We are working on yet more multiplication around here. Now that the weather is so amazing, we've taken some of our learning outside. This week we practiced multiplication with outdoor arrays.
Multiplication arrays were a simple concept for my son so it was a perfect review concept for him at this point! He has been reviewing the times tables and we've been playing all kinds of games to review. But since we were outside, he and his sister were playing with sticks, rocks, and other small items that were abundant in our messy spring yard.
In between his running around, I expected him to come and modify his array to fit the next problem. He had to make it, tell me the answer for how many rocks were in the array, and then he could run play some more.
Raisin and Strawberry have dug up an amazing number of small rocks in the place where trees were removed last fall. So, this meant that we could do the higher level arrays too!
It was nice to have a purpose for all those small rocks! My son's favorite array he made was a 1x1 array. He thought that it funny, but I loved that he'd internalized just what multiplication means as we made so many different arrays!
OK, we're off to enjoy the delightfully warm weather some more! Here are some more outdoor learning ideas from the early elementary blogging team!
Map Skills for Kids: Backyard Treasure Hunt from Life Over C’s
Nests Nature Hunt for Kids from Still Playing School
How to Make an Outdoor Mud Kitchen from Parenting Chaos
Outside Arrays for Multiplication Practice from Line Upon Line Learning
Sidewalk Chalk Outdoor Math Game from Look! We’re Learning!
Gardening For Math Time from Preschool Powol Packets
Second Grade Math with Rocks from Sugar Aunts
Tree Unit Study and Science Experiment from Schooling a Monkey
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