We may be stuck inside for this Halloween (thanks COVID). But no worries, you and the family can still put on your costumes this week and have some Halloween fun at home with these 7 math-based Halloween activities and have a bewitching good time!
Who doesn’t love candy corn? Not only is it a Halloween staple, but you can use to practice basic math problems with a younger crowd. To create your own candy math equations game, write down different math equations on slips of paper. Each player can draw a basic math equation out of a hat and work the math problem using the candy corn. For example, if someone draws 2+2, use the candy corn to count out the right answer. You can even introduce basic multiplication, allowing them to count out simple equations like 3x2 using the candy corn, making this a great activity for elementary-age children.
This is a classic game at many Halloween parties. Fill a jar up with your favorite candies (jellybeans or candy corn (again!) is a fan favorite). Or, if you want to make it spooky and it’s age appropriate, fill up your jar with plastic eyeballs or toy spiders (scream!). Have every participant take turns guessing how many pieces of candy or items are in the jar. Whoever's number is closest to the correct number wins the whole jar of candy or another special prize of your choosing.
Worksheets are a great resource to supplement the math topics your child is learning during school instruction. They can be a fun way to reinforce a lesson while breaking up the monotony of a study session. Take for example, this set of "13 Days of Spooky Math Challenges" . Made for grades 1 through 8, these are easy to add to your Halloween-week activities. To take it up a notch, you can make the challenges a timed activity and see who can complete the worksheet the fastest, providing a treat to the winner or for each correct answer that is given.
For middle school grades 6-8, these fun order of operation pumpkin puzzles are a great activity. These 18 problems with varying degrees of difficulty are perfect if your child is just learning algebra or needs a refresher in solving algebra equations. To use, simply cut the top and bottom of each pumpkin, mixing up the possible answers. The object of this activity is to match the correct answer to the equation, which they can only find if they solve the equation correctly.
Put a twist on the traditional bingo game by adding multiplication! Get crafty and make your own bingo cards or download some free Halloween printables on Pinterest to use. Have your little pumpkins fill in the free space of course and fill the rest of the space with a choice of the possible answers from the answer key. Then, instead of calling out letters and numbers, call out a math problem. For example, for 5x4, the number 20 would be filed on the bingo card. A player has "Math Bingo" when they have filled 5 spaces in a row, either going vertical, horizontal, or diagonal direction. If you want to get even more creative, use your favorite candy to mark the numbers called.
To play Halloween Tic-Tac-Toe, create your game grid as normal. But, instead of writing X’s or O’s, write math problems in each box (ex. 9 divided by 3 or 22 minus 12) If a player answers correctly, they enter an X or an O on to the grid. Instead of just crossing it off, you can put a piece of candy in each spot, with the game winner taking the all the placed candy or add toy spiders to mark each space.
Once Halloween night is over and you're looking for a way to make use of the leftover bite-size Snickers, use it to test your child's math memory. Put a sticky note or sticky dot on the end of each piece of candy and write a math equation or a numerical answer on each note. The object of the game is to find the match of the correct answer to each corresponding question. Each player takes turn flipping over each piece of candy. When a player finds a match, they get to keep the candy.
We hope these Halloween-themed games will keep you and your pumpkin patch entertained for this Halloween and the next, as these games can grow with your family. If you are looking for more math fun year-round, we would be glad to help you! Give us a call at Mathnasium or send us an email for more information and to schedule a math assessment for your child.
(303) 979-9077
(303) 979-9077
