August 2019 – Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math

Playful Math Education Carnival 130

Posted on August 30, 2019November 1, 2019 by Denise Gaskins

Play. Learn. Enjoy!

Welcome to the 130th edition of the Playful Math Education Blog Carnival, a feast of delectable tidbits of mathy fun.

The Playful Math Carnival is like a free online magazine devoted to learning, teaching, and playing around with math. It’s back-to-school time in the U.S., so this month’s edition focuses on establishing a creative math mindset from preschool to high school.

You’re sure to find something that will delight both you and your child.

By tradition, we start the carnival with a puzzle in honor of our 130th edition. But if you would like to jump straight to our featured blog posts, use our handy Table of Contents.

Click here for all the mathy goodness!

Updated Geometric Coloring Designs (Free)

Posted on August 15, 2019August 14, 2019 by Denise Gaskins

I created these coloring pages for my homeschool co-op math kids, and then collected them into a downloadable 42-page PDF coloring book for your family to enjoy.

The booklet includes several ready-to-color designs, a wide assortment of graph paper, advanced create-your-own tessellation pages, and links to all sorts of online math art resources.

But when I posted the link to Twitter, a friend noticed that several of the resource links were broken. (Thanks, Mark!)

While I was fixing those, I added some new links (to the wonderful School of Islamic Geometric Design pattern templates and classroom resources).

So even if you’ve downloaded the file before, you may want to pick up this new-and-improved edition.

Click to Visit My Free Printables Page

More Ways to Play with Math Art

Get Your Weekly KenKen Puzzles for Kids

Posted on August 8, 2019August 7, 2019 by Denise Gaskins

KenKen arithmetic puzzles build mental math skills, logical reasoning, persistence, and mathematical confidence.

Free via email every Friday during the school year.

What a great way to prepare your children for success in math!

Click Here for KenKen Classroom Newsletter

How to Play

For easy printing, right-click to open the image above in a new tab.

Place the numbers from 1 to 6 into each row and column. None of the numbers may repeat in any row or column. Within the black “cages,” the numbers must add, subtract, multiply, or divide to give the answer shown.

Find the Sweetness in Math

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Denise Gaskins

Have you ever tasted the sweetness in math?

Or noticed your child having one of those “Aha” moments?

I’d love to hear your story in the comments!

You can think of puzzles and games as the sugar that helps the medicine to down, and you’re at least a bit healthier in your approach to math. But even better than sugar and nasty medicine is food that’s delicious enough to take away our craving for sugar and nutritious enough to take away any need for medicine. In the same way, good problems can help us fall in love with math and make a delicious meal of it, sinking our teeth into tough problems, tenderized by their intrigue.
…
Most people like games, so that’s an easy place to begin. At first, the games can be the sweetness that helps the math medicine go down. Over time perhaps you can find the sweetness in the math itself — in a problem that inspires you to work and struggle, until you finally get it, just for your own satisfaction.

— Sue VanHattum
“Parents and Kids Together: Learning in Community”
Playing with Math: Stories from Math Circles, Homeschoolers, and Passionate Teachers

CREDITS: “Girl with Bubbles” photo courtesy of Leo Rivas on Unsplash.

New Book: Ying and the Magic Turtle

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Denise Gaskins

Math your children can enjoy.

That’s the power of living books.

And there’s a new one coming soon, from the wonderful people at Natural Math.

“Long ago in the land of China, there were many rain storms … and the land of China was slowly sinking into the sea. This is the story of how a wise emperor, an observant girl, and a magic turtle saved the villages of China from the great flood.”