First grade math projects

First Grade Math Games That Will Really Engage Your Students

Early elementary teachers have a chance to instill in their students a love of math right from the start. One great way to do that is to make math fun! These first grade math games cover all the standard skills firsties need to know, in ways that make learning engaging and enjoyable for all.

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1. Assemble a domino puzzle

Print the free puzzles at the link below. Then grab some dominoes and start filling in the puzzle one piece at a time by placing a domino that adds up to the number shown in each rectangle. The trick is that regular domino rules still apply, so each number must touch another domino with the same number on that end.

Learn more: Games 4 Gains

2. Play tic-tac-toe with addition problems

Work out the answer to each problem in the grid, and dot or circle the ones that add up to 10. First to get three in a row wins!

Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me—Tic-Tac-Toe Math Game

3. Face off in Dice War

Dice games are fantastic in the classroom! With this one, kids practice their addition facts and get a little work with subitizing too. The concept is so simple: Each player rolls the dice and adds up their numbers. The highest sum wins that round. This is one of those first grade math games that can be expanded by adding a third die. (You can also use playing cards.)

Learn more: Miss Giraffe’s Class

4. Use sticky notes to make 10

Sticky notes have so many uses in the classroom. In this case, challenge students to put together the numbered notes that “make 10.” They’ll practice adding to 10 with multiple numbers. You can also do this with subtraction, starting at 10, to make zero.

Learn more: Life Over C’s

5. Play Shut the Box

This game has been played for hundreds of years, but it’s a fun and sneaky way to practice addition facts fluency. The goal is to “close” each of the numbers in the box from one to nine by rolling the dice. For instance, if a player rolls 11, they may close 1, 2, 3, and 5, as these add up to 11. If no numbers are available to add up to the dice total, play passes to the next player and continues until someone finally “shuts the box” by closing the last available number. You can play this game with a specially designed box, as it has been played for years. You don’t need the box, though; simply have kids write out the numbers 1 through 9 and cross them out as they play.

6. Assemble some addition grab bags

Fill a variety of bags with collections of small objects. Kids grab a handful from two different bags, then count and add up the results. Be sure they write it all down to get practice at setting up equations. First grade math games like this one work for subtraction too.

Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching—Grab Bags

7. Face Off to find the difference

Each player rolls the dice (try polyhedral dice for higher numbers, or roll several dice and add them together) and builds a stack of math cubes. Then they “face off” and find the difference between their two stacks.

Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls

8. Plant flowers and count on

Pick up some artificial flowers at the dollar store for this springtime garden game. Roll the die and add that number of flowers to your pot. Then roll again and add more, counting on from where you left off. Easy and fun!

Learn more: Fun-a-Day

9. Build and count on

Here’s a fun hands-on way to practice counting on and addition. You can use any type of building blocks for this one. Get free printables at the link.

Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching—Building On

10. Print a hundreds chart to play Battleship

Help students master numbers up to 100 by playing Battleship, using a standard hundreds chart. They’ll enjoy the strategy (and the fun of crying “boom!” when they sink a ship) while they develop number sense and practice number words.

Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me—Hundreds Chart Battleship

11.

Fill in a number grid puzzle

These hundreds chart puzzles encourage kids to use a variety of first grade math skills to fill in the missing numbers. They’ll practice counting on, numbers to 100, skip counting, and more. Grab these 10 free printable puzzles at the link.

Learn more: Helping With Math

12. Try nuts and bolts for place-value practice

Mastering the concepts of tens and ones is more fun with hands-on activities. We love these DIY math manipulatives that use inexpensive nuts and bolts from the hardware store to drive home the idea of place value. (Bonus: Kids also practice fine motor skills!) Get free printable mats to use with this activity at the link.

Learn more: The Measured Mom

13. Have a place-value scavenger hunt

Grab a stack of old magazines and use it for a place-value scavenger hunt! You can do this one at school or send it home for homework. Get free printables to use for this first grade math game at the link.

Learn more: Primary Theme Park—Place Value Scavenger Hunt

14. Practice tens and ones with I Have, Who Has

As first graders work with the concepts of tens and ones, play this simple game to give them confidence. Using the free printable cards at the link, the first player calls out “I have …” followed by the number shown on their card in blocks. Then they call out the number on the bottom, and the player who has that number takes over.

