A list of some of the best outdoor math activities to help your child learn while playing!

Summer is just around the corner and there is no better time for your child to get some fresh air and enjoy a few outdoor math activities! Outdoor math activities are an excellent way to introduce your child to mathematics and have them develop an interest in problem solving.

To younger students, a lot of the time math is mainly seen as a chore for school. However, if parents are able to successfully sprinkle math into fun and exciting games. Their little ones will begin to realize that math can be an enjoyable and fulfilling hobby! In this article, we will provide you with some of the best outdoor math activities for your child to try this summer. 

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Water Balloon Calculation Activity 

This activity is the perfect opportunity for your child to both practice calculation problems and cool off! For this game, start off by writing numbers on pieces of paper and spread out those pieces of paper on the ground. 

Next, use a marker to draw arithmetic equations on the water balloons that equal the numbers shown on the pieces of paper. For example, if one of the numbers is 21, a possible equation on a water balloon could be 10 plus 11. 

After that, the fun part begins! Have your child solve the equation on the water balloon and then throw it towards the paper with the correct number on it. Lastly, if your child is a little more advanced at math, you can also write basic algebra questions on the water balloons as well. 

Counting Through Nature

This second math activity is best suited for younger students who are mostly beginners. The recommended age group for this game would be children in preschool to early elementary. In this activity, simply write numbers on pieces of paper. If you would like to get more creative, you can have the pieces of paper be colorful or in the shape of a flower, plant, etc.  

Next, allow your child to find objects outside that equal the numbers written on the paper. For instance, if your little one is interested in rocks, have them find eight rocks that are hidden throughout the backyard. 

The same can be done for leaves, pinecones, fruit, and so on. It ultimately just comes down to the things your child enjoys in nature. Overall, this activity will have your child practicing their counting skills without even noticing! 

Bug Scavenger Hunt 

Here is another superb counting exercise that you can try with your child outdoors. If your little explorer is curious about insects and likes to observe them out in the open. Then they will absolutely fall in love with this activity! 

For this scavenger hunt, you will need a pen or marker, a piece of paper or white board, and a jar of some sort if you plan to capture the bugs. First, create a list of insects that your child hopes to find outside such as ladybugs, beetles, ants, and so forth. After that, pack up your supplies and get searching! Once the scavenger hunt is over, have your child write down how many of each bug they encountered. 

As a suggestion, if the area around your home contains a variety of different animals and critters. Feel free to expand your scavenger hunt to other walks of life like lizards, worms, and snakes as long as they are not dangerous!

Marshmallow Shoot and Measure Game 

This is a super interactive game for young children that will help introduce them to measurements. In this activity, you will need marshmallows, a toy marshmallow blasting gun, a tape measure, a pen/pencil, and some paper. 

The objective of this game is relatively simple. Load up the toy marshmallow gun with marshmallows and have your child shoot them as far as they can. After each round, have them measure the distance between where they stood and where the marshmallow landed. If you want, you can also write down each measurement and track which marshmallow went the farthest. 

However, if you do not want to spend the money to purchase a marshmallow blasting gun which usually costs around $20-$30. You can use a slingshot instead! 

Number Line Calculation Activity 

This is another great measuring activity to try with your child. The only materials needed for this game include some sidewalk chalk and rocks to use as measuring markers. 

For starters, there are two separate parts to this activity. The first part involves drawing a number line on the sidewalk with chalk and then having your child number off sections of the line. The numbers can be whichever you like but a suggestion would be to list numbers 0-100 in increments of five. 

After this part of the exercise is complete, it is time for the calculation practice! Have your child solve basic arithmetic questions and then place a rock on the number line where the correct answer would be. For example, if the problem that needs to be solved is 55 minus 17. Then your child would place a rock in between 35 and 40 since the correct number 38. 

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Think Academy’s Classes 

We offer numerous different math courses for children in grades K-8. We have short-term basic math classes that can help improve your child’s fundamental math skills. These courses last only about four weeks.

In addition, we also have K-8 long-term classes to ensure that students master the math material in their respective grades. These semester-long courses are available in three different levels (Advancement, Mastery, ACE) to account for all learning speeds!

As for students who want to take their math skills to the next level. Think Academy provides math competition prep classes for events such as the AMC 8 and Math Kangaroo!

You can register for any of our classes by clicking the link to our courses page here.

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