It’s also a great time to incorporate some fun and interactive math games into your classroom or home activities.

I love using fun math games in the classroom for a variety of reasons:  differentiation, brain breaks, indoor recess, or even as a behavior party reward!  Students are learning and having fun – that’s a win-win combo for sure!

There are so many different ways to incorporate math games into your daily routine and students won’t even know they are practicing everything from basic math facts to advanced geometry vocabulary!

Personally, I know my daughter struggled with math facts for YEARS – even into her middle and high school grades!  She never really had a chance to “play” with numbers and grasp number sense.

As she grew a little older – and less intimidated by math, she practiced math games with her little brother and BAM – it all suddenly clicked for her!  Math is certainly a subject that students tend to love or hate.  As educators, we hope we can develop the love for all different subjects.  One way to really pull that off is by offering fun learning choices throughout the day that feel less like a chore and more like a family game night.

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for hosting successful classroom celebrations?  This 416 page digital book has you covered! Includes 61 ad-free articles from Organized Classroom, including holidays such as:

• Groundhog Day
• Winter
• Black History
• Valentines Day
• St. Patricks Day
• Earth Day
• Spring
• Mothers Day
• Memorial Day
• Summer
• Independence Day
• Fall
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!

See it HERE.

These themed games are not only exciting and engaging for kids, but they also help reinforce important math concepts. Here are some cool fall math games that are sure to be a hit with your kids:

Apple Orchard Addition:
Transform basic addition into an exciting activity with this fall-themed game. Children can practice their addition skills by counting apples and finding the sum. This interactive game promotes critical thinking and number sense.

Pumpkin Patch Subtraction:
Turn subtraction into a playful adventure in the pumpkin patch! Children will enjoy subtracting pumpkins from a larger group and exploring the concept of subtraction as they solve equations. This engaging game helps build strong foundational skills.

Harvest Time Shape Sorting:
Combine geometry and the harvest season with this hands-on activity. Children can identify and sort various fall-themed shapes like leaves, pumpkins, and apples. This themed game makes shape recognition interactive and enjoyable.

Scarecrow Counting:
Make counting more fun with scarecrows! Kids can count the number of objects or scarecrows in a scene and practice numeral recognition. This printable activity encourages visual perception and counting skills.

Autumn Money Match:
Get kids excited about money with this fall-themed math game. Children can match different amounts of money to the corresponding set of autumn objects like acorns, leaves, or scarecrows. This interactive game facilitates understanding and recognition of currency.

Pumpkin Patch Math: This activity is perfect for a fall-themed math center. Kids can practice counting, addition, and subtraction by using pumpkin manipulatives to solve problems.

Leaf Counting: This printable activity is a fun way for kids to practice counting and number recognition. Simply print out the leaf cards and have kids count the number of leaves on each card.

Apple Addition: This interactive game allows kids to practice addition skills by dragging apples onto a tree to solve problems.

Scarecrow Subtraction: This exciting game challenges kids to solve subtraction problems by shooting crows with the correct answer.

Fall Math Bingo: This bingo game is a fun way for kids to practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication skills while playing a classic game.

Math Skills to Practice

What are some skills that your students can practice while playing an educational game during your daily lessons?

• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Fact Families
• Prime Numbers
• Integers
• Fractions
• …and pretty much any other math-related lesson you may be teaching!

How do you keep studets on track and not just “farting around” with manipulatives and game pieces?

Simple!   A very wise math instructional coach taught me this trick:  Give the students the game pieces first and set a timer for 60 seconds.  They get 1 minute to play and get it out of their system. At the end of the 60 seconds, the toys now become learning materials and they are not to be played with as a toy any longer.

This one small change of thought patterns made all the difference with third graders!   They suddenly went from playing with the manipulatives to using them for the process when their timer was done.  It was a math miracle!

Would you like a set of 48 playing cards, 8 bingo cards, and 5 familiar game directions?   

Each set is perfect for centers, early finishers, or as a class reward incentive!   Simply print, laminate, and go – easy to set up and easy to store!

Click HERE to check out the Math Games Bundle!

Fun Ways to Practice Math Facts

Check out some of these other math-related activities you can do easily!

