5 Ways to Keep Math Strong During the Holidays

School is almost out for the holidays and every parent knows the last thing any kid wants to do is math homework. So how can you keep your child’s math skills sharp this holiday season? Follow these 5 easy tips to show your kid the practical applications of math, while still enjoying your favorite holiday activities and traditions!

• Cooking and baking: Bring your child into the kitchen with you and whip up your family’s favorite holiday treats! Read recipes out loud together and familiarize young learners with fractions and units of measurement. You can even cook up this Mathnasium Sugar Cookie recipe together!
• Playing games: Playing games is a great way to experience math in a fun and low pressure environment and practice a variety of math skills and strategy. Set up family game nights, play mental math games in the car, and grab an extra controller when your kids sit down to play video games!
• Gift shopping: Set a shopping budget and ask your child to help you find gifts that maximize the budget. Holiday sales and discounts present great opportunities to explore percentages and demonstrate how math can help you make smart consumer decisions and make every penny count!
• Planning travel: Heading off to visit the relatives tops the list of many family holiday activities, so include your students in the planning. Have them help make a schedule, plan a route on a map, and even get involved in bus, train or other public transportation decision making if they’re older!
• Decorating and holiday crafts: Introduce younger kids to geometry by exploring basic shapes found in seasonal decorations. Make beautiful paper snowflakes together and explore symmetry. Use measurement and estimation to get a sense of how many decorations you need for the perfect touch of holiday flair!

How do you keep your child's learning going over the holiday break?
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