customized learning plan for your child. I heard back in about 15 hours, but that was because it was on the weekend. Typical turn around time is 2-3 hours. If you don’t hear anything in 24 hours, just reach out to them and they will help you out!

Once your child’s account is ready, they simply login and start their math practice!

Altogether, the app download and account set up took me less than 30 minutes. Then the next day we had our customized plan and my 5th grader has been working through the lessons since then!

Komodo Math Pricing Options:

No matter which plan you choose, you will start with a 2-week free trial.

Then you can choose between a monthly option and an annual option. The monthly plan (for one subject and one child) is the most flexible and is $14.99/month.

But you can also add language arts to your child’s plan for $21.99/month.

Adding additional learners is easy and can be done at time of sign up, or later once you decide to stick with the program. Additional learners can be added at a 50% savings.

If you’re concerned about saving money, annual plan options will save you 25%, offering the best value.

Ready to get started? Learn more and start your Komodo Math trial HERE!

The post Komodo Math Review & Tips for Getting Started appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Do you have a stash of geoboards collecting dust in your closet? Well, get ready to pull them out as your students create images to celebrate Earth Day! This set of hands on math challenges will help your students compose shapes, count, add and create a simple bar graph. This is a great way to take a break from your normal math routine & focus on ways to care for our planet (while also weaving in some important math concepts ;)). And as a bonus, little learners can strengthen those fine motor skills too!

*Note: This post contains affiliate links which help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

Materials Needed for Earth Day Geoboard Activity Pages:

• Geoboard for each student (you can grab a set on Amazon here if you don’t have any yet)
• Large bag of rubber bands in a variety of colors (you can likely find rubber bands at the dollar store, but for a good variety of colors, try this set or something similar)
• Printed student handouts (grab for free in my shop using the link at the end of the post)

How to Use the Earth Day Geoboard Pages:

This download includes 10 different images for students to create using rubber bands on their geoboard. To begin, students choose a picture and recreate it on their geoboard.

Images Included:

• Leaf
• Sun
• Flower
• Earth
• Trash Can
• Tree
• Lightbulb
• Plant
• Watering Can
• Faucet

Once they’ve created the image with rubber bands, they create a bar graph by counting the number of rubber bands they used for each color in their design.

Finally, they add all the values together to find the total number of rubber bands.

The activity is pretty straightforward once you print and gather all the materials.

A quick note: Color images AND black and white images are included, allowing you to choose how to present this to students.

If you have matching colors and you think it will be easier for students to see & recreate the pictures, give them the color pages and corresponding colors of rubber bands.

However, if you want this to be more open ended & allow for more creativity from your students, provide the black and white pictures.

Students can then choose their own colors to create each design and everyone’s bar graphs will be different.

One final note: You may also want to encourage students to create their own design for a particular object, rather than copying the design shown exactly.

This will challenge them to find another way to make a picture on their geoboard and see new ways to compose shapes.

For example, you may have them design their own flower and then compare it to the flower picture shown on the activity page.

Discussion Questions: Earth Day Math

As students create their designs, or after everyone is finished, it would be good to discuss the activity together, both to reflect on Earth Day and also tie in some math concepts. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• How does your picture relate to Earth Day? How does it remind you to care for our planet?
• Which picture used the greatest number of rubber bands?
• Which picture used the least?
• What shapes do you see in your picture?
• How many rectangles do you see? How many squares? How many line segments?

I hope this provides a fun Earth Day math challenge for your students! But if you’re wanting even more ways to combine math + Earth Day, check out the resources below. There’s something for a variety of ages!

• Earth Day Math Board Games (add, subtract, multiply & divide)
• Earth Day Color a Fraction Challenge
• 50+ Spring Math Activities for Grades K-8

And if you’re ready to try out the Earth Day Geoboard Activity, use the link below to grab it FREE in my shop! Enjoy!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Earth Day Geoboard Activity for Grades K-2!}

The post {FREE} Earth Day Geoboard Activity – Grades K-2 appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Have you and your students been counting the days of school? Do you know when you will hit ‘day 100?’ If you haven’t been keeping track, never fear. There’s still time to do a quick calendar count and plan for that fun milestone-the 100th day of school! And if you teach preschool or kindergarten, you will definitely want to include these 100th day of school color by addition pages. This can provide a fun themed review of addition facts while also celebrating the 100th day.

