Spring break is upon us, and whether you have plans for a big trip or not, there’s always an opportunity to be building math skills. At Mathnasium of Friendswood, we’ve got some ideas for your family to take full advantage of the time away from school and how you can build math skills while doing it!
1. Spring Break is for rest
Ultimately, Spring Break is supposed to give your child a reprieve from the challenges they’ve endured all school year. If you’re taking a trip, it should be relaxing and fun! That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself while brushing up on some math topics. You can practice math skills with a fun road trip game, like one of these. The benefit of being stuck in the car is a captive audience! Listen to a podcast that makes your kids think about math concepts but is still entertaining. Radiolab for Kids is a STEM podcast containing a library of kid-friendly episodes. Here is a list of other podcast episodes you can check out.
2. Break out a deck of cards or board game
If you’re traveling, you should consider packing a deck of cards with you! It’s small, and there are countless games you can play with cards. One crowd-pleaser for making fun memories is Spoons. If you’ve got the space, it might be a good idea to pack a board game or two! Monopoly helps kids brush up on multiple areas of their math skills! If you’re staying home, consider going to get a new board game to add some excitement to Spring Break. Board games require a wide breadth of math skills, and most importantly, they’re a fun way for families to spend time together!
3. Move your body
Going on a walk or even signing up for a 5K run or walk is a great way to sneak math out of the classroom! Discussing distances and portions of distances can be a great way to brush up on fractions or estimate speed. For example, if you’re on a walk, you can point out - “look, we’ve gone three-quarters of the way! How much further do we need to go?” Or, “it took us 30 minutes to walk one mile, so that must mean we’re going two miles an hour!” You can do these activities whether you stay home for the break or travel, so take advantage!
4. Bake cookies!
Following a recipe and measuring ingredients is a great way to practice math skills, especially fractions! You can even manipulate portions, deciding whether to half a recipe or double it. More and more students need a little extra help when it comes to fractions, and proficiency with fractions is a cornerstone of algebra. Make sure your child is ready to crush algebra by making real-life connections to fractions.
5. Catch up on schoolwork
Before the start of spring break, reach out to your child’s teacher to see if there is any schoolwork that they need to catch up on or extra credit they can complete. The aim isn’t to dominate your child’s Spring Break, but to capitalize on the extra time you’ll have since they won’t be in the classroom all week. When you’re not rushing through after-school routines, it might also give you a chance to evaluate the status of your child’s skills and decide whether they need extra help.
6. Enroll in a Mathnasium program
Our programs are customized to each student to build skills with their strengths and opportunities in mind. Beyond that, we make sure that our students are not only achieving, but they’re also having fun while doing it! If you’re sticking close to home this spring break, see what your options are for starting a program with us! Maintaining balance with fun and academics throughout your child’s spring break will set them up for success for the rest of the school year! Call us today at (832) 569-5073 to explore our program offerings.
