Here's a little gem of an activity that will count as a big mathy moment and isn't on a screen. I'll begin with the instructions, then add a bit about what I saw and how I adjusted when my own 8-year-old did this. Materials needed are a piece of paper, a ruler, and a pencil.... Continue Reading →
Do you know why the gears on your bike make it easier to steadily climb a hill or swiftly speed down the other side? There's math embedded in the explanation, and if your child has a bicycle, you can start getting mathy with it. Begin by simply pointing out the gears. Every bicycle has at... Continue Reading →
It's getting harder to create spontaneous mathy moments with my kids. Most of the time, they are in school. When they come home, I'd rather they run around outside. So, I have to pay attention and seek opportunities. The 6-year-old and I were walking to school yesterday, when he started to count his steps. So... Continue Reading →
Are you wondering what to do with the kids now that they are home for more than a week for the holidays? Yes, Christmas occupied you for a bit. And maybe you've got something fun going on for New Year's Eve. But what are you going to do with them in between? Something fun...something educational...something... Continue Reading →
Each year I expect this will be the year that I feel organized and composed for the holiday season. I will have gifts bought and wrapped without feeling time pressure or financial lunacy. I will have cards sent, menus chosen, and guests invited at the appropriate times (i.e. not the week before Christmas.) Of course,... Continue Reading →
Ugh. I am so sorry. That is a terrible title for anything. Overused. Though accurate. It is always surprising to me how quickly we adjust back to the school schedule and how soon we lose that full but flexible feeling of summer. It's not necessarily a smooth transition, but within a week or so, we... Continue Reading →
Remember that scene in the movie Austin Powers where Dr. Evil plans to hold Earth ransom for "one million dollars!" The rest of the bad guys in the room are unimpressed. Isn't one millions dollars a little low? So Dr. Evil ups it to one hundred billion dollars! You can tell, though, that he's not... Continue Reading →
"Mom. Can I do another 24?" This request was music my math mom ears. It could be that the 9-year-old was only asking as a ruse to prolong bedtime. Frankly, if he was, then I will take that bait every time. Who can say no to a kid who wants to do more math?? 24... Continue Reading →
"Hey, Kid. What's the biggest number you can think of?" "Infinity." "Oh. What does infinity look like?" "It's a 1 with a hundred 0's after it." "Really?" "Yes." "I don't think infinity is a number." "Huh?" "It's a concept." "It's a number." "I disagree." "You are wrong, Mom." "Maybe. It happens. What do you want... Continue Reading →
Sometimes math sneaks up on my kids and me while we are playing (like when we made potholders), and sometimes I force it a little. This is a time when I forced it a little. Because who would ever think of making a clock with only 2 or 3 or 5 numbers on it?... Continue Reading →
mathy moments 