Math Scavenger Hunts: Simple Math Practice for the Classroom {with FREE Hunts!}

ByBethany

Could you use a simple classroom strategy that gets kids moving while also practicing and reviewing math skills? Try incorporating task card math scavenger hunts into your classroom and get more kids engaged in learning!

I am one of the lucky ones to have an eighty minute math block EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. But I quickly learned that my students could not spend those eighty minutes sitting in their seats. They needed to get up and MOVE, but I also still wanted them to engage in the math. Task Card Math Scavenger Hunts quickly solved this problem. My students love walking into my classroom and seeing the twenty-four task cards hung up around the room. They know that after our mini-lesson, they are in for a treat!

*This is a guest post from Paige at The Math Matrix

How to Use a Math Scavenger Hunts in the Classroom:

Our task card scavenger hunts are a pack of twenty-four task cards that require students to solve problems while “hunting down” their next problem. All students start at a different card – this way, students can complete the activity without everyone being crowded around one single problem.

At each card, students will solve the math problem. After they record their answers on the recording sheet (in the correct box), they need to search the room for the solution, which brings them to the next card with a new problem to solve.

Your students will be going around the room to continue to solve and search for the next answer until they get back to the card they started at – this will ensure they got all of the answers correct!

If they end up at their starting card and yet have missed some problems, they know they’ve made a mistake somewhere.

Or if they can’t find their solution around the room, perhaps it’s because they don’t have the right solution!

Using the scavenger hunt setup, students can self-check and work together to correct mistakes.

Four Benefits of Using Math Task Card Scavenger Hunts:

1. Get Students TALKING

I love when my students talk math in my classroom, and encourage discussions about solution strategies and helping each other with incorrect answers.

2. Get Students MOVING

I hang up my Task Card Scavenger Hunts all over my room and grade level hallway and have my students use their clipboards to get up and MOVE around!

3. Get Students IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK

The nature of Task Card Scavenger Hunts gives immediate feedback because if the student cannot find the answer on another card, they know that they made a mistake.

While introducing this activity, I always make sure to discuss what might happen if we can’t find the answer and to circle back to the card they were working on to troubleshoot their solution.

4. Get Students HELP

When my students are working all over my room, I find it really frees up my time and I can move from student to student to give help to those who need it. I also found that this time is the best to pull small groups of students when I see them making the same mistakes or having the same question!

Trying Task Card Scavenger Hunts in Your Classroom

As you can tell, Task Card Scavenger Hunts really help my students break up their time in my class, while still practicing the important math concepts that they have been learning.

If you are looking for a free sample to see if math scavenger hunts are right for your classroom, CLICK HERE for a free sample covering mixed multiplication and division math facts!

Plus, there are many more task card scavenger hunts over in my store for you to check out!

Once you start with Task Card Scavenger Hunts, you won’t look back (I promise – your students will be BEGGING to do more!)

Find More Math Scavenger Hunts for the Classroom Below:

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