At DreamBox, we work hard to make math fun, because when kids are having fun, they’re actually learning more! So when finding math in everyday activities, it’s important to keep it from becoming a chore. Even if some of us parents found math about as fun as eating spinach, your focus should be on creative exploration of math concepts and showing how math relates to everyday life.

Don’t be afraid to take on complicated problems that might be over your child’s head. Asking clarifying questions and posing a simpler version of the problem are great problem-solving tools. And not every problem has to be solved immediately. Sometimes it’s good for kids to think about unanswered questions and give their ideas time to formulate.

To get you started, here are a few ideas for math activities the next time you’re driving, doing housework, at the zoo or a sporting event, and more.

Math moments in the car

• Add up the numbers on the license plates of the other cars.
• When you see a speed limit sign, ask your child what your speed would be if you were going 5 miles slower. Or how much faster you can go on the freeway than on your own street.
• Keep track of the colors of the other cars. When you arrive at your destination, determine the most popular color.

Math moments around the house

• Folding the laundry? Give your child the socks to sort, categorize in different ways (by who they belong to or color), and fold. Count the socks. How many complete pairs do you have?
• You’ve just made a batch of 50 cookies. If each person in your family has 3 each day, how many days will they last?
• The kitchen is full of math learning opportunities! Read our July ’09 newsletter for more Kids’ Kitchen Math.

Math moments at the zoo

• A lion can jump a distance of more than 30 feet. See how far your child can jump (using your feet to measure). How much farther can a lion jump?
• A monkey can eat up to 30 bananas a day (some eat even more)! If a banana weighs 5 ounces, how many pounds will the monkey eat each day? If bananas cost 90 cents per pound, how much will the zoo spend to feed the monkey for 1 week?
• A Burmese python can grow to a length of 18 feet. How many inches is that?

Math moments at the ballpark

• Talk about the shape of the field. Is it a diamond? A rectangle? How many sections is it divided into?
• If 1 player gets 3 hits in 9 at-bats, and another player gets 2 hits in 7 at-bats, which player has a better batting average?
• Count how many seats are in your row, and how many rows are in your section. Then look around, estimate how many sections there are, and how many seats there are in all.

Math moments at bedtime

• Set a timer and brush your teeth together for 2 minutes. How many seconds is that?
• Read a favorite book where math is integral to the story. You’ll find some good suggestions in our past newsletter: How Reading Together Can Bring Math to Life, and in the 7 Math Storybooks Every Child Should Read series in our blog!
• If your child is having trouble sleeping, try the old standby: counting sheep!

Parent Tip: Get the August Math Activity Calendar

Download the calendar here, then have some math fun on Wiggle Your Toes Day, write haiku on Bad Poetry Day, and play hopscotch to celebrate National Kids Day (wait, isn’t that every day?)!

Find more parent tips at http://www.dreambox.com/1st-grade-math-tips

Did you know?

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When you become a DreamBox subscriber, you can earn free DreamBox months by inviting friends to try it too. As soon as you start your subscription you can offer your friends 1 extra free month when they subscribe to DreamBox Learning. And for every new subscription from one of your friends, you’ll get a free month of DreamBox too!

DreamBox has won the top education awards!

DreamBox has recently been named the winner of the 2009 AEP Golden Lamp Award for Technology Innovation, the highest honor from the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP). We also won the 2009 AEP Distinguished Achievement Award for Educational Toys and Games, and the Editor’s Choice Award from the Children’s Technology Review. Read more about our awards, rave reviews, and press coverage.