What is the 100th Day of School & Why Does it Matter?

In any given school year, the 100th day is just that–the 100th day that students have been in school learning and growing.

When this day occurs will obviously vary, but it is typically sometime between the end of January or end of February, depending on when you start school.

Why does this matter? Well, for one, the school year is long and marking milestones like making it 100 full days can bring some excitement and joy into the classroom. It’s an opportunity to acknowledge how hard students have worked so far and to celebrate that they are past the ‘halfway’ mark for the year.

It also comes at a time of the year that can be *ahem* challenging. Coming back to school in January after the Christmas break often means no real break again until spring break. That can be a long stretch, especially during cold or dreary winter months. So adding a bit of celebration to that stretch of school is a great way to break up the mundane!

Lastly, as a math teacher, I’m especially partial to the 100th day because the number 100 provides so many wonderful opportunities for math learning and exploration, no matter the age of your students.

Little ones can practice counting and skip counting to 100.

Older kids can practice factoring or 2-digit addition.

Students can think about how many different ways to decompose 100.

And 5th grade students can take it a step further and celebrate their 1,000th day of school! (In 5th grade, on the 100th day, students will have been in school for exactly 1,000 days: 180 days in K-4 + 100 days in 5th, assuming they have 180 days in each school year).

Want to fill your 100th day with math goodness? Check out this post with 100+ math ideas for the 100th day of school.

100th Day of School Color by Addition Pages:

And again, if you want a fun and super low-prep option for your 100th day, grab these addition fact practice pages.

There are 8 different coloring pages included in this download, as well as answer keys so you can see what the final pictures will look like.

Each page includes addition facts within 10. Students solve each addition expression, then color the spaces according to the color code.

Materials Needed for the 100th Day Coloring Pages:

• 100th Day Coloring Sheets of Your Choice (simply print the ones you want)
• Crayons, colored pencils or markers

Ideas for Using the Color by Addition Pages with Students:

Your students likely will not have time to complete all 8 pages, so here are some ideas for using them:

1. Print 5 or so copies of each page for a math center & let students choose just one
2. Choose 2 different pictures and print them front/back on a single sheet & give one to each student
3. Print 1 or 2 pages for your students to take home to complete when they want
4. Print a variety of the pages to have on hand for early finishers

Lastly, if you have enough students complete a coloring page, you can use them as decoration around your room or on a bulletin board!

Ready to grab the download for your students? Just click the link below to go to my shop and grab the free download.

{Click HERE to go to my shop & grab the FREE 100th Day Color by Addition Set!}

Need more ideas for the 100th day of school? Check out additional ideas below!

• 100th Day of School STEM Challenges
• ‘Make 100’ Games for the 100th Day
• 100 Math Ideas for the 100th Day of School
• 100th Day Google Slide Challenges

The post {FREE} 100th Day Color by Addition | Add Within 10 Practice appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

As students learn the four math operations, it’s imperative that they learn to apply the operations to show higher level thinking.  Students should be able to determine which one to use and apply it to real-life situations, especially considering that our end goal is to create productive thinkers who can change the world.

One way we do this is by providing students with word problems that highlight the math operation and include problems that may happen in the real world.  Let’s explore some common reasons why students struggle with math word problems and learn two word problem strategies to help them overcome these challenges.

*This is a guest post from Jessica at Math with Purpose.

Common Reasons Students Struggle with Word Problems:

1. They’re Developing Reading Comprehension Skills

It’s no surprise that word problems can be a challenge for many students.  After all, many of these students are developing their own reading skills and then being asked to read and interpret informational text in a word problem.

Many word problems include multiple steps which require students to infer what to do first.  In fact, the National Foundation for Educational Research found that poor inferring skills lead to poor comprehension.

