May 2004 Activities

Lesson Plan

- May 2004 Activities -

May is a month of endings and beginnings. School is ending and summer is beginning. Each child deals with the change over differently. Here are some activities to share that transition from inside a classroom to the outdoors.

#1 When sharing activities with children an “old” task can be made “new” by taking the idea to an outside location. Two or more players can play this math game. This activity uses a bean bag. One way to make a bag is to place dried beans in a plastic sandwich bag and tape the opening with duct tape. Place the filled bag into the bottom of a sock and tie it closed.

You will need a bean bag, driveway or sidewalk, clothespins, and chalk.
Draw with chalk 10 connecting squares and number from one to ten.
A player will toss the bean bag onto a numbered square. The age of the child will determine the distance of the throw to the squares.
The child says the number aloud where the bag landed and collects that number of clothespins. (Ex: beanbag lands on 4 – child clips 4 clothespins together).
The clothespins are clipped together to make a train.
After each player has had 5 turns, check to see who has the longest clothespin train

(Click photos to enlarge image.)

The skills reinforced with this game are counting and eye-hand coordination. If you want to play indoors, make the 10 squares inside a shoebox lid and toss pennies.

#2 This math idea also uses beanbags and numbered squares outside on the sidewalk. It is geared for older children to review addition, subtraction and multiplication skills.

Draw with chalk on the sidewalk 10 squares and number from one to ten.
Draw a second set of 10 squares and number from twenty to twenty-nine.
Draw a circle and divide into 3 pie shape sections with + (addition), - (subtract) and x (multiply) in a section.
Throw the beanbag at the set of numbers from 1 to 10, then throw at the set of numbers from 20 to 29, and finally, at the circle to determine the method of calculation.
For example, beanbags land on 9, 25, and x. Twenty-five multiplied by nine would be 225. If beanbags land on 9, 25 and - . Twenty-five minus nine would be 16. If beanbags land on 9, 25 and + . Nine added to twenty-five would be 34.
Set a target goal of reaching 500

(Click photos to enlarge image.)

If you want to work on only one type of computation (addition), omit the circle and each throw at the numbered squares would always be added. Do the same for only subtraction or multiplication.

#3 Children enjoy using “real” money. This game can keep two players or a group of children actively involved in making change.

Materials needed are a die and coins.
Put a pile of coins in the middle of the table.
Each player in turn rolls the die, and takes that many pennies.
When a player has more than 5 pennies, they exchange it for a nickel, then a dime, etc.
The first one to reach 100 is the winner.

This game is easily changed to using play or real dollar bills.

Let me know by e-mail what your favorite activity was this month. I am compiling information for a resource book and want your input. Thanks.

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