Learn more: Playdough to Plato—I Have, Who Has

15. Deal Uno cards to compare numbers

Some first grade math games are just slightly harder versions of kindergarten ones. Make a greater than/less than mat with paper scraps and a brad, as shown. Lay out two Uno cards on each side, since first graders work on comparing two-digit numbers. Swing the arms of the signs around to the correct direction to indicate which is greater.

Learn more: The Kindergarten Smorgasboard

16. Knock down the pins with dot arrangement bowling

Take an inexpensive toy bowling set (or make your own with plastic bottles) and add sticky dots arranged in patterns. Students roll the ball and then have to quickly subitize to determine how many dots are on each pin they knocked down. If they get it right, they get the points!

Learn more: The First Grade Parade

17. Navigate a time-telling maze

Start with the first clock and color in the line that shows the correct time. That leads you to the next clock, and so on, until you’re done!

Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me—Time-Telling Maze

18. Assemble time-telling puzzles

Firsties should be mastering time to the hour and half hour. These free printable puzzles help them match up analog and digital clock times. Have them say the times out loud as they match them up too.

Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me—Time-Telling Puzzles

19. Match up plastic eggs

This is always a popular way to practice telling time. Draw clocks on one half of the eggs, and write out the times in numbers or words on the other half. For even more fun, hide the halves around the room and go on an egg hunt before you match them up!

Learn more: The STEM Laboratory

20.

Put together shapes to make other shapes

Use pattern blocks with the free printable cards at the link to get kids playing around with simple geometry. They’ll practice recognizing basic shapes and learn they can use some shapes to make new ones.

Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching—Pattern Blocks

21. Partition and sort shapes

Gather up sticky notes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Draw lines on them to partition them equally or unequally. Then, have kids sort them based on type.

Learn more: Smitten With First

22. Build and measure with LEGO bricks

Everything is more fun with LEGO! Pull out a pile of square bricks and use them for these fun and free activities that incorporate estimating, measuring, and comparing length.

Learn more: Playdough to Plato—LEGO Math

23. Race and measure with toy cars

First, kids get a little STEM practice by figuring out how to build a ramp. Then, they race toy cars down the ramp, marking where they land. Finally, they compare distances using any kind of non-standard measurement they like.

Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching—Non-Standard Measurement

24. Sort out your classroom toys

First graders work on sorting by attribute in as many as three categories. Put out a variety of building blocks, beads, or other classroom toys and lay out some Hula-Hoops. Ask kids to define the categories and start sorting! You can even overlap the hoops into Venn diagrams for items that meet more than one criteria.

Learn more: BSM Year 2

25. Go on a bug hunt

Grab the free printable game at the link, then have kids graph their insects as they play. When they’re done, ask questions to ensure they understand the data they’ve collected.

Learn more: Primary Theme Park—Bug Hunt

Like these first grade math games? Don’t miss these 50 First Grade Math Word Problems of the Day!

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Math Activities 1st Grade Students Absolutely Love

I hear from so many teachers that math is their least favorite subject to teach. Some of them struggled with math as a child, some find their math curriculums overwhelming, and some just have never felt as successful teaching math as they would like. Well, teaching math is my favorite, and I am obsessed with helping other teachers feel the same way. If you’re a teacher and need some fresh ideas for math activities 1st grade students will think are totally awesome, then you are in the right place!

This article is all about math activities 1^st grade teachers should always be using!

Hands-On Math Activities

Using manipulatives is a sure way to help your math activities increase engagement and effectiveness. Concrete representations are the best place to start when you’re teaching new material. Here are some of my favorite tools to use if you’re looking to incorporate some hands-on math activities for 1^st grade:

Counters

Double-Sided Math Counters on Amazon
Mini Erasers on Amazon
Squishy Animals on Amazon

So many fun options for hands-on math counters for all your math activities ideas!

There are so many fun kinds of counters you can use! Double-sided math counters, mini erasers, and small animal counters are all fun choices.
You can use counters to practice number pairs or use them with ten frame or number bond templates.
Counters can also be offered as manipulative to make give any worksheet or workbook a hands-on option for the students who need it.

Pop-Its

10 x 10 Pop It on Amazon
Pop It Game on Amazon
Small Pop Its on Amazon

Pop-Its are such a fun tool that can be used for math activities for 1st grade!

Pop-its provide a fun hands-on option for math activities. These are great for students who need extra kinesthetic feedback.
You can use them to practice counting on (students pop a circle down for each number they count on).
Get a 10×10 pop it to practice counting to 100, counting by tens, or to notice patterns within a hundreds chart.
You can even make your own ten-frame pop it by trimming them to two rows of 5!
There are even Pop-It game boards. You can create a math game activity by having students roll the dice and pop down the number they get and add on to try to make it to a certain total.

Ten-Frames

Ten-frames are a great hands-on math activities tool for young learners!

You can get physical ten frames for your class or students – magnetic ones, plastic ones, or have them as a whiteboard template.
Use your ten frames for number sense by practicing visual recognition of groups of 5.
You can also use them for practicing number pairs adding on from 5 (5+1, 5+2, etc).
And of course you can practice pairs that make 10!

Unifix Cubes:

Move one cube over at a time while counting on.
Explore different number pairs for a certain sum.
Use in number bond or ten frames.

These can be purchased on Amazon.

Use these cubes to practice counting on – start with any number and then move a cube over for every number as you count up.
Use two different colors to practice finding different number pairs for a certain sum.
You can also use cubes inside of ten frames or number bond templates to practice adding on or finding number pairs.

Math Activities With Art

I am a firm believer that the arts can help students learn every subject more richly and deeply. Even math! I use crafts, songs, and movement all the time to help students master new math concepts. The arts provide a huge number of ideas for math enrichment activities.

Math Crafts

Turn new strategies into a craft by having students use art materials to represent numbers. Crafts are a great example of math activities 1^st grade students will be engaged and excited about

I love using pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, pom poms, or sequins to represent tens and ones.
Crafts are especially perfect for units on measurement, time, money, or geometry. These units naturally lend themselves to cut and paste projects that help students apply and review math concepts.
You can even turn simple practice into a craft by adding in some fun art mediums. Have students use chalk on black paper or glitter pens and it instantly uplifts what would other feel like repetitive work!
Color by numbers are one of my go-to math activities for 1^st grade, because they incorporate some coloring and art into math. I suggest finding color by numbers that target the specific skill or strategy you’re working on (pairs that make 10, counting on by 2, adding to 10, etc.)

Math Songs

I love turning math concepts into songs. These little ditties not only help students remember things better, but they make everything much more fun. Here are some examples to get you going. They don’t have to be anything fancy!

A song for Tens and Ones:

“All teen numbers are ten and some ones,

Ten and some ones,

All teen numbers are ten and some ones!

Ten and one are what? 11!

Ten and two are what? 12! Etc. ”

A song for learning trapezoids:

“It looks like a diamond yes that’s true,

But that’s not its name I promise.

4 sides all the same length, what’s it called?

It’s a rhom, it’s a rhom, it’s a rhombus!

Rhom, rhom, rhombus, we call it a rhombus!

Rhom, rhom, rhombus, we call it a rhombus!”

A song for inequalities:

“The alligator looks for something to eat,

He’s looking for a nice big tasty treat!

One number is bigger, the other is smaller,

Which one is the alligator going to swallow?”

Math Movement Activities

Incorporating dance and movement into any math activities for kids can be so helpful. Our brains work better when we move, so let’s get our students up and out of their seats! These types of exercises are math activities kindergarten, first grade, and even second grade students will enjoy.

4 Corners: post math problems in each corner. Then pass out cards that have answer on them to each student. Students then have to find the corner with the problem that matches their card’s answer. Collect the cards, shuffle them, and repeat!
Let’s Split Them Up: A game to practice number pairs. First, choose a number for your sum. For example, you could decide to practice ways to make 8. Then choose 8 students to stand in the middle. Select one student to split them into two groups by gently moving them to different sides. Then have the student share with the class the number pair they made (for example, “5 + 3 = 8”). Repeat with different students, having each of them split the students in the middle using a different number pair.
Dance in the Shapes: First, tape lots of outlines of the different shapes you are studying on the ground. Then have students volunteer. Choose a few students to go dance in a specific shape. Play music as the students find the correct shape to stand and dance in. When the music pauses, they have to back to their seats, and it’s time to choose a new group of students.

