Sunshine Math Facts Game

Kids can practice math facts in fun and creative ways, like this sunshine math fact game.  Sometimes adding a bit of creativity to the way a math problem is presented can make homework or practice more fun!  We made this sunshine math fact game one gloomy afternoon and had the best time practicing math problems with a little bit of sunshine!

Creative ways to practice math facts with kids

This sunshine game was a creative way to get my daughter to practice a little  more addition and subtraction.  This activity was quick to put together and a big hit in our house.

We started with a few yellow paper cups.  Snip up the sides of the cup about halfway with a pair of scissors.  These will become the suns “rays”.

Write a number on the center of the “sun”.  I chose numbers that would easily convert to addition and subtraction problems using math facts up to 20.  My first grader is practicing these math facts and any extra practice helps!

Next, I cut circles from yellow paper. (We called them sun drops.)  Use a black marker to write math problems on the sun drops.  To play our sunshine math facts game, I spread all of the circles out and asked my daughter to find the math equations that equaled the number in the center of the sunshine.  She thought this creative math activity was more like a puzzle than math practice.

To extend the game a little more, you could hide the correct math facts under the sunshine cup.  Kids can guess the facts that make up the sum or difference of the fact.  Another version of a game with these sunshine cups would be to have the kids write the facts onto the sun drops.

Let a little sunshine in on the math practice!

Colleen writes at Sugar Aunts, a blog by three sisters who share all things creative in motherhood.  They love playful learning, creative kid’s crafts, sensory and fine motor activities, kid’s party themes, DIY, and so much more.  Between the three Aunts, there are 8 cousins who are around each other so often, they are more like siblings than cousins! You can see the action at www.sugaraunts.com.