Take Maths Outdoors! #NomowPlay
At Nomow we understand that for teachers, finding new and exciting ways to get kids outside can be a struggle.
For this reason, over the next few months we’re going to bringing you our top tips, advice and inspiration to get kids moving and enjoying their lessons in the great outdoors as part of our #NomowPlay campaign.
First up…Maths!
For most teachers, maths can be an uphill struggle.
Kids soon lose concentration and become easily distracted but with Nomow, maths can be just as effective outdoors as it is in the classroom!
With Nomow, Maths truly comes alive out in the playground.
If you’ve hit a dead end with maths lesson planning, why not take a look at some of these ideas for inspiration…
- Number hunt
Number hunts are a unique and memorable way to teach counting with younger children in the playground.
Take a set of large plastic numerals and hide them around the playground. Get each child to find a number, bring it back and arrange them all in order. Once they’re laid out you can continue the lesson by asking children to identify the highest number on the line, go and stand between number 4 and 5 (e.g.)
- Measurement trail
Measuring is another great lesson learnt in the playground. Without the restriction of the classroom, kids can learn how to estimate and measure large lengths and objects.
Tip! A trundle wheel is a great tool for some hands-on measuring #NomowPlay
- Hopscotch multiplication
Easy to learn and fun to play, multiplication hopscotch is a great way to get kids learning their times tables (and it tires them out!) There are loads of different games so have a look online and see which would suit your age group best.
Tip! Hopscotch multiplication works legs, brains and mouths all at the same time!
- Exploring shapes
By taking a maths lesson outside you are likely to come across hundreds of different shapes, some familiar, some not so much.
Take students on a ‘shape walk’ around the playground or surrounding areas.
Which shapes are hardest/easiest to find? Can you find any interesting shapes?
Tip! Take photographs of some of the most uniquely shaped objects and put them in a photo book #NomowPlay
- Ball games
Even just a simple throwing and catching exercise can help kids with their counting. Get them into pairs and count how many times they can throw a beach ball between eachother. For the older ones, get them to recite times tables whilst throwing the ball to one other.
Tip! See who can throw and catch the ball the most times out of the class. Get all children involved in counting? #NomowPlay
