# data[].attributes.body
This worksheet is a way for students to recognize money value and practice addition.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Smiling and Shining in Second Grade: Counting Money

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TEKS: 3.4C, Audience: 3rd grade, Behavior: determine value of coins, Condition: add up the coins in each problem to determine its value, as a bell ringer or even as homework to practice adding money

# data[].attributes.body
This worksheet encourages students to practice number recognition and number value.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Halloween Math for second grade--ordering numbers

# data[].attributes.body
This work sheet encourages students to practice addition and number recognition.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Playing games makes Math even more fun! Head over to the blog to snag a bunch of FREEBIES!

# data[].attributes.body
This game is a great way to have students be involved in your math class while practicing their skills. http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/drop-dead-dice-game/

# data[].attributes.body
This game takes the traditional game of bingo and turns it into a fun math game. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/04/lp339-04.shtml

# data[].attributes.body
This fun math game breaks students into teams and has them compete while practicing their math skills. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/04/lp339-03.shtml

# data[].attributes.body
This game takes the traditional card game war and turns it into a math game. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/04/lp339-02.shtml

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great activity that helps strengthen students fundamental math skills. http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/04/lp339-01.shtml

# data[].attributes.body
We already have so much fun playing uno with the kids. Why not use them to help a child fast add. This can work for both adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. This will help children who are starting out with counting to visually see what they are adding and also aid too memory. http://childhood101.com/2014/06/maths-games-for-kids-uno-flip/

# data[].attributes.body
Last time at Math Buddies, Nicole ended up bringing chocolate which seemed to motivate some of the kids to want to learn their addition facts. I just thought it was a cool idea and then I found this page with different ideas on how to incorporate chocolate in teaching.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In preparation for Valentine's Day, my kids are diving into chocolate lessons head first with their mouths wide open. There's something magical when you mix food with learning, and chocolate seems to be one of the best teaching tools I've used!

No worries if Valentine's Day has already passed when you find this post. Chocolate can been incorporated into many other lessons, such as when learning about rain forests or to celebrate Chocolate Week in March. Yes, there is such a week! My family occasionally declares a Chocolate Day to spice things up when our lessons (or myself) may need a little pep in my step.

I was so into the chocolate unit study this week that I was sporting my Teacher Powered by Chocolate T-shirt this week!

So how do we incorporate chocolate into our lessons?

When my kids are little, we use chocolate syrup to fingerpaint letters, shapes, numbers, and spelling words. Just squirt same chocolate syrup on fingerpaint paper and let your kids play.

This photo and fingerpainting with chocolate post is a blast from the past (perhaps 7 years old).

For a variation, squirt some chocolate syrup into a small baggie, seal it tight, and let your kids write with their fingers on the side of the baggie for a sensory activity.

For some writing activities with chocolate, we wrote a Five Senses Poem on chocolate using this lesson plan. What a great writing activity that was!

My blogging friend, Jennifer, has a cute sensory poem template to use with the above poetry lesson for young children.

A few years ago, my boys memorized by favorite poem about chocolate-

My Mother's Chocolate Valentine by Jack Prelutsky. is the poem and the video.

We wrote step-by-step directions on how to make hot chocolate and then made it exactly according to their instructions. (You'd be surprised how kids can miss out on important steps.)

This teacher had her student create this chocolate acrostic poem. I was impressed by her creativity and descriptive wording to describe chocolate.

We read books about Milton Hershey.

Milton Hershey: More than Chocolate (Heroes of History)

Hershey's site offers lots of free lesson plans and activities.

We used Hershey bars and kisses for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. We picked these books up from our local library. Trust me, your kids will not forget these math lessons!

Hershey's Fractions Book

My little ones LOVE using M &M's for math manipulatives as well as graphing. I had to purchase this book (even though it is at my local library) because my kids want to read it at least once a month. I don't blame them a bit- it is pure fun!

The M&M's Counting Book

Here is an M&M graphing printable that I like to use.

Who doesn't like chocolate chips cookies? Reading The Doorbell Rang is a wonderful way to demonstrate division to young children. You can make some homemade chocolate chip cookies to use with this lesson.

You can also use Cookie Crisp cereal for math manipulatives for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Some chocolate-filled fiction books are:

Chocolate Fever (A classic that I absolutely enjoy reading aloud to my kids.)

The Chocolate Touch (I haven't read this book yet but it is on my list.)

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Kids are mesmerized by this read-aloud. My former students were begging for more. That is why Roald Dahl is known as the world's number one storyteller.)

My husband prefers watching the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as it was his favorite movie growing up (but I still prefer the book).

Roald Dahl's Site has tons of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory lesson plans and quizzes.

We read about the history of chocolate in Smart about Chocolate- A Sweet History

We watched some videos about the story of chocolate and how it is made.

This is the best chocolate unit study I have used and it is FREE. You have to print off a copy for yourself. So much good stuff!

Teaching Ideas offers several fantastic chocolate activities.

My favorite activity from Teaching Tips was their chocolate fact cards.

My little ones played chocolate games on the computer, which had them matching shapes. It was also great practice for them using the mouse on the computer.

Make Your Own Chocolate Kit

I have not tried out this kit but have read such great reviews about it on homeschool blogs that I have it on my Amazon wish list for a future gift for my kids. (Yes, I am one of "those moms" who likes to give educational gifts. Shhh! My kids don't seem to mind a bit.)

We ended our chocolate study with some science by watching liquids turn to solids within seconds right before our eyes by making chocolate covered strawberries as well as homemade magic shell poured on ice cream. If you haven't tried this easy magic shell recipe, you have to make it. I even bottled it up in mason jars one year for Christmas gifts because it was so delicious!

In the past, we have visited local candy shops that demonstrate how to make fudge. The kids really like those field trips.

Then on Valentine's Day we received a very sweet treat from Grandma in the mail- her homemade fudge (which is seriously the best fudge EVER). Thanks Grandma!

UPDATE: After attending the FPEA Homeschool Convention this year, we stopped by Chocolate Kingdom for an interactive tour that demonstrates how the cocoa bean becomes a chocolate bar.

It includes the history of chocolate, hands-on activities, and even making your own chocolate bar. This tour was one of the best educational tours I've ever been on! It completely surpassed my expectations. My children were very attentive and soaking up all the facts like sponges. How could they not be with tasting different samples and playing trivia games along the way? You have to stop by Chocolate Kingdom the next time you are in the Orlando area.

Lessons with chocolate ensure sweet learning success- from geography to history to science to math to writing to spelling to reading. Unit studies can involve every subject area and the entire family, including myself! (Someone has to taste test the chocolate to make sure it is safe to eat, right?)

Have FUN making sweet memories with your kids,

To read more of my posts on FUN Valentine's Day activities,

click on the image below and keep scrolling down.

For more ways to incorporate food into math lessons, click here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is something magical when you mix food with learning and chocolate seems to be the best teaching tool I have found so far! We incorporated chocolate in our unit study, