Kitchen Math

 

Patterns

Using Fruit Loops (or any other cereal similar to it) have your child create a pattern on a piece of yarn to wear as a necklace for the day. For example: red, red, green, green, blue, blue; red, red, green, green, blue, blue and repeat. What is the pattern that she created (in this case aabbcc)? What other patterns can she make using the same colors?

Counting

Using Fruit Loops (or any other cereal similar to it) have your child count groups of ten from the different colors until he has 120 (or 12 groups of 10). Have your child put the groups of ten on a string to wear as a necklace alternating the colors to show the groups of ten.

Multiplication

Using any cereal, put the cereal into equal groups (between 1 equal group of ___ and 12 equal groups of ___). Your child will practice skip counting the groups to find the total amount (product). For example, have her put 7 pieces of cereal into 6 different piles. She will count 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42.   42 is the product of 6X7. Have her try 7 equal groups of 6 to find that product as well.

Division

Give your child a handful of cereal. Have him count the cereal and then find a way to put it into equal groups. For example, if you give him 56 pieces of cereal, how many equal groups can he make? How many ways can he solve that problem?