Fact Family Funhouse:  Using this cute Target find, you can really visually cement the idea of fact families with your students!

Pumpkin Sorting Activity:  Loving this matching traits and attributes lesson with cute fall pumpkins!   Or use it for creating random cooperative learning groups!   The choice is yours.

Popsicle Stick Pattern Cards Sampler:  Popsicle sticks are inexpensive and super versatile in the classroom!   Use them to create geometric shapes or showcase math vocabulary.  Perfect!

How Do You Say A Number?:  A quick way to practice representing a number in various ways. And it’s dry erase for easy set up and clean up for the next day.

Turning Noneducational Games into Learning Fun:  Checkers, Jenga, and Twister are all games not necessarily math-based, but that doesn’t stop smart teachers from repurposing them anyway.

Serving Up Place Value with Straws:  No extra funds for new math manipulatives?  No problem!  Use straws and you’re all set.

Telling Time Rollers!:  Who would think to use dice for teaching time?  I’ve got you covered with this easy activity.

Having A Ball With Vocabulary – DIY Style:  Practice the all-important math vocabulary with a beach ball.  Hours of fun for students and they will actually want to know their vocabulary words too.

Monster Caps Craft and Graphing:  Graphing with cute crafty monsters?  Even better that you are upcycling used materials too!

Beachy Keen Learning Ideas!:  Whether you have a beach theme or not, students will have a blast with these beachy ideas for reading and math.  The best part?  It doesn’t matter where you live or even if it is snowing outside.  Bring the sunshine and warmth!

Thinking About the Operation and Algebraic Thinking:  One of my favorite online math games is listed here.  This math game will practice whole-part thinking strategies.

Slider Baggie Counting:  Practicing counting on has never been easier to visualize.  Grab a plastic baggie and your students are all set to set the numbers increase or decrease.

Polygon Math File!:  Integrating literature into math helps you get double bang for your oh so limited time during the day.  Geometry and reading definitely make a good pair.

15 Fabulous Equivalent Fractions Teaching Tools:  Are equivalent fractions coming up in your lesson plans?   You’ll want to check out this list of some pretty spectacular ideas to snazz up those plans.

Would you like a set of 48 playing cards, 8 bingo cards, and 5 familiar game directions?   

Each set is perfect for centers, early finishers, or as a class reward incentive!   Simply print, laminate, and go – easy to set up and easy to store!

Click HERE to check out the Math Games Bundle!

How about one more BONUS printable for you?

This unique twist on tic-tac-toe involves a little strategy and a lot of fun! Download it below for free.

By incorporating cool and themed fall math games into your learning environments, you can make math enjoyable, interactive, and exciting for kids.

These printable activities are perfect for learning centers and can help reinforce essential math skills. Whether it’s addition, subtraction, shapes, counting, or money, these free resources make learning engaging and accessible.

So, embrace the spirit of the season and inspire young minds with these fall-themed math games.

What other topics can you play math games with in your classroom?  We would love to hear your ideas in the comments below too!

~Charity

The post Moving Into Fall Strategy Game appeared first on Organized Classroom.

As a child myself, I LOVED doing “MadLibs.” They were a blast and always so funny.

Randomly choosing different words in specific parts of speech always turned into a hoot in the end when the story ended up so silly.

While I didn’t realize it then, I was definitely working on knowing my parts of speech while just having fun.

WHAT?!

I had to know the difference between a noun, an adjective, a verb, a counting number, and so on. Having that informal practice in the disguise of a game really helped solidify those concepts.

Using Simple Games to Reinforce Concepts

Along with basic fill-in-the-blank stories, lots of other basic games are perfect for review concepts in the classroom:

Around the World: I love this for math flashcards. One student starts next to another student in the room and you pull math flashcard from the back. Whoever wins moves to the next person and the one who does not sits in that chair. he goal is to get all the way back to your own seat.

Sparkle: Students love this game mainly because they get to sit on top of their desks until they lose. The teacher starts on one side of the room and gives the first student a spelling word. If he or she gets it correct, they get to stay on top of their desk. If they get it wrong, they sit in their seat and you give the same word to the next student. If they get it correct, they get to stay on top of their desk and you give the next word to the next student. Play continues until either only one student is still on top of their desk.