It is a skill that students must be explicitly taught and is usually one of the later skills due to its complexity. That means our students are expected to do a higher level of reading comprehension every time they read that short word problem in math class!

2. They’re Relying Only On Keywords (Rather than the Meaning of Operations)

Students can encounter difficulty when translating words into mathematical symbols or equations. They may struggle to identify which mathematical operations are needed to solve the problem and how to represent the problem in a mathematical format.  Many teachers teach students to circle key words and memorize them to determine which operation to use.

Students may learn that addition means to “add to” or “make a total” while subtraction is an action of “taking away”.  Students look for keywords that they can circle to determine whether adding or subtracting.   But what happens when the action is there, but students actually need to solve using a different math operation? Here’s an example:

Gabbi had some stickers.  She earned 12 more stickers for completing her homework.  Now she has 56 stickers.  How many stickers did she have at first?

In this problem, it’s clearly an “add to” situation.  Gabbi is adding to her collection.  However, to solve the problem, a student would need to subtract from the total to find the missing part.

While keywords can help with some problems, they don’t actually work for the variety of word problems students will encounter.

In fact, according to the University of Arizona, students will solve 15 different addition and subtraction problem types by the end of Grade 2 and 9 different multiplication and division problem types by the end of Grade 4.

Read more about the problems with relying on key words in word problems here.

Word Problem Strategies to Help Students Comprehend Operations Before Solving

In order to help students comprehend and solve complicated word problems, math educators have to think like a reading teacher and acknowledge there is a whole set of skills required for students to do the mathematics.

Instead of using basic strategies such as circling key words and plugging in numbers that may work some of the time, teachers can push for greater depth and understanding using two easy word problem strategies.

1. Make connections to prior knowledge and experiences:

One of the first reading strategies students learn is to make a movie of the text in their head and make real-world connections to the story.  The most meaningful connections are text to self connections where students relate the text to their own lives.

Students can do the same thing with a word problem!  They can read the story and make a picture of what’s happening– maybe even act it out with real life objects.

Teachers can also change the nouns in the word problem to be more relatable for each class including student names in the problems and objects that they enjoy doing each day.  This one simple change will help students engage with the text and want to find out more.

2. Visualize the problem by drawing a picture:

Once students are connected to the story of the word problem, it’s time to connect it to mathematics.

Instead of relying on keywords, students can draw visuals of the part-whole, comparison or equal groups models to show what operation will be needed to solve the problem.

Through drawing bar models, students will identify the variable and lay the strong foundation for algebra even beginning in Grade 2.

These visuals aren’t complicated and can be taught easily while students are comprehending the word problem.  You can find out more about these visual models for word problems in this blog post and even snag free posters for each representation for your classroom.

Solving math word problems is a valuable skill that empowers students to apply mathematical knowledge in real-life situations, but it also requires students to use a variety of skills to accomplish.  By thinking like a reading teacher, math educators can employ the skills they use during reading to truly help students master word problems by making connections and visualizing the problem.

If you are looking for more support to help students walk through the variety of word problems they will encounter, consider The Problem Solving Handbook.

It includes 3 video lessons for each problem type, plus practice and challenge problems for students to truly master word problems.

The post How to Tackle Math Word Problems & Make Sense of Operations appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

One of the most essential math skills in the early years is addition. Helping kids build a solid foundation with early addition within 10 and 20 will set the stage for not only addition with larger numbers, but for subtraction as well. If you want to weave some meaningful math practice into your St. Patrick’s Day plans, this set is for you. In the download you will find a variety of low-prep addition to 20 practice pages but also hands on puzzles. Learn more about this free St. Patrick’s Day addition practice set below!

St. Patrick’s Day Addition Practice:

There are so many ways to explore, see and make sense of addition. And not every child with think about it in the same way! But to help kids build their own number sense, it is essential that they are given and shown lots of visuals so their brains can attach an abstract concept to a visual representation.

In this set of addition practice pages, you’ll find a page of practice with pictorial representations as kids add up the leprechaun’s coins.