Math Games Activities

Games are one of the go-to math activities in kindergarten and all the way up to high school. There are so many choices for how to use games as math enrichment activities. Here are some of my top suggestions:

Independent Math Games

These are great because you can have every student work at their own personal level. Two of my favorite options are the mazes from Miss Giraffe on TPT and the independent math game packs from Sweet Firstie Fun on TPT.

Math Card Games

There are so many wonderful card games that can be used as math activities for 1^st grade. Some include:

Go Fish 10: Instead of trying to get a matching pair, students try to get pairs that add up to 10. This game could be played for any sum, just remove the higher numbered cards.
Adding War: Each student flips two cards and adds them together. The student with the higher sum gets to take the pile for that turn. Whoever has all the cards at the end wins.
Slap 10: Students each flip a card. If the two cards add up to 10, they should try to slap the pile. Whoever slaps the pile first gest to take it! If a student slaps but the cards don’t equal 10, the other student gets to keep the pile! Whoever has all the cards at the end wins.

These cards are perfect for math because they are numbered 0-13! Available on Amazon.

Group Math Games

These can be fun math activities to get the whole class moving and playing together.

Bingo: Fill a bingo board with math problems. Draw cards that have the answers. Students need to find and cover a square with a problem that matches the answer you drew. Whoever gets 5 in a row gets a bingo!
Pop: A game for counting practice. First, decide what counting you want to practice (by ones, by twos, counting backwards, counting by fives, by tens, etc.) Then choose one number to be the “pop” number. For example, if we were counting backwards from 20, we might choose 14 to be the “pop” number. Go around in a circle with each students saying the next number in the counting pattern. When it’s a student’s turn to say “14”, they say “pop!” instead, and they stand up. They are now out of the counting circle. Continue with the game (when you get to 0 you would start back at 20), continuing to have students “pop” on the number 14. Whoever is the last student in the circle wins!

Math Activities Online

While I believe that hands-on, off-screen learning should be the first choice for every classroom, I can’t deny that math activities online can be highly appealing and motivating for some students. I started using Boom Cards with my remedial tutoring, and I couldn’t believe what a helpful motivator it became to help with mastering math facts! I personally found Boom Cards to be the most engaging online math activities online option. Most games I found online were pretty basic and just about repetition and memorization.

Examples of engaging Boom Cards with virtual manipulatives.

I got hooked on using Boom Cards, and I ended up creating my own line of Boom Cards! These decks teach, reinforce, and help students master their math facts up to 10. You can check all of my decks out right here, and you can even try out my “Ways to Make 10” deck for free!

Click here to see this full math fact fluency mastery program.

Boom Cards can be used as a special treat for students, or as part of a remedial math program for students who are behind.

Well friends, I hope you now have lots of ides for fun math activities for 1^st grade!

Which one of these are you most excited to try out with your students? Xoxo Laura

"Mathematics around us": Making a project in the 1st grade

Mathematics around us (numbers in riddles, proverbs, sayings) - the first project in the life of first graders. In the course of working on the project, students 1 class master the ability to work in groups, search, explore, collect material. The result is a beautifully designed book.

The project gives an understanding that numbers and numbers surround us everywhere: house and bus numbers, prices in shops, cinema seats, page numbers, exercises, dates, and so on. In speech, we often mention numbers: they are found in poems, proverbs, riddles, winged expressions. Mathematics is around us! It would be very difficult to live without numbers.

Working on the project, first-graders discover a lot of new things, come to interesting conclusions, get acquainted with folklore. The work is large-scale, creative, and it is very important to understand its goals and objectives.

Purpose:

To get acquainted with poems, proverbs, sayings, riddles, in which there are numbers.

Tasks:

Find verses with numbers from 0 to 10 with the help of the teacher and parents.
Find out in which proverbs and sayings there are numbers.
Learn the meaning of these proverbs and sayings.
Present found material as a book.