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for hosting successful classroom celebrations?  This 416 page digital book has you covered! Includes 61 ad-free articles from Organized Classroom, including holidays such as:

• Groundhog Day
• Winter
• Black History
• Valentines Day
• St. Patricks Day
• Earth Day
• Spring
• Mothers Day
• Memorial Day
• Summer
• Independence Day
• Fall
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!

See it HERE.

Flashlight Vocabulary: Write several current vocabulary words on the board and have student form 2 team lines. The front student in each line gets a flashlight (I like to color the lenses with dry erase markers so it is easier to see who has what) and you say the definition. The first team to get their flashlight on the word gets a point and that student goes to the back of the line. Keep continuing until one team gets to X amount of points.

Higher or Lower: One of my all time faves! It works perfectly in the hallway or as a quick time filler. You begin with saying aloud: “I am thinking of a number between 0 and 100.” The first student farthest away from you in the room gets to guess and you say “(the number they chose) is (higher or lower) than my number.” Then I usually let that student pick the next – with the requirement that boys pick a girl and girls pick a boy. Play continues until someone correctly guesses the mystery number. This game can also be modified depending on your students’ abilities. Make the number 0-10 if needed or even 0-1,000,000. I’ve done both.

Tic-Tac-Words: On the board make a large tic-tac-toe board and place random letters – one in each of the 9 spaces. Make sure to use popular letters and at least 2 different vowels. Then, have students grab a piece of paper and give them 5 minutes to write as many words as they can come up with from the letters in the grid. I like to award a winner for the most words (non-repeating) and another who comes up with the longest word.

And of course if you loved doing MadLibs as a child like me, you will love this set of two fall themed silly story worksheets to use with your own students!

Directions to Use:

1. Pair up students.  Give each pair 2 different stories.
2. Partner A verbally asks Partner B for words to fill in each of the blanks – without reading the rest of the story.
3. Repeat with the opposite story and partners switch roles.
4. Students take turns reading their completed stories aloud to one another.

Hope this gets a fun laugh from your students and brightens up your day as well!

Click here to email your freebie

What are some of your favorite basic review games that “trick” students into learning without a fuss? We would love to hear in the comments below!

Enjoy!

~Charity

The post Silly Stories Fall Freebie! appeared first on Organized Classroom.

And don’t even get me started on the food! Cinnamon donuts, apple cider, pumpkin chocolate chip drop cookies, pumpkin rolls, hot chocolate, apple fritters, peanut butter pumpkins, and soooooo many other seasonal goodies! {Yes, I also love candy corn!}

Right now, I am having a blast with pumpkins so I decided to continue on to the theme and thought perhaps your students might enjoy a fun pumpkin puzzle.

This Pumpkin Puzzler Activity will get your students happy to do problem solving first thing in the morning – or during center time!

Fun Fall Center Activity

Want to differentiate it for different levels?   Maybe have a few of the puzzle pieces already connected and have them finish the last few.

Or make it more difficult by having gifted learners create their own version and trading with a friend.

You might want to check out:

Need some new ideas for hosting successful classroom celebrations?  This 416 page digital book has you covered! Includes 61 ad-free articles from Organized Classroom, including holidays such as:

• Groundhog Day
• Winter
• Black History
• Valentines Day
• St. Patricks Day
• Earth Day
• Spring
• Mothers Day
• Memorial Day
• Summer
• Independence Day
• Fall
• Halloween
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

…and even more!

Now available in our Shop!  And the second copy to share with a friend is half price!

See it HERE.

Most students love puzzles and this will lend itself to critical thinking and problem solving.   

This handout includes the answer key, as well as a grayscale copy for those who prefer to use the copier rather than printing the puzzle in color on cardstock and laminating for classroom use.  Whatever you decide – I have you covered.

Click the button below to have it delivered to your email address right now.

What other seasonal fall foods would you add to my list above? I would love to hear them in a comment below.

Enjoy and happy fall all!

~Charity

The post Pumpkin Puzzle Game appeared first on Organized Classroom.