This helps kids move from counting objects one by one to actually adding two sets of numbers together. This can also provide an opportunity to practice counting on or making ten.

In addition, there is a page with “shamrock number lines,” providing another visual and another way to think about addition. Again, kids can use the number line to practice counting on.

You will also find a “fact family” true or false page. This is a great challenge for kids to think about what makes a set of numbers a “fact family,” and also begin to lay the foundation for subtraction and part-part-whole thinking.

Lastly, there is an addition color by number page for print-and-go practice, as well as an addition facts matching page.

St. Patrick’s Day Addition Puzzles:

Lastly, in the download you will find a set of 10 addition matching puzzles.

Kids must find a pair of numbers that have the sum of each number from 11-20, along with a picture to match.

This will challenge kids to think of different ways to decompose each number, while looking for puzzle pieces that fit together appropriately.

These take a little bit of prep, but can then be a great early finisher challenge, math center or choice board option for St. Patrick’s Day or anytime in March.

How to Prep the Addition Puzzles:

To begin, print the 3 sheets of puzzles on card stock paper for durability. I also recommend you laminate the puzzles before cutting them out.

Then carefully cut out each puzzle, along with each individual piece along the thick black lines. There are 4 pieces to each puzzle.

Then mix all the pieces up and store in a large ziplock bag or small plastic box for students to grab and complete.

Included in the Addition Practice Download:

• 5 low-prep addition practice pages for St. Patrick’s Day
• Set of 10 printable puzzles – Compose the numbers 11-20
• Answer key for all worksheet pages

Ready to grab this download for your students? Click the link below to go to my shop and grab your free copy!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE St. Patrick’s Day Addition Practice Set!}

More FREE St. Patrick’s Day Math Resources:

• St. Patrick’s Day Counting: Hands On Games {FREE}
• St. Patrick’s Day Math Pack {K-1}
• St. Patrick’s Day Fractions: FREE Clip Cards
• {FREE} St. Patrick’s Day Triangle Game | Grades 4-6
• Leprechaun Tricks: Integer Challenges {FREE}
• The BEST St. Patrick’s Day Math Activities {All Ages!}

The post St. Patrick’s Day Addition Practice – Grades 1-2 appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

What do you do when you reach that point in December when every kid is bouncing off the walls and no one has any interest in learning? Combine purposeful review with fun activities! Building confidence and fluency with addition is essential early on. But achieving that level of confidence and fluency takes time, practice and multiple opportunities. So even if your first or second graders have already learned addition within 20, circling back and providing some additional review will likely be helpful for  most students. And those who have already mastered it? Well print the more challenging addition pages included in this download!

Materials Needed for the Christmas Addition Practice:

This activity is super low prep! To begin, you will want to gather a few materials though.

• Printed cut and paste pages (link to my shop at the end of the post)
• Scissors for each student
• Gluestick for each student
• Crayons or colored pencils (optional)

Practice Addition Within 20

In the download, you will first find 2 pages of problems to add numbers within 20, Practice A and Practice B. In order to help Santa out, they have to add up all the presents going into his sleigh.

To begin, they can cut out the sleighs at the bottom of the page.

Once they have solved each addition problem, they glue the sleigh in the corresponding box.

Encourage students to use whatever strategies they prefer as they solve the problems. This might include drawing a number line on a white board or scratch paper. Or it might be making ten to add. Or grabbing a pile of blocks (or other manipulative) to model each addend and then count on to add them together.

After students complete their page, discuss different ideas and strategies as a group. Hearing ways other students thought about and tackled each problem will benefit everyone!

More Christmas Math for K-2:

Looking for fun and engaging Christmas math games that you can use to practice all sorts of math skills in the month of December? This set of Gingerbread Math activities includes hands on practice, simple games, and tasty fun with gumdrops that your kids will love!

LEARN MORE AND GRAB THE GINGERBREAD MATH COLLECTION HERE

Practice Addition Within 50

If you have students who are ready for a bigger challenge, there are 2 additional cut and paste pages, allowing you to easily differentiate.

Practice C includes addition problems up to 50 without needing to regroup.

