Earth Day Math Games
Keeping kids engaged while learning math facts can be a challenge (understatement of the year, right?!) But this Earth Day math game is here to save the day (and your sanity!). It’s a fun, hands-on activity with an Earth Day theme that will have your first and second grade students begging to practice their addition and subtraction facts.
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What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd? It’s a special day where we show our love for our planet by learning about how to protect it and taking action to keep it clean and healthy. We can do things like recycling, planting trees, and conserving water.
Supplies Needed for the Earth Day Math Game:
- Printer: You’ll need to print the game board, I recommend printing it on cardstock and laminating for durability.
- Game Markers: Each player needs a game marker. This could be anything small like a mini eraser, a button, or even a small toy. Get creative!
- Colored Discs: Each player also needs a set of small colored discs or counters. Think bingo chips, those little plastic counters you can find at the dollar store, or even cut out circles from construction paper.
- Die: One standard six-sided die.
Prep for the Math Fact Game:
Okay, folks, get ready for the easiest prep work ever! Simply print out the game board and gather the game markers and die.
How to Play the Earth Day Math Fact Game:
- Choose a Color: Each player chooses a color of discs.
- Start Your Engines: Everyone places their game marker on the “Start” space.
- Roll and Move: Players take turns rolling the die and moving their marker that many spaces around the game board.
- Solve and Cover: Land on a space with a math fact? Solve it! Then, cover the answer on the Earth with one of your colored discs. If that answer is already taken, bummer! You skip your turn.
- Special Spaces: Watch out for those special spaces! Land on the recycle bin? Awesome! Add a disc to any answer on the Earth. Land on a sad Earth? Oh no! Remove one of your discs.
- Game Over: The game ends when all the sums on the Earth are covered. The player with the most discs on the Earth wins!
Tips for the Earth Day Game:
Your students will probably need to go around the board a few times in order to get all the discs on the Earth.
Bonus Ideas to Make it More Fun or Educational:
- Fact Family Focus: Have students write down the fact family for each problem they solve.
- Turn it into a Writing Activity: Have students write a story about helping the Earth.
- Add Some Challenge: Use a ten-sided die for bigger numbers.
- Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Have students play in pairs, taking turns rolling and solving together.
Adaptations for Different Skill Levels:
- For younger students: Let them use counters or scratch paper to help add and subtract the facts.
- For older students: Instead of having them remove or place a disc on the board when they land on a picture, they can create a math word problem.
Other great posts about Earth Day
10 Facts and Activities about Earth Day
Extra Resources to Go Along with the Game:
Books about Earth Day: Check out your local library for some great books about Earth Day and taking care of our planet.
There you have it! An engaging and educational way to celebrate Earth Day while practicing those essential math facts. Now go forth and make learning fun!
Grab this Earth Day Math Game Below
Angela is the Homeschool Encourager for the Overwhelmed & Under-Caffeinated and the Chaos-to-Confidence Specialist behind Schooling with Grace. With a no-fluff approach, a dash of humor, and a whole lot of heart, she helps homeschool moms cut through the chaos, ditch unrealistic expectations, and teach with confidence.