This blog contains affiliate links. Please see the DISCLOSURE POST for more information.

Gamer Number Munch

-

Anyone dragging themselves out of bed this morning to start back at school after the long holiday?  Anyone buried in snow and looking for something educational to do?  Want a way to encourage kids to learn math with their favorite video game characters?  My kids haven't even played Pacman, and they already love the silly, simple munching guy.

The mouth of Pacman is perfect for teaching greater than and less than math concepts, since you can point his mouth the direction of the larger number.   Later, when kids move onto the traditional < and > symbols, they should be able to imagine the Pacman face and remember which direction they want to use.

This Pacman printable can be used alongside your normal math curriculum or as a separate activity.  It would even be a great way to introduce the concept of greater and lesser values for kids who have never encountered it before.  Grab your free printable by clicking the link below!






This printable is only for blog subscribers.
Enter your email above to gain access to the password.


Print out the PDF and cut out the ghost number cards.  Laminate the cards and the work mat for durability or use without lamination if you're only planning on using the printable once.  Printing on cardstock will prolong the life of the printable even longer and give them same some authenticity and strength.

If using the printable as an independent activity apart from a set math curriculum, I would recommend gathering a 20-sided dice and a bag of dried lima beans or navy beans for counters.  To create ghosts for Pacman to eat, use a permanent marker to draw ghost faces on the beans.  Cut out the Pacman characters from the printable and glue two of them back to back to make a two-sided figure.

Have the child roll the 20-sided dice one time and use the pink ghost number counters to show the first number as a digit.  Using the ghost beans (or any type of counter), have the child build the number in the pink 20-frame box.  Then, roll the dice again and place the second number cards in the blue box and build the number with the counters.  Finally, ask the child to place the Pacman character between the pink and blue ghost to show which number is larger.  Remind the child that Pacman always wants to eat the bigger amount of ghosts.

The child can record their numbers and decisions on a separate piece of paper for an added layer of accountability and learning.  Alternatively, the activity can be played as a game with the winner of each round receiving a ghost counter as a reward.  After a certain number of rounds, an all time winner can be decided by seeing who has the greatest number of counters.  Of course, the real winner is the kids who have learned how to determine greater and lesser numbers and quantities.






More Fun Math Ideas
Click on the Picture to Visit the Menu



Comments

Post a Comment

HomeschoolHistory.com - Start Your Free Trial

Popular posts from this blog

Foster-to-Adopt Party Theme Ideas

-
Image
It seems like its hard to find ideas for adoption party themes, especially if you're adopting from foster care.  I've been planning Tadpole's adoption party and looking at all my old Pinterest ideas.  Here are some to consider if you're working on your own foster-to-adopt party. Pun Party Themes "Luke was Adopted Too" ( Star Wars ) "Welcome to Our Zoo" ( zoo ) "We're Wild About This One" ( jungle ) "Wanted: Asleep or Awake" ( cowboy ) "Bee-ing Loved" or "Sweet as Honey" ( bees ) "We Found the Missing Piece" ( puzzles ) "Showers of Blessings" ( rain/umbrella/rainbows ) "You are My/Our Sunshine" ( sunflowers/yellow ) "You Color Our World" ( paint/color/art ) "Superman was Adopted Too" ( superhero ) "Our Family was Built by Adoption" ( construction ) "This is My Circus- These are My Clowns" ( circus ) "Love Changes Everything" ( me
Read more

100 Indoor Heavy Work Activities to Burn Energy

-
Image
When I rebranded this blog from "In Our Pond" to "Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids" this year, I wanted to add more content for high-energy kids.  Some moms and I were talking this morning about dealing with stir-crazy kids in these winter months.  After I brainstormed a bunch of ideas for the FB group, I decided the list would make a great blog post!  I try not to do things the easy way in my blog, so I made a list of 100 activities. 1- breath holding contest to practice for summer swimming 2- cartwheels 3- make a balance board with a board and a can 4- stretch with exercise bands 5- wheelbarrow races down the hallway 6- put on a circus or play 7- paint a picture with your feet 8- handstand contest 9- pretend to be an animal 10- make a ring toss game with paper plates 11- 52 card pick-up 12- push an ice cube with your nose across the kitchen floor 13- play concentration ( instructions ) 14- wresting 15- speed cleaning contest 16- relay races 17- skipping 18- kitchen f
Read more

Homeschooling with Laura Ingall's Wilder and the Little House series

-
Image
The kids and I started reading "Little House in the Big Woods" last week for the first time.  They're really enjoying hearing about life in the "old days" and all the ways that things were done differently 150 years ago.  It's been a very special time, too, because we all pile on the parents' bed for reading time and have some quiet time as part of our day.  It's been a great way to reconnect with them. Many of these ideas came from my own reading of the series; however, where possible, I've added links to give you more information about them.  Many of them can be done without extra supplies and don't involve other people, so their perfect for living "self isolated" like a pioneer. 1- Preserve Meat In my search, I found a blog and podcast called "Pioneering Today."  She has a post about salting, fermenting, and other ways to preserve meat.  The very first chapter of "The Little House in the Big Woods"
Read more