Outdoor maths games

Feeling pressured to make sure the kids do some number work?
The weather is lovely, seems a shame to be inside?
Struggling to get the kids enjoying maths?

Here are a few simple ideas for fun

activities to play in the garden.

Do make sure younger children have a number line or counters to help them figure out the answers - this will help them to be more confident with numbers as they get older.

Older children may well benefit from paper to do jottings on as well; quick recall is often built on developing mental images - by making jottings!

#homeschooling #funmaths #outdoormaths

Skittles

Skills: quick addition of numbers. Year group: Any, just change the numbers!

You will need a set of 6 skittles.
If you have a set of skittles and a whiteboard pen, you can just write the numbers on the skittles. Sticky tape and paper or post-it notes also work!
If you do not have skittles, save some plastic bottles (ideally all the same size) and half fill them with dirt or sand. You can then either write on the bottle tops or stick paper/post-it notes on the sides.
Write numbers on the skittles that you are working on - so, for example, if you are playing with a five year old, you could just have 1-6, whereas a ten year old might have 10,23,45,67,78,89. Adjust the numbers according to whether they turn out to be too easy or too challenging. If you have a wide age range, you can change the numbers for each child.
You will also need a ball for knocking over the skittles and somewhere to write the scores.

Arrange the skittles in a triangle (one at the front, two in the middle, three at the back)
Draw a line about 2 metres away from the skittles.
Take turns to roll the ball from the line.
Find the total of all the numbers on the skittles you have knocked over and write it down.
Take care to arrange the skittles in the same order for each player!
If all the payers are using the same numbers, you can either have a winner for each round, or you can have a running total and add up all the scores after an agreed number of rounds.
If all players are using the same numbers, there will be a winner.
If players are using different numbers, each player can try to beat their own score with each successive round.

101 to zero!

Skills: Subtraction within 100

Year group: Any - change the numbers according to the age range! You will need to draw a large target (like the one in the diagram) on the ground, or on a large sheet of paper (this may have to be weighted down with stones!).
You will also need three pebbles to toss onto the target, and somewhere to keep score.

1. Write 101 on the top of your score sheet. 2. Take turns to toss the three pebbles onto the target from an agreed distance. 3. Find your total and take that away from 101. 4. The first player to reach 0 is the winner … but… 5. You have to get the exact score to make 0, if you go below you are disqualified!

Hopscotch

You remember how to play hopscotch? You can throw in a bit of a challenge by changing the numbers.

Children who are learning to recognise different numbers could say the number when they throw the marker on it. (So some 2 digit numbers like 12, 20, 21, 13, 30, 31 would be great!)
Quick calculation skills can be practised by writing calculations in each square, when you throw the 'marker' onto the square you have to give the answer before doing the hopscotch. These could be addition, subtraction, multiplication or division - or a mixture!

Maths trails

There are lots of different ways to do a maths trail.

The one that needs the least preparation is going into the garden and hunting for different ways to make as many numbers as you can. For example, a clover leaf will represent 3, a 'forked' twig could be 2. A clover leaf and and 'forked' twig together could be 5!
A bit more challenging (But not much!) is taking a ruler or tape measure outside and finding things that are as many different lengths (up to 30cm) as possible.

If you have a bit more time to prepare, however, below are a few maths trails that involve placing 'clues' on cards around the garden. You could punch holes in the top of the cards, attach string or wool and hang them on trees or bushes; or you could just lay them on the ground.
After solving the problem on one clue, children have to hunt for the card that has the answer. They have to solve the problem that is on that card, which will lead them to the next card. Eventually they will solve a problem for which the answer will lead them back to the card where they started.
These cards are designed so that if lots of children are playing, they can start with different cards.
Copy the red numbers and calculations on the same line onto separate pieces of card. To make it very clear, put a circle around the number in red.

Maths trail 1 (Addition; Year 1/2)