Back-to-school season is a time of excitement and anticipation for young learners. As educators and parents, we are always on the lookout for engaging and interactive ways to teach math concepts to children. Math crafts offer a fantastic opportunity to blend creativity and learning seamlessly. This back to school math activity uses a free printable and hands-on aspect to get kids excited to learn! Use this first day of school math with kindergarten and first grade students!
Back-to-School Math
In this blog post, we will explore a math addition craft with a pencil case theme, where kids can have fun counting colored crayons and practicing addition while creating a delightful pencil case craft.
To prepare:
- A4 paper
- Printer
- Scissors
- Crayons
- Glue or stapler
- Colored poster paper
Print as many cards as needed for your students. Have these set up in a center so that kids can finish the prompts and create the booklet.
What are math crafts?
Math crafts are hands-on activities that integrate mathematical concepts with artistic creativity. They provide an immersive learning experience, making math enjoyable and accessible for young minds. These crafts are designed to reinforce key math skills, such as addition, subtraction, counting, and pattern recognition, in a visually appealing and interactive manner.
By combining art and math, these crafts foster a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts and enhance problem-solving abilities.
Back to school math activities
The pencil case-themed addition craft is an ideal tool for introducing and practicing addition in the classroom. Here’s how teachers can use this craft effectively:
- Preparing materials: Gather the necessary materials, including pencil case templates (printable), colored crayons, scissors, glue sticks, and any manipulative to fill in the ten frame.
- Explaining the concept: Begin by explaining the concept of addition to the students. Emphasize that addition is combining two or more quantities to find the total. Use real-life examples to make the concept relatable.
- Counting the crayons: Provide each student with a pencil case template. Instruct them to count how many colored crayons they have in the pencil case and write down the number at the bottom of the template. Or they can use the pencilcase they have.
- Filling the ten frame: Next, ask the students to represent the counted number on a ten frame by pasting the appropriate number of crayons. Ten frames are a helpful visual tool for understanding number combinations and the concept of ten.
- Writing the equation: After filling the ten frame, encourage students to write the addition equation that matches the crayon count. For instance, if they have seven crayons, the equation would be “7 + 3 = 10,” illustrating that adding 3 or each colored crayons would make ten.
- Group discussions: Once all the students have completed their crafts, gather them in groups to share their pencil cases and equations. Encourage discussions about different ways to make ten, promoting collaboration and critical thinking.
- Displaying the crafts: Proudly display the finished pencil case crafts around the classroom. This not only boosts the students’ confidence but also serves as a visual reminder of the addition concepts they’ve learned.
First day of school math activities
The pencil case-themed math addition craft brings an exciting back-to-school vibe to the classroom. This craft is not only enjoyable but also aligns with the educational goals of reinforcing addition skills. Math crafts, like the pencil case-themed addition activity, combine learning and creativity in an engaging way for young learners.
By integrating hands-on projects into the classroom, educators can make math concepts more accessible and enjoyable for students.
This particular craft allows kids to practice addition while creating their own personalized pencil case keepsake. As we celebrate the back-to-school season, let’s foster a love for math and learning through fun-filled and interactive activities like this math addition craft. Happy crafting!
Back to School Activities
- Back to School BINGO, Back to School Lego Challenge First Week of School Activities, cute and Easy Pencil Craft, plus free printable back to school scavenger hunt
- Pencil yellow baking soda slime, free printable back to school notes, pencil alphabet matching and free printable playdough mats
- School Bus Beginning Sounds First Day of School Activities, Pencil themed Fraction Puzzles, School Bus Letter Matching Game
- What Comes Next Back to School Math, Crayon Box Letter Matching Back to School Activity , cute Crayon Box Craft to work on learning colors
- Back to School themed Number Matching Activity, Crayon Box CVC Words Activity, Free Hand Washing Printables
- Back to School Activity Count to 20 Clip Cards, Pencil themed Counting Puzzles for Preschoolers, printable Back to School ABC Games, Back to School Theme Preschool, school bus non-standard measurment activities
- School Bus Letter Matching Puzzles – First Day of School Activities, Lots of clever Back to School Crafts or these Back to School Crafts ideas
- Back to School Pencil Punctuation Activities, Glue Stick rhyming activities, Playdough Counting Mat Bus Activities for Preschoolers
First Day of School Printables
- First Day of School Signs, FREE first day of school signs pre-k thru 12th, and fill in all about you First Day of Preschool Sign
- Celebrate First Day of School Preschool Craft and and kindergarten First Day of School Hat Craft
Back to School Printables
We have lots of other fun, clever back to school worksheets to help kids get excited about going back to school! Check out these free resources:
- School Supplies tracing lines worksheets for 3 year olds and Back to School Preschool Number Worksheets 1-10
- Crack the Code Back to School Worksheets – addition and subtraction and Color by Hundreds Chart Back to School Worksheets
- Sticky Number Bonds Worksheets, I Spy Colors Crayon Worksheet, Free Back to School Worksheets Preschool, pencil word endings s or es activity
- I Spy Back to School Worksheets, free School Supplies Tracing Worksheet. fun Back to School Color by Number Worksheets
- Printable Back to School Coloring Pages
All About Me Printables
- All About Me Graphic Organizer for the 1st day of school
- Lego All About Me Worksheet, kindergarten All About Me Worksheet, free all about me worksheet preschool
- Watermelon All About Me Poster, clever All About Me Puzzle, and All About Me Poster Pennants
Kindergarten Activities
- 50 Books for Kindergarten Book List – Books for Kindergarteners to read themselves
- Kindergarten Calendar Printable, free Days of the Week Worksheets
- Kindergarten Spelling Words – add a vowel practice or Free Kindergarten spelling words Printable and free kindergarten opposite worksheets
- Hoppy Frog Math Game (addition within 10 and addition to 20), free kindergarten math worksheets, and Number Chart for Kindergarten, Goldfish Kindergarten Subtraction Games
- Roll to 100 Counting Game, 100s Chart Battleship Game, and Days of the Week Worksheets
- Free Ordinal Number Worksheet, Pirate I Spy Worksheets, Crack the Code Worksheet Pages
- Playdough Subtraction Smash free printable math activity, What Comes Next Kindergarten Math, pattern math worksheets, free number sequencing worksheets, free Addition picture worksheets, and free pattern worksheets
- Short i cvc worksheets cut and paste pdf, Short E CVC Words Booklet, Crack the Code CVC Word Worksheets
- Crayon CVC Words Activity, free CVC Word Puzzles Free Printable, Blowing Bubbles Word Family Activities
- Word Family Sliders Free – lots of styles to print in color or black and white
- Free Printable Seasons Worksheets w/ Free 4 Season Printables, Large Printable Weather Unit for kids
- Rain Cloud for Kids experiment and free worksheet, Water Cycle for Kids Printable Book
- Human Body human body playdough mats , EPIC, Life-size Human Body Project
- Amazing 5 Senses for kids lesson, Free Community Helpers Coloring Pages – over 20 pages, Community Helpers Printables Wheel – spin and learn, Free Kindergarten Word Search with Sight Words
- Non Standard Measurement Worksheets, Free Printable Community Helpers Matching Game
Addition craft
Before you grab your free pack you agree to the following:
- This set is for personal and classroom use only.
- This printable set may not be sold, hosted, reproduced, or stored on any other website or electronic retrieval system.
- Graphics Purchased and used with permission from
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