logo
cuppacocoa
August 14, 2014

***8/19/14 Update: Congrats to Anna L., winner of the Math Menu Giveaway! Thanks for participating!***The Original Math Menu

It seems like just a couple weeks ago I was talking about summer boredom and math games… but look! I just published the last of the fun math game series, and already the beginning of the school year is upon us.

So. The math games. Have you tried any of them???

42: Addition

99Addition and subtraction

Closest to 100Addition (2-digit numbers), place value, negative numbers

Divide and ConquerDivision

Low ScoreFractions, addition

Target NumberOrder of Operations

Tic-Tac-Toe ProductsMultiplication fact practice

If you play them, I think you’ll also be convinced that they’re keepers! Once I learned these games, I knew I wanted to use them in my classroom. They would be perfect for reinforcing math concepts, rainy-day recesses, and choice time (aka “free time”). In reality, I found that all this was true, and that they were especially great for those crazy days leading up to Winter Break or Summer Vacation. However, I knew it was unrealistic for me to use them unless I had something convenient to use. I needed something practical that would:

So I made The Math Menu. 

The Math Menu

It’s a binder with all the games and templates in sheet protectors! This not only protects the pages, but also makes the templates reusable. I would highly recommend that you make your own “Math Menu” (or win it (see below)!) I’ve used it countless times over the years, and it has been my saving grace on those crazy afternoons when I know we all need to take a break from the routine. Trust me. Small investment of time– maybe 20 minutes, max– and big payoff. I did all the hard work for you. USE IT! =D

For parents, this is perfect for those stay-in days and weekends, to take along for trips, and to send off when they stay at grandma’s. Or just for family game night! 🙂 Everything in one handy, easy-to-access spot.

I compiled everything into ONE DOCUMENT FOR YOU! No need to refer back to any of those older posts (linked above), unless you want to watch a quick video and skip reading the instructions. Now all you have to do is print up the master document and stick it into sheet protectors. You’re welcome!

————————

How to make your own math menu:

Materials

Materials

Instructions

1. Slide the first page into the binder cover, if there is one. Slide the title page into a sheet protector (it gets its own sheet protector). Put the rest of the papers back-to-back and slide them into glossy sheet protectors. See how “99” instructions face the “99” card value sheet?

Slide into sheet protectors

2. Store the first sandwich bag (dice) in the sheet protector for Target Number. (One die will also work– just reroll it until you have all the numbers you need). Store the second sandwich bag (paper clips and game pieces) in the sheet protector holding Tic-Tac-Toe Products. 

store materials in sheet protectors

DONE! This little investment of time will pay off greatly in the years to come!

Math Menu

*If you’re a teacher, then make extra copies of the templates for Closest to 100 (1 per student) and Tic-Tac-Toe Products (1 for every 2 students) and put each one in its own sheet protector (not back-to-back). These make handy dandy reusable game boards that you can just pull out for class play, and easily put back for storage.

—————

Wanna know an even easier way to get a Math Menu binder? Win the one I made! 🙂 I know this will only interest a very specific subset of my readers, but since I had to make a pretty one to take pictures of anyway… so now it’s an extra one. Want it? Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. It will use Random.org to select a winner on Tuesday, August 19. Open to residents of the United States. You can enter once a day. Check back on Tuesday morning to see who the winner is!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 responses to “Make Your Own Math Menu! (+Giveaway!)”

  1. rachael smith says:

    Tic Tac Toe Products is so fun and my son loves playing it! lol