Math Blitz week is winding down, and I wanted to go out with a bang. The girls – Annie (age 9) in particular – do not care for math. Annie has a hard time with mathematics because of the location where her brain bleed was. We’ve done a lot this year to catch her up and help her to remember the different functions.

Yesterday, Annie and I went over the numbers she knew in her multiplication table – 1, 2, 5, 10, and 11. Allie worked on adding doubles (2+2, 8+8, etc.) and near doubles (2+3, 8+7, etc.). Today I wanted to focus more on multiplication.

Our Math Maze Adventure

When Allie was learning to skip count her fives, I wrote the numbers on little slips of paper and placed them in a line in the family room. She’d jump from paper to paper, reciting the numbers aloud until she could do it without the papers. I thought that this might work with multiplication facts, too.

First I wrote multiplication facts from 1-12 for numbers 2, 3, 4, and 5. I put each number’s facts on a different color piece of construction paper (folded & cut into 12 pieces). If you’re real ambitious, you can change each number’s shape to triangle, circle, etc. I’m not that ambitious.

The kids on the math mazes.

Then in a clear open room, place the papers on the floor in order about a foot or two apart. I made curvy, over-lapping paths and ended someplace to sit (couch, couch, stool, rocking chair).

Before I was even done, Allison (age 6) was following the paths and counting aloud. I let them do this for about ten minutes before I started asking them questions. What is the 5th piece of paper on the path that starts with 3? (15!) I explained that 3 (the starting number) times 5 (the 5th piece of paper) equaled 15 (the number on the 5th piece of paper).

Because my children are competitive and clumsy (a dangerous combination), I began separating them. Annie, stand on the row that begins with 4. Allie, stand on the row that begins with 3. Now, what is 3 x 4? They’d each count forward and yell out “12!”

I loved how well this worked!

I created separate worksheets for all three of the kids [because of course, TJ (age 2) wanted to “play,” too.]

Annie, 4th grade, had a worksheet that included all four numbers – 2, 3, 4, 5.
Allie, 1st grade, had a worksheet that only had 2 and 5.
TJ, preschool, had a number search and color match worksheet.

This was great fun and not even like doing math. I let the girls get up and use the mazes while doing their worksheets to keep it fun. I realize that I’ll need to step it up a notch tomorrow and do it without the mazes.