Practice D includes addition problems up to 50 which require regrouping.

These pages look the same, and are completed the same way, so you can give students different levels if needed.

Or you can start everyone on Practice A and gradually work through each addition page so they can increase in difficulty and apply their knowledge and strategies for addition to larger and more challenging numbers.

I’ll bet your kids will be surprised and proud of themselves when they get to the most challenging addition problems!

I hope these simple and low-prep Christmas addition practice pages provide a fun and easy way to review in the days leading up to Christmas break. Or save them in your sub folder and let your kids complete them in February! Who’s going to mind?!

Whenever you use them, I hope it helps save you some time and sanity!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Christmas Addition Practice for First Grade!}

Looking for more Christmas Math FUN? Try one of the activities below:

• Christmas Shopping: Money Math Practice {FREE}
• Christmas Make Ten Sort {FREE}
• Christmas Addition and Subtraction Maze Challenges {FREE}
• Simple Problem of the Day Christmas Countdown!

The post {FREE!} Christmas Addition Practice – 1st Grade appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

There is no shortage of Christmas math activities for preschool on the internet. While a quick search on Google or Pinterest may pull up pages and pages of results, it might be a little overwhelming. So I hope that this simple, low-prep printable set makes the Christmas season a little less stressful for you! Whether you are a preschool teacher, a homeschool parent or you’re just looking for some meaningful learning activities for your little one during the holiday break, I’ve got you covered. You’ll be able to practice important skills such as “same or different,” line tracing, and counting and recognizing numbers 1-5. Learn more below!

Practice Math While Building Fine Motor Skills:

You will find that the activities included in this printable pack will not only help your little one practice early math skills, but also important fine motor skills.

The finish the pattern page includes a variety of pictures to cut and paste. Even if your kids are too young to cut out each individual picture, they will still get some great fine motor work in as they pick up each picture and glue it to the patterns page.

You’ll also notice that there are more images to cut out than there is space on the page.

This will challenge kids to really pay attention to the patterns and solve them. For example, there are multiple trees to choose from, so on the tree pattern, kids will need to decide which tree comes next.

There is also a line tracing page, allowing kids to practice forming lines in different patterns. Print this page on cardstock paper, then slip it into a page protector. Give kids a dry erase marker and they can trace, erase and re-trace over and over again!

Cheer them on as they get better at following the lines and increase their precision.

Same or Different? Pages

You will also find two different “same and different” challenges. On the first page, kids look at each row of Christmas hats to determine which hat is different.

This is a fun activity to help kids discern differences and build confidence as they correctly find the “odd man out.”

The second page is a bit more challenging.

On the second page, kids look at a row of Christmas trees and they have to find two trees that are the same. Finding two in the same row that are exactly alike takes a bit of concentration!

Christmas Math Center: Numbers 1-5

Lastly, in the download you will find a simple set of printable puzzles. These puzzles require a little bit of prep, but once they are ready kids can play with them again and again all December.

To prep the puzzles, print out the pages on cardstock paper for durability.

Then cut out each puzzle piece to separate them. Each puzzle includes 3 pieces: the numeral, the number word and a picture to represent the number.

This will allow kids to work on learning number words, counting objects to find “how many,” and recognizing the numbers 1-5. They will also build their subitizing skills, as they work to recognize groups of objects without counting them one by one.

These puzzles would make a great center activity. You could even prep multiple sets and keep them separated in ziplock baggies. Then a small group of students could all work on the puzzles at the same time.

Christmas Number Craft:

Another idea is to give each student the pieces of 1 puzzle to correspond with your number of the day. Then give them a piece of construction paper and have them glue down the pieces once they’ve put them together correctly.

Then each day for a week, kids can assemble their number puzzle (in order from 1-5) and glue them onto construction paper. At the end of the week, they will have a whole set of visuals for the numbers 1-5 to take home!

You could even glue them onto half sheets and then staple them together into a booklet at the end of the week.

However you decide to use these Christmas Math activities with your preschooler, I hope it is FUN and I hope it provides meaningful engagement with math over the holiday season.

