- Use active games that students know. Young students can practice counting while playing a math version of Simon Says. Instead of doing a movement like touching the ground, students can be told to "Jump 4 times" or "Show 2 fingers". Call it "Mr.Math Says." Older students can play the game "Math Ball.. They can sit on their desks and toss a Nerf ball to each other. When a student catches the ball, he or she must answer the teacher's math problem. Missing the ball means they have to answer two problems. Students who miss their problems must be "out" and sit in their seats.
- Interactive math games abound on the Internet. While not all of them provide math skills practice, there are plenty that help children improve their skills while still being interactive and fun. A Plus Math has a form of bingo that helps students practice addition, subtraction, multiplication or division skills. The site also has Planet Blaster, which encourages students to practice double digit addition and subtraction and has the bonus of explosions for correct answers. Cool Math 4 Kids has games that utilize computation, money and percentage skills, such as Lemonade Stand and Coffee Shop.
- Develop a classroom store. Have students earn play money for good behavior, then allow them to "shop" for such small prizes as erasers and candy. Or have older students plan and execute a bake, used book or used toy sales. These activities will allow students to practice money skills in an active way.
Plan a class project. Students can design and build window boxes, a bulletin board display, birdhouses, a sandbox, a garden or bookshelves. They can practice measurement skills, geometry skills and computation skills while finishing these projects.
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