Leaf Multiplication

Thank goodness for leaves! How would we learn our multiplication tables without them. “Hmm.” I hear you say. “I managed just fine, thank you very much.” Maybe so, but let’s face it. There’s a lot of rote learning to be done. We need...

A Leafy Tower of Hanoi

The Tower of Hanoi is a maths puzzle that is traditionally completed on rods with wooden discs. Teacher Tom blogged about The Evolution of the Tree Part Toys and this reminded me of this puzzle, I have resorted to leaves which are abundant and colourful at this time...

Leaf Logic

With autumn here, now is the time to capitalise on the beauty and variety of leaves falling from the trees. Here is an activity that requires a bit of logical thinking and strategy.First all of ask each child to gather a few leaves from under a tree. It works best if...

15 Minibeast Outdoor Maths Challenges

When I googled “minibeast outdoor maths” and went on Pinterest to see the buzz, I was amazed and dazed at the variety of possibilities. However, on closer examination, I couldn’t see many outdoor maths activities. So I reckoned it was time to chip in from...

Stick Insect Symmetry

This is a very slick little maths challenge that can be easily differentiated. If your class are into minibeasts then challenge them to make a symmetrical stick insect. Begin by asking children to think about what makes an insect an insect? Highlight the different...

Outdoor Maths: Creating 3D skeletons from Sticks

I love learning outside for many reasons, not least because I’m a seeker of “Divine Aha!” moments. This is when the light dawns or a spark of an idea catches alight and sets my mind on fire. This post was originally written in March 2012. At that...

Happy Faces

Recently I was working in a local primary school exploring multiplication outside. We finished with an investigation using sticks (SK), stones (ST) and cones (CO). Multiplication, like most things in maths is all about looking for patterns and relationships. Once we...

Sketchnoting – Capturing Thoughts

Several years ago, a fellow educator, Amber Grohs on Twitter sent me a sketchnote she had created from reading the first few pages of the Loose Parts Play: A Toolkit document. Immediately I loved the layout, look and feel of her work. Sketchnoting is a process which...

A Pocket Outdoor Maths Kit

For many years I’ve been experimenting with useful pocket-sized maths resources. Things have come in and gone out again, as I’ve refined, tested and adapted what works. What I’ve been aiming for is a small set of resources which enable me to support...

Crianlarich Primary – Maths Trailblazers

This guest blog post is courtesy of Crianlarich Primary School. Back in September, I had the privilege of working with the school for a morning to kickstart using their school grounds and local environment for raising attainment in maths. How would use this maths...

Stripy Sticks, Subitising and Other Challenges

Subitising is the ability to look at a number of objects and know how many are there without the need to count each object. It is an important skill in terms of being a good maths thinker. The Scottish Government have produced benchmarks for early numeracy and...

100 Maths Sessions Outside

Most schools in Scotland have now begun their holidays. Andrea Stevenson, has had an exceptionally busy term. She’s a Canadian teacher, who lives in Aberdeen and has undertaken maths consultancy work on behalf of Creative STAR whilst waiting for her GTCS...
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