Sporting events are a great place to build math skills! Just grab your clipboard and some paper, then head off to a local sporting event, like a baseball or basketball game. Use a tally system to keep score. At the end of the game, count up the tallies. Who won? By how many points?

Here’s a great way to make grocery shopping an adventure for kids! Before you head off to the store, compile a shopping list with your child. For younger children, work together to cut foods out of magazines or advertisements. Bring the list to the grocery store and have your child check off each grocery item as you put it in the cart. At the end, ask your child how many items were purchased? For older children, incorporate the cost of the items and compare the prices.

Here’s a counting activity that’s sure to get kids moving! Next time you visit your local park, find an area with a flat surface, like a basketball or tennis court.

• First, pick a starting point and an ending point.
• Next, walk from point A to point B in regular steps, counting each step as you go.
• How many steps did you count?
• Now walk the entire length using baby steps. How many baby steps did you count?
• Try it skipping. How many skips did you count?
• Can you think of any more ways to move from point A to point B?
• Why do you think it took more baby steps than skips to walk across?
• For older kids, bring a tape measure and measure the length.

Here’s a challenging game kids can play anywhere! Simply point out an object you see around you and say the word aloud. Then, ask your child what letter makes the beginning sound of the word. (For example, if you call out “dog,” your child should say the beginning sound is the letter d.) Give your child a point for every question he answers correctly. Work together to get to 5 or 10 points…and be sure to give him lots of praise along the way!