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Christmas Math Activities for Preschool!}

Looking for more Christmas Math Practice for Little Ones? Try the activities below:

• Christmas Count and Color Pages {FREE}
• Christmas Make Ten Sort {FREE}
• Simple Problem of the Day Christmas Countdown!
• Easy Christmas Tree Symmetry Craft!

The post {FREE!} Christmas Math Activities for Preschool | Low-Prep appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

Ahh fall. The time for cooler weather, changing leaves and all things pumpkin. Fall is my favorite time of the year, and I love picking out the perfect pumpkin with my kids, so of course I’m going to find ways to incorporate math! But along with learning math with pumpkins and pumpkin seeds, it’s the perfect opportunity to combine math with science and reading as you learn about pumpkins, their life cycle and read all the adorable pumpkin picture books. If you’re looking for an easy way to save all that new pumpkin knowledge in one place, look no further. This hands on “All About Pumpkins” project is a great way to kick start your unit on pumpkins!

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

Materials Needed for the All About Pumpkins Interactive Folder:

This interactive folder, or lapbook, is super easy to assemble and only requires a few supplies. But once your kids have it put together, they can add to it, refer back to it, and make it their own.

For this hands on pumpkin activity, you will need:

• A single file folder (such as these)
• The printable pages (get them in my shop at the link at the end of this post)
• Scissors
• Glue sticks
• Markers or colored pencils (optional)

You may also want to stock up on some books about pumpkins so your kids can read more or add to their folder after they assemble it.

Getting Started:

To begin, you’ll want to open the folder and fold each side in halfway so that they meet in the center, as seen below.

Then print out the interactive pieces that will go in your folder.

Note: the first page does not need to be printed. It is to show you the layout of the inside of the folder, so you can see where all the pieces go.

Once your folder is prepped, cut out all the pieces that you will use to assemble the interactive folder.

Lastly, simple glue the different pieces into the inside of the folder!

Be careful as you glue things down, however, so that they maintain their interactive elements.

For example, the pieces on the left flap are meant to be pockets, so you will only glue down three sides, leaving the top open.

They can then add their “pumpkin facts” strips into the “about pumpkins” pocket and can add some dried pumpkin seeds into the seed pocket (if you have any).

Then in the center, you will fold the “life cycle of a pumpkin” in half and glue down the bottom so that it opens. Then you can glue the large pumpkin on the top flap, so it looks like you are opening the pumpkin.

On the right side, students can match the pumpkin vocabulary words with their definitions. I would encourage you to either work together to be sure they have matched the words and definitions correctly, or have students match them first before they glue everything down. That way you can check it before things are glued into the folder.

Lastly, have kids glue the “Parts of a Pumpkin” label to the very top of the folder, above the short blurb about pumpkins.

Then they have a ton of vocabulary words, pumpkin facts and pumpkin life cycle all stored neatly in one place!

Using the All About Pumpkins Interactive Folder:

Once kids have their folders assembled, they can quiz each other on the different parts of a pumpkin, review the pumpkin life cycle or take turns reading the “fun facts” strips with a partner.

You can also combine this with pumpkin seed math activities, allowing kids to store a small handful in their “seed pocket” when they finish.

Math with Pumpkin Seeds:

• How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? Fall Estimation Fun!
• Hands On Pumpkin Seed Math with a Number Bond {FREE}

And of course, you’ll want to read great pumpkin books. Here’s a fun book that you can use to read about pumpkins and practice math with the free printable game: {FREE} Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins Board Game!

However you use this interactive folder, I hope you and your kids have a blast learning all about pumpkins! Be sure to take a trip to a pumpkin patch to complete your study.

Grab the free printable set at the link below!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Printable All About Pumpkins Interactive Folder Set!}

Looking for more pumpkin math ideas? Check out the links below:

• Pumpkin Pie Counting Cards | Printable + DIGITAL
• Pumpkin Number Bonds to Ten Cut and Paste {FREE}
• {FREE} Multi-Digit Multiplication with Pumpkins for Fall
• Fall Multiplication Games | Low-prep and FREE

The post {FREE} All About Pumpkins: Interactive Folder for Kids appeared first on Math Geek Mama.

