Is all that Halloween candy still lingering around? Put it to good use and turn leftover candy to build their math skills. Yes, really! Here are three fun ways to turn your child’s abundance of leftover candy into valuable, fun math practice!
1. Candy Math
Using objects helps kids process and understand math concepts — like adding, subtracting and multiplying. And when candy is the object, it makes the learning fun and tasty! Plus, there is a built in reward.
2. Sorting and Graphing
Kids seem to instinctively want to sort things, especially their Halloween loot! Take advantage of this opportunity by encouraging your child to sort and tally all the different kinds of treats he or she collected. How many are chocolate versus non chocolate candies? You can also have your child sort by color or shape.
Once the candy is all sorted, have he or she create an educational graph!
3. Apples and Pumpkin Pie Fractions
Did you know you can ease your child’s fraction anxiety by using apples and pumpkin pie to reinforce and build understanding? With adult supervision, cut an apple or pie into half. Then cut it into quarters. Then eighths. What fraction of the apple or pie is each piece? How many pieces does it take to make half of the apple or pie? A quarter of the apple or pie?
Practicing math skills at home with fun, candy-themed activities is a great way to foster excitement and build confidence. Enjoy!