Celebrate Cake Day in Your Math Classroom with These Free Puzzles

November 14, 2019

Are You Ready to Celebrate National Cake Day in Your Math Classroom?

National Cake Day is celebrated on November 26th every year!

You can celebrate this sweet holiday at home by indulging in a piece of cake (cheesecake is my favorite, while carrot cake is my least). And you can celebrate with your math students in your classroom with two brand new cake day math puzzles for kids in 3rd through 8th grade.

Looking for more holiday-themed math puzzles?

The puzzles are easy to print and are 100% free!

The 1st National Cake Day Activity is a Multiplication Table Puzzle.

The 2nd National Cake Day Activity is an Order of Operations Puzzle.

You can include these activities in your math lessons as warm-ups and/or cool-downs, transitions, extra credit assignments, and as homework.

1.) National Cake Day Multiplication Table Puzzle

Multiplication Table puzzles challenge students to apply their understanding of multiplication and fact fluency to find the value of the different symbols. It is possible that multiple symbols can have the same value. These kinds of puzzles can be read like bingo tables, where the value or symbol in each box represents the product of the corresponding column and row.

*Keep reading to see the solution.

2.) National Cake Day Order of Operations Puzzle

The second puzzle calls on students to apply their understanding of the order of operations, mathematical reasoning skills, and logical thinking to find the value of each symbol and the ‘?’ in the puzzle below.

Learn More: Why is GEMS the Best Way to Teach Order of Operations?

*Keep reading to see the solution.

Today’s Cake Day Math Activities are samples from the best-selling Mashup Math workbook 101 Math Challenges for Engaging Your Students in Grades 3-8.

You can get a copy as a PDF download and/or as a hard copy on Amazon (with free prime shipping!)

Get More Math Puzzles

Answer Key:

#1: Multiplication Table

#2: Order of Operations

Cake=4, Mixer=4, Oven=23, Eggs=22, ?=111

12 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Grades 1-8

November 8, 2019

Thanksgiving Math Activities for Grades 1-8

Thanksgiving is here and it’s time to share some fun Thanksgiving-themed math activities and puzzles with your students in grades 1-8 (elementary and middle school). This collection of Thanksgiving Math Activities includes order of operations puzzles, area models and multiplication tables, and ‘which one doesn’t belong?’ Enjoy!

The days leading up to Thanksgiving vacation are an exciting (and extremely distracting) time for you and your students.

But you can keep your students on track by sharing some fun Thanksgiving-themed math activities, puzzles, and challenges that channels their holiday excitement and enthusiasm into math learning experiences.

The following easy-to-print Thanksgiving Math Worksheets will add some holiday fun to your lesson plans this month. The activities can be shared with students in grades one through eight.

The activities are samples from our best-selling workbooks 101 Daily Math Challenges for Engaging Students in Grades 3-8 and 101 Daily ‘Which One Doesn’t Belong?’ Math Activities for Grades 1-8 .

The following Thanksgiving Math Activities can be used for anticipatory sets and warm-ups, exit tickets, transitions, and homework or extra credit assignments.

1.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 1 of 12

Leaves = 18

Turkey = 9

Pumpkin = 12

? = 3

2.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 2 of 12

Fire = 13

Apple Cider = 7

Acorn = 14

Honey = 15

? = 49

3.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 3 of 12

Turkey = 8

Calendar = 8

Candle = 5

Cake = 9

? = 67

4.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 4 of 12

Chipmunk = 13

Hot Cider = 8

Pumpkin Pie = 24

Football = 20

? = 65

“I always look forward to getting my Mashup Math newsletter email every week. I love the free activities!” -Christina R., 5th Grade Math Teacher, Dallas, TX

Do YOU want free math resources, lesson activities, and puzzles and games for grades 1-8 in your inbox every week? Join our mailing list and start getting tons of free stuff (including a free PDF workbook)!

