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In an article in the new Exchange book, Curriculum: Brain Research, Math, Science, Becky White observes: "Encouraging children to explore their mathematical world through collections and games provides hours of fun and learning. The projects can also be a great way to connect with families. Most importantly, children discover that learning is fun and that playing and learning are inseparable." In this chapter White offers numerous examples of math rich activities. Here are a few...

• Talk about the importance of statistics in sports. Have the children list statistics that they could collect related to their favorite games or sports. Show the children statistics in the newspaper or on the Internet related to their favorite activities.
• Hold bouncing marathon competitions. Students can time each other with stopwatches or experiment with more primitive time-keeping devices like hour glasses to determine the duration of consecutive bounces. Measure and record the bounce-ability of each type of ball.
• Ask parents to drop their loose change into a large jar in your classroom/center where the children can enjoy watching it fill up. Sort the pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters teaching the children the value of each. What can be purchased with each coin? Give real-life examples by dividing after-school snacks into portions equivalent to the cost. Show how the value of each coin corresponds to the value of a dollar bill. Talk with older children about the fraction of a dollar each coin represents.
• Invite families to participate in your classroom’s collecting activities. Furnish parents with a list of collection suggestions. These could include traditional items like stamps, coins, Pokemon or baseball cards, shells, rocks, or spoons. Or they could be collections of toy cars, dolls, balls, origami figures, postcards, beads, beans, jokes written on cards �" anything that can be sorted.
• Ask the children to describe their collection to the group. Introduce geometric terminology, when appropriate, by asking if there are any circles, squares, or cylinders, etc. in the collection. Have the students measure an item and compute its volume or area if it is age-appropriate.

Contributed by Exchange, The Early Childhood Leader's Magazine Since 1978

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