It’s back to school time, and that means learning math with apples! I have lots of apple math resources available, but today is especially focused on addition within 10. Using ten frames as a visual model will help kids build number sense as they make combinations, break apart the number ten and even find the missing addend. And while I always love hands on math (including apples and apple slices!), the benefit of these pages is that they are no prep and no mess! Just print and explore a variety of essential math concepts with your kindergarten or first grade students. Learn more about what you’ll get in this free set of Apple Addition with Ten Frames coloring pages below.

*Please Note: This post contains affiliate links which help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure here.*

The Benefits of Using Ten Frames

This set of addition pages specifically uses ten frames to help students “see” quantities and sums. These are laid out horizontally to help students see groups of 5 and some more, from left to right.

Ten frames are just one visual that can help students develop the skill of subitizing. This means “seeing” quantities without counting each individual object.

Think of a die, for instance. When you roll a die, you likely don’t have to count the dots to see what you rolled. You know at a glance when you see a ‘5.’

Ten frames can provide an additional visual model for numbers, and have the added benefit of making sense of our base ten system.

For instance, we can easily see different combinations of 10 when they are modeled on a ten frame. Knowing how to “make ten” is a foundational skill that students will continue to use as they explore larger numbers, larger sums and even subtraction and multiplication.

This set of ten frame addition pages utilize ten frames in a few different ways to build number sense and practice addition skills.

Apple Addition Within Ten

The first two coloring pages in the free download are simple addition practice pages. But to solve, students color in apples on the ten frame using two different colors to model the problem.

They may not realize it, but seeing each combination with different colors and within the ten frame will help students gain fluency with certain facts.

For instance, when they color to add 3 + 2, they will see it as a group of 3 and a group of 2, for a total of 5. This will help make the connection in their brain that they can recall later.

Making Ten with Apple Ten Frames

The next two coloring pages focus on ‘making ten.’ Students are given a blank set of equations and must find all the combinations that equal ten by coloring in the apples.

Some students may work systematically, starting with 1+9, then 2+8, etc. but others may just start randomly coloring.

Resist the urge to stop them, correct them, or tell them how to work through it. Students may not see a pattern initially, but playing around with numbers and writing different equations will help them to see patterns on their own eventually.

If you have students who struggle with this, you might grab a hands on manipulative for them to physically separate on the tabletop. You could use apple slices, like in this activity, but you don’t have to. It can be anything at all–blocks, coins, pom poms, etc. Just give them a set of 10 and have them make different groups out of it.

For more “make ten” practice, try this simple card game!

Solve for the Missing Addend

The last two coloring pages increase the challenge by asking students to find the missing addend. By now they should be familiar with representing addition on a ten frame, but if they’re unsure how to start, here are some ideas to help.

First, talk about what addition means. Make sure they are clear about what the question is asking. What exactly does 2 + __ = 8 mean?

Next, remind them they can still color the apples to represent the two parts. Begin by coloring the first part one color. If they are not sure how to color the second part (since it is unknown), ask them to circle the ‘whole’ on the ten frame-in this case, 8.

Hopefully they are able to recognize where 8 is on the ten frame and can find it without counting.

When they see the first part colored (2) and the whole circled (8), they will hopefully then see on the ten frame that the missing part is the number of apples between 2 and 8, or 6 additional apples.

They should then be able to complete the pages on their own.

Ready to get started? Just grab the free set of apple addition worksheets in my shop using the link below!

{Click HERE to go to my shop and grab the FREE Apple Addition with Ten Frames Worksheets!}

Looking for more Apple Math FUN? Check out the ideas and freebies below!

• Ten Apples Up On Top Math Game {FREE}
• Apple STEM Challenge {Simple STEM for Kids}
• Number Bonds with Apple Slices {FREE Printables!}
• Apple Ten Frame Games for Kindergarten {FREE}

The post Apple Addition with Ten Frames – Decompose Numbers {FREE} appeared first on Math Geek Mama.