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5.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 5 of 12

Pumpkin = 12

Berries = 5

Turkey = 6

Pie = 30

? = 192

6.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 6 of 12

Pie = 10

Turkey = 14

Corn = 9

Pilgrim = 12

? = 92

7.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 7 of 12

Cooking Pot = 6

Cupcakes = 18

Cranberry Sauce = 9

Cauliflower = 10

? = 126

Are you looking for more daily math challenges and puzzles to share with your kids?

My best-selling workbook 101 Math Challenges for Engaging Your Students in Grades 3-8 is now available as a PDF download!

GET YOUR PDF DOWNLOAD

8.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 8 of 12

Apple = 6

Cider = 6

Cinnamon = 5

Kettle = 1

? = 180

9.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 9 of 12

Multiplication Table

Pilgrim Hat = 8

Food Basket = 4

Mashed Potatoes = 1

Corn = 5

Pumpkin = 15

Turkey = 6

Pie = 3

10.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 10 of 12

Area Model

1,3,6,10,...

Sunflower = 20

Turkey = 10

Acorn = 6

Turkey Leg = 40

Leaves = 120

11.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 11 of 12

Solution:

Click here to access more fun math riddles and brain teasers for kids.

12.) Thanksgiving Math Activity 12 of 12

Which One Doesn’t Belong?

Click here to learn more about how to use ‘Which One Belong?’ activities to boost student engagement in your classroom.

Share your thoughts, opinions, and ideas in the comments section below!

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By Anthony Persico

Anthony is the content crafter and head educator for YouTube's MashUp Math and an advisor to Amazon Education's 'With Math I Can' Campaign. You can often find me happily developing animated math lessons to share on my YouTube channel . Or spending way too much time at the gym or playing on my phone.

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Celebrate National Guacamole Day with These Free Math Puzzles

November 4, 2019

Celebrate National Guacamole Day in Your Math Classroom with These Free Math Puzzles

Guacamole is so good that it is celebrated with two separate national holidays!

Each year, September 16th is National Guacamole Day and November 14th is Spicy Guacamole Day. How cool is that!?

You can celebrate at home by whipping up some fresh guacamole (don’t forget to make a an extra spicy batch) by combining avocado, coriander, cilantro, chopped onion, garlic, jalapenos, and fresh lime juice using a mortar and stone bowl.

Then you can celebrate with your students by sharing some brand new Guacamole-themed math challenges, brain teasers, and puzzles for the elementary and middle school math levels.

Today’s Guacamole Math Activities can be used to start your lessons (warm-up), as exit tickets (cool-downs), transitions, homework, and/or extra credit assignments.

1.) Guacamole Day Multiplication Puzzle

Multiplication Table puzzles work like a bingo-table where each symbol is the product of the corresponding row and column.

Looking for more Free Multiplication Table Puzzles?

*Keep reading to get the answer key.

2.) Guacamole Day Area Model Puzzle

Area Model Puzzles require students to use their understanding of multiplication to figure out the value of each symbol in the area model, which represents the product of two values.

Are You Looking for More Free Math Puzzles for Grades 1-8?

*Keep reading to get the answer key.

3.) Guacamole Day Order of Operations Puzzle

This puzzle challenges students to apply their number sense and knowledge of the order of operations to find the value of each symbol and the ‘?’. These kinds of puzzles are great for introducing students to algebraic thinking years before they ever enter an algebra classroom!

Have you seen these Taco-themed math puzzles for grades 3-8?

*Keep reading to see the answer key!

Are You Looking for More Free Math Puzzles for Grades 1-8?

Each of today’s Guacamole Math Activities is a sample from my best-selling workbook 101 Math Challenges for Engaging Your Students in Grades 3-8.

The book is available as a PDF download and you can also get a hard copy on Amazon (Free Amazon Prime Shipping Included; pages are in black-and-white).