Materials

In addition to visual design, the book must contain:

proverbs,
sayings,
riddles,
verses.

As soon as you start searching for materials, you will understand what a colossal number of proverbs and riddles in numbers created by the people! It is impossible to fit them all into one project, so we choose the most interesting, accurate, and understandable. And preferably those that are easy to illustrate.

Where can I find material?

It's good if you can find collections of proverbs at home or in the library and look for interesting options on their pages together with your child. But if there were no books at hand, we go to the Internet site "About Proverbs" 😉 Here we have collected various proverbs, sayings, riddles from collections of proverbs, while maintaining punctuation and spelling (which is very important). Here we give links for navigating the site:

Riddles with numbers for the Project in grade 1 "Mathematics around us" (+ pictures),
Proverbs and sayings with numbers for the Mathematics Project (Grade 1).

Design:

It is difficult for a first grader who has never completed projects in his life to imagine how it should be designed. The teacher at the school can show samples of work. And at home, you can peep ideas on the Internet. We made a photo selection of project design ideas for grade 1 "Mathematics around us: Numbers in riddles, proverbs, sayings." When there is a clear example in front of your eyes, it is easier to navigate the task.

Project can be presented as an album with colored sheets glued together. On the first page there is a quatrain about numbers. And then a separate page with proverbs, sayings, riddles, poems and pictures is dedicated to each number.

2. Collage pages . Each page of an album or book can be designed as a collage. Cut out the number from paper and stick it in the center of an A4 sheet, and fill the remaining space with proverbs, sayings, stahs, riddles. They can be entered by hand, or printed on a printer, cut and pasted. For a collage, images of objects referred to in proverbs are also perfect. Such pictures can be cut out of old magazines, books, coloring books.

3. The following example is remarkable in that it contains interactive elements . The figure is not just drawn, but filled with beads, grains, sparkles, buttons. Each page contains the same character. It turns out as if we are making a journey through the world of numbers together with Masha. Pay attention, how sheets are fastened together: with a satin ribbon. If there is no such house, you can take a woolen thread or braid.

4. Others book design options:

Successful studies!

1st grade math project: numbers around us

Hello friends!

Today we present to your judgment our fresh "piping hot" project in mathematics for grade 1.

The whole family made it, helped whoever they could, who cut it out, who glued it, who composed poems. Well, the preliminary brainstorming was joint, family.

Lesson Plan:

1 Brainstorming
2 one
3 Two
4 three
5 Four
6 Five
7 Six
9 eight
10 Nine
12 Cook the Book of Media
The theme of the project in the textbook is: “Mathematics is around us. Numbers in riddles, proverbs, sayings.

I must say right away that we have moved a little away from the given topic, at our own peril and risk. Why did we do it? I'll explain now.

It is clear that this work will be done by many first-graders together with their parents. And behind these very proverbs, sayings and riddles, everyone will rush to the Internet. And they will find it! And all the same. So, in terms of content, the projects will be very similar to each other, the only difference will be in their design.

We decided to stand out from the crowd. And they themselves composed small poems about numbers, but in order not to completely get away from the topic, they picked up either a proverb or a saying for each number, or (in the absence of the first two) some catch phrase or phrase.

We thought for a long time how to arrange it so that it would be beautiful and unusual. And they came up with a flip book, which operates on the principle of a flip calendar.

Made from thick colored paper. It's not cardboard. This is quality double-sided paper from the Creative Tablet we purchased from the bookstore. They were going to make New Year cards out of it.

Our book has 10 pages. On each page is a picture with a number, from one to ten. In general, see for yourself what we got.

One

We made the number one from small pompoms, I don’t know where we got them from? Artyom found them in our creative closet, where, I must say, creative chaos most often reigns.

The pom poms were glued on with hot glue. The unit turned out bright and festive! And next to her is one sun, cut out of shiny golden paper.

A poem about a unit sounds like this:

Who is a ONE?

Very slender girl!

Both graceful and thin,

Like a sailor's uniform.

What about the sailor's uniform? Unknown! I just found such a rhyme)

Two

The deuce is made of threads. We just drew a deuce on paper, smeared it with PVA glue and glued threads on it. A pair of warm mittens settled next to the number.

Our verse!

TWO hands helped TWO legs,

TWO shoes they put on,

TWO laces they tied,

TWO hands are very tired.

Three

The trio was originally planned to be made of sequins. We wanted to draw a number, smear it with glue and sprinkle glitter on top. But then they found an easier way. After all, we already have ready-made paper with sparkles in a variety of colors. They cut it out of it.

Next to the trio “three starsyyyy, three bright flamesyy….” True, there are two of them in this song, but we have three!

Our trinity creation!

THREE funny little pigs.

Russian heroes.

THREE wishes, THREE bears.

To us from a fairy tale, the number THREE!

Four

Four is a very convenient number. She's so straight. There were the following options, they wanted to make it from:
- toothpicks;
- twigs;
- ice cream sticks;
- cocktail straws.
But all these options didn't match the result! We were rescued by Artemkin, an iron constructor. Tyoma, not stinting, donated three spare parts. Hot glue was used. And it turned out to be four. And next to her are 4 green leaves.

A poem about four.

If the chair is beautiful new

You put it upside down,

Then you will get a FOUR!

And you will get from your mother…

Five

The five turned out to be very nice. All in pink. All of silver braid, which again was glued into place with my magic hot gun. Well, so that the number five was not boring, five mushrooms were planted near it.

Our rhymes.

Even in a diary, but even in a notebook

Schools like to receive

This figure… Come on? FIVE!

Six

There were difficulties with the six. Not in terms of manufacturing, but in terms of the selection of proverbs, sayings, riddles. Somehow we didn't find anything worthwhile. Therefore, they used the expression "sixth sense", the meaning of which was explained to Artyom.

Well, we made six of the buttons we already loved. We have already used them in the manufacture of crafts "My favorite letter". Six fluffy Christmas trees have grown next to the button figure.

And now poetry!

A SIX the whole house

She swept her tail.

Proudly raised her ponytail,

Look how cute!

Seven

We didn't bother much with the seven. They just cut it out of corrugated spotted cardboard and it turned out very nice. And on this page, again, we decided to use buttons, there are exactly 7 of them.

Our seventh poem.

The number SEVEN spoke:

“I can be the envy of everyone

Very fast, on the run,

Turn into a poker!”

Eight

The figure eight was made by us from the now fashionable foamiran material. We cut it into small rectangles and laid them out in the shape of the number 8. We also cut out red ovals and then turned them into ladybugs.

A little more poetry.

Both fives and fours,

Everyone envy the EIGHT!

Very fine figure,

Physical education helps!

Nine

The penultimate digit was the most difficult to make. We made it from dried autumn leaves. The leaves kept trying to break, crumble, not stick, fall off, but still we coped with them.

And next to our nine, 9 balloons fly into the sky.

Our poem.

NINE serious lady!

Even a little formidable.

On her curved leg

She gallops along the path.

Ten

And here it is the final! Ten! Made from watermelon seeds, which also did not want to stay in their places. But as a result, we forced them to do it with the help of hot and super glue.

And what's next to the ten? Do you think it's just squares? Didn't guess. These are the buttons on the spacecraft control panel. So Artyom said, but he knows better, this is his project)

One more verse, the shortest one

One became friends with zero,

And suddenly turned into TEN.

Assembling the book

The pages are ready, now you need to assemble them into a book. First, loops of a thin five-millimeter satin ribbon were attached to each sheet. The ribbons were glued with super glue (for reliability) and they were still secured with pieces of paper from behind.

The larger the number in the picture, the farther the loops are from each other.

That is, the card with one has the closest loops.

Then we took the magic wand. This wand is truly magical. She has been living with us for two years already, we made her specially for Alexandra's eighth birthday, which was celebrated in the style of Hogwarts, it was interesting.

Well, since we have not used the stick for its intended purpose for a long time, we decided to use it to make a book. And since it is magical, it fit just perfect)

This wand was put through the loops. In other words, they strung the loops one after another on a stick.

And that's it! The book is ready! Look at it in action)

Here is such a project on the topic of numbers around us.

And there is another version of this design work on the blog.
Learn more