March and math go hand in hand.  A handful of kid-friendly holidays/events pop up that you can leverage into some serious standards-based learning.  Most of the content has been introduced at this point and spiral review can be taken to the next level.  With this said, I have outlined a handful of fun March math ideas below.

CHASING RAINBOWS

Rainbows make for a magical math theme.  Activities focused on this colorful arch tie into both St. Patrick’s Day and spring.  In addition, rainbows always seem to delight the kiddies. As we keep this in mind, why not create a rainbow-themed activity that tackles that tough ten more standard?  To play Chasing Rainbows, each student will need a spinner to nine or two 10-sided dice. Students will also need a recording sheet, a hundreds chart, and a handful of Skittles.

1. Students roll or spin to build a 2-digit number.
2. The first Skittle is placed on this number on their hundreds chart.
3. Students then use three additional candies to count down the chart by tens.
4. This number sequence is then recorded on a game sheet.

Is this too hard for some of your students? I know it has been for some of my sweeties in the past. I have a quick fix for you. Simply count on by ones instead of tens. (QUICK SIDE NOTE . . . so we get my random connection . . . Chasing Rainbows is based on the old slogan “Taste The Rainbow” from the Skittles’ commercials.)

THE END OF THE RAINBOW

Speaking of rainbows, how about higher-level place value activity that fits the theme?  This challenge game pushes kids to really think about the value of numbers.  To play this game, each student in your center will need a laminated activity mat, two 10-sided dice, and a white board marker.

1. Students take turns rolling two 10-sided dice to form a two-digit number.
2. Players need to strategically place this number. If it is closer to zero, the player will want to place in one of the first circles. If it is closer to 100, this number should be placed in one of the circles at the end.
3. Students continue to roll and place numbers in order from least to greatest on their boards. If a number rolled does not fit within this least to greatest patter, the student must roll again.
4. NOTE – This game may be played in partners. The two players still have their own game going, but they are racing to see who completes all of the circles first.

GAME TIME

The big NCAA Basketball Tournament falls in mid-March.  Over the years, March Madness has proven to be a stellar math theme in the classroom.  Even if your kids don’t know about the tournament, they still are all about the baseball theme.  We always dedicate a whole week MATH MADNESS. Here’s one for you that’s pretty easy to put together.  Roll and cover games are not new.  However, have you ever thought about incorporating time into the mix with this activity.  Simply roll two 6-sided die for time to the hour.  If you want to mix it up, toss in a spinner.  Put :00 on one half and :30 on the other.  Invite your students to roll and then spin to determine if they are looking for time to the hour or half hour.  This one is always a crowd pleaser 🙂  If you are looking for other March Madness Math goods, I’ve got you covered!

PUDDLE JUMPIN’

1. Simply set up a course of “puddles” (cones or hula hoops) and host a skip counting relay race.
2. Place your kiddos into teams of 4-5 and have them hop or dodge the “puddles” as they skip count.  You may choose to call out a number for them to skip count on from or just have ’em fly from the first number in the series.
3. When finished, be sure to follow it up.  We came in and colored a hundreds chart to help “see” the actual number patterns and completed a skip counting sheet.

Alright, so there you have it.  A handful  of different ways to make March much more mathematical. As I stated above, any of these ideas can be incorporated into the mix with a little prep on your part.  If you are looking for ready made March math ideas, I do have these activities and many others ready to roll for you. Thanks for taking the time to pop in and see me.  I hope to catch you again soon.