Get More Math Puzzles

And here are the answers to today's activities:

Multiplication Table Answer Key:

Area Model Answer Key:

Order of Operations Puzzle Answer Key:

Avocado = 4, Chips and Dip = 4, Salt = 4, Mashing Bowl = 16, ? = 256

Math Cartoons: Unicorn Math Puzzles for Grades 1-6

October 28, 2019

They’re Here! Can Your Kids Solve These Unicorn Math Puzzles?

Unicorns?

In the math classroom?

Really?

Yes. Really.

When I learned that many of my students were obsessed with unicorns (cute rainbow unicorns to be precise), I knew that there would be a great opportunity to channel their enthusiasm for these legendary creatures into meaningful math learning experiences.

If your students love unicorns as much as mine do, then you can inject some serious fun into your upcoming lesson plans with today’s brand new unicorn-themed cartoon math puzzles. These kinds of activities are best used for warm-ups (anticipatory sets), cooldowns and exit tickets, and transitions. They are especially good for helping your students develop problem-solving skills, mathematical reasoning, and applying the order of operations.

I like to share fun math puzzles like today’s at least once per week to keep my lessons fresh and exciting, and my students love them!

Today’s unicorn-themed math challenges for grades 1-6 are sample puzzles from the best-selling workbook: The Big Book of Super Fun Math Puzzles for Grades 1-6.

The activities are tiered by difficulty using the following system:

Pink Level (Grades 1-2) | Blue Level (Grades 3-4) | Green Level (Grades 5-6+)

Unicorn Cartoon Math Puzzles for Grade 1 through 6+

(answer keys to follow)

Pink Level Puzzle ( for Grades 1-2)

Extra Resources: Which One Doesn't Belong? Free Math Activities for Grades 1-8

Blue Level Puzzle (for Grades 3-4)

Free Math Resources: Free Math Coloring Worksheets for 3rd and 4th Grade

Green Level Puzzle (for Grades 5-6+)

Bonus! Would you like over 300 more math puzzles like todays?

book-mockup-featuring-a-child-sitting-on-a-wooden-table-23721.jpg

Click here to take a closer look at our best-selling The Big Book of Math Puzzles for Students in Grades 1-6 and access more free sample puzzles with answer keys!

And click here to get your copy of The Big Book of Super Fun Math Puzzles for Grades 1-6 as a PDF download.

Get Your Math Puzzles

And here are the answers to the Unicorn Cartoon Math Puzzles:

Pink Level (Grades 1-2): Cake=5, Chef=8, Gym=9, ?=14

Blue Level (Grades 3-4): Cake=10, Gym=10, Chef=7, Astronaut=20, ?=200

Green Level (Grades 5-6+): Cake=8, Chef=3, Gym=11, Astronaut=5, ?=69

Sharing fun math puzzles with your students is just one effective strategy for improving student engagement. Subscribe to our mailing list here to get more free daily resources, lesson plans, ideas, and insights for K-12 math teachers in your inbox every week.

Which One Doesn't Belong? Free Math Activities for Grades 1-8

October 22, 2019

Free ‘Which One Doesn’t Belong?’ Activities for Your Upcoming Lesson Plans!

Are you looking for an engaging math activity to boost your warm-ups, transitions, and/or exit ticket activities?

If you’re not familiar with using ‘Which One Doesn’t Belong?’ (WODB) activities and why they are amazing for boosting student engagement in the math classroom, click here to learn everything you need to know.

I started sharing WODB activities with my students because I was struggling to find ways to get all of my students engaged, especially those who struggle with mathematics and are reluctant to participate.

I was inspired by the work of Christopher Danielson, so I started creating my own WODB activities geared towards students in elementary and middle school.

The results? My student engagement skyrocketed! Since WODB activities don’t have a single correct answer (the idea is to get students thinking mathematically and learn how to justify their answers), all of my students (even ones who rarely participate) felt comfortable sharing and getting involved.

Now I use WODB at least once a week!

Again, if you want more information on how WODB activities work and how you can use them to boost student engagement in your classroom, click here to learn everything you need to know.

And check out these brand new FREE WODB math activities: