Summer Math Activities for Kids
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I hope you’ve downloaded my free summer learning printables — Brain Camp — and seen the math options from which your kid can choose. If not, here’s the link.
Today, I want to make sure you have all the resources you’ll need to help your kids in elementary (primary) school with these fun summer math activities.
Summer Math Activities for Kids
1. Math Apps
- Addition & Subtraction Apps
- Multiplication and Division Apps
- Geometry Apps
- Fraction Apps
- STEM Apps (science, technology, engineering, and math)
2. Hands-On Math Activities
- Counting to 100 ideas
- Make 2D and 3D geometric shapes with pretzels & marshmallows
- Make a number line outside with chalk
- Cookie math fractions
- Make a pattern with LEGOs
- Measure and find the area and perimeter of any room in your house. (metric system)
- Sort coins by their values. Find 3 ways to make $1.00 with coins.
- Add and subtract candy
- Print out a 100s chart. Skip count by 2, 3, 4, or 5, highlighting those numbers.
- Make up a math story problem using your toys. Act it out. Write it down. Have someone in your family solve it.
- Make a hula hoop clock
- Sing multiplication songs
- Division car race
- Make a graph out of LEGOs
3. Math Puzzles
4. Math Games
Sum Swamp
single digit addition & subtraction (& a Taylor family favorite!)
Tri-Fact-A
addition & subtraction fact families
Clumsy Thief
addition, subtraction, money, & making 100 card game (FUN!)
Deck of Playing Cards
– War (greater / less than)
– multiplication war
– 10s Go Fish
Fraction Formula
visually see what fractions add up to 1 whole
Sumoku
multi-step addition
Prime Climb
multiplication and division practice in a strategy and luck game
5. Math Workbooks
Brain Quest Workbooks (I usually select the grade level the child has just completed so it’s review.)
I’ve downloaded these apps and they’re glitchy so far so I don’t recommend them. Use the books instead.
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Singapore Math Workbooks
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
We use this math program and highly recommend the problem solving workbooks as well.
Kumon Workbooks
My Book of Simple Addition
Subtraction Grade 1
My First Book of Money: Counting Coins
My Book of Telling Time
More Math
Fun and interesting math games such as these are also a great way to reduce the dreaded summer slide. It’s important that parents and educators encourage kids, particularly those without access to summer learning programs or online resources, to participate in these activities to keep them thinking mathematically while out of school. Research suggests that kids – particularly those in low-income areas – lose 2.5 to 3 full months of grade level math equivalency over summer break. Scary statistics, but it’s great to see things like this being shared to help reduce the impact of learning decay. Thanks, Melissa! Keep up the great work.
Here’s a short list of free summer math activities we put together: https://www.thinkthroughmath.com/math-activities-summer/
Thanks again.
thanks for sharing!
Hi Melissa,
My wife and I have just created a new math app (Box Drop Math Addition) and I’d love to hear what you think about it or if you would consider writing a review. The focus is on improving basic addition skills by engaging kids in a challenging box stacking game. We’ve also included a graph that shows progress towards mastery for equations from 1 to 10. I can provide a promo code if you send me an email. Here is a YouTube video overview of the app:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrBLlFxR4Ao
thanks! My email is melissa@imaginationsoup.net