Know someone with math anxiety or math phobia? We can give kids math confidence with math fun. Here are some ideas for math activities using play dough.
With a batch of either your own or premade plasticine or playdough, your child can enjoy some math play. You can show your child how to take a chunk of play dough and divide it into smaller pieces. Together you can count the number of little chunks. Squish it back together and make a different number.
Accurate counting is something that develops. Kids will skip numbers, repeat a few, count some bits more than once, and will miss a few pieces. Gradually, with lots of experiences and hearing others count accurately, there will be fewer and fewer mistakes. Just keep counting.
Playdough can be rolled out to make the shape of numbers. It’s easy to make a 1, either short and wide, or very, very long and skinny. Scissors can trim if wanted. Kids need to be able to have fun and enjoy their play with numbers. You can print (large) the numbers on a piece of paper and let kids put the play dough right on top. Or, you can print them in a long line and let kids make their own versions using these as a model.
Sometimes, even using correctly printed numbers as a guide, kids will make their numbers backwards. This is very common and some kids will still need reminders in the early grades at school. You can bring the picture of the number right close and show your child which is the right way around. With play dough it’s pretty easy to flip the number over. For kids who are ready, you may be able to choose or roll out a number and ask your child to make that number of play dough balls, pancakes, dinosaurs, flowers, or other favorite item.
What other fun and learning math activities using play dough can your child do?