[beezus]

HELP!! I need some math workstation activities that preferably don't use paper/pencil! I need 5 stations running daily. My kids are bored with what I am running now, and I feel like I am drowning in paper!!
They also need to be independent....

TIA!!

[nanteach]

I have just started "no pencil/paper" centers. Here are a few I came across on the internet this week:

1. You need 21 dominoes. (Two players) Each player gets 10 dominoes. The one domino that is left is placed in the middle. The object of the game is to find two more or two less. For example...my domino has a six...so I need one that has a four...etc...

2. Unifix cubes....30 in a bag with one dice. Each player takes turns rolling the dice. If a player rolls a three, he/she places three unifix cubes together in a line. The next player rolls and does the same thing. The first player to get all 30 togethr wins.

Google math games and you will find a lot using decks of cards.

Good luck. PM me if you need anymore help.

[superteach113]

Check out www.mathwire.com. They have lots of games for centers. I use it all the time.

[gyrlie1973]

Hi!

Here are some ideas that I do in my Gr. 2 class:

Face Off (Previously known as "War")
-Math Concept - Addition (kids add the cards) or Subtraction (kids subtract the cards) Materials - Deck of cards

Dot to Dots
- Math Concept -Counting
-Materials - make photocopies of dot to dots (I've changed some to "count by 2's, 5's and 10's, as well as connect the odd numbers or connect the even numbers) and put them in plastic sleeves (they're used in binders) so kids can do the dot to dots with eraseable markers and wipe them off once they're done with them

Tangrams
-Math Concept - Spatial Sense
Materials - a photocopy of tangrams that have already been cut up with pics that they can try to reproduce
*My kids LOVE tangrams!

Mystery Number
-Math Concept - Place Value
-Materials - Have a sheet set up something like this and put it in one of those plastic sleeves

Mystery Number
too low | too high
|
|
|

________
| |
| |
________

Have one person choose a number and write a number between 0 and 100 on the back of the sheet, then a partner (or other group members) guess which number it is. You could talk about strategy (i.e. if the number is between 0 and 100, a guess of "50" will narrow things down) Once the number is guessed, it's written in the box!

Race to 100
Math Concept - Place Value and/or money
-Materials - A dice, counters (i.e. bingo chips or pennies, etc.), a gameboard something like:
hundreds | tens | ones
| |
| |

This can be played alone or with a partner (the kids like playing with a partner). Players take turns rolling the dice and adding that many counters to the correct place value. As the totals get higher, they exchange 10 ones for 1 ten.

Number Crunching
Math Concept - honing addition or subtraction
Materials - Math worksheets in those plastic sleeves

Colour by Number
Math Concept - addition and subtraction
Materials - a worksheet, markers or pencil crayons

HTH!

[beezus]

Thanks for all of the ideas (& so quick too!!)!
A stupid question about tangrams: I "inherited" a tub of them. They are packaged in sets--in each baggie, there's a little paper with the shapes traced as they orginally came- all can be laid together to form a square. When I give them the tangrams, do I need to worry that they only use the one set for the pics...can I take them all out of the baggies & dump them in one tub for the group to share? I know--probably stupid questions, but there ya go....
Thanks again!!

[hopealope]

together in a bag. They can also be placed together to make a triangle. But one set should make all of the pictures. You could put the book Grandfather Tang there because it is all about tangrams.

[beezus]

that's what I thought. SOooo00 I'll have to train my firsties to put them back in the bags correctly when finished at the center

[broomrider]

and be sure they have all the shapes, have your firsties place the shapes on the square before they put them in the bag. It's a good, quick way to be sure all the pieces are there.

[apple73]

We use the Everyday Math Program which has a lot of hands on games within it. Every Friday I have math centers. They are all hands on activities that I change weekly. Our school has purchased many of the EM materials such as the coin cards, clock cards----these are great for Top It (same thing as the game war) or concentration games. I also use my 100's grid pocket chart where the kids have to put the 100's grid back together and then put the transparent counters in the slots where they count by 2s, 5s, and 10s. In the regular pocket chart the children put addition and subtraction number models together. We also have the EM games on our computers which I use as a statio.

[erinrileysmom]

I am also looking for something for my 4th graders to do a couple times a week that is different! I have a wide range of abilities in my room (2 who are still battling the addition timed test to 3 who know all their basic division facts and could probably do long division before too long...) I want to give the higher level kids something that is challenging but still fun and the lower kiddos time to work on those basic facts! Any suggestions? I keep finding ideas that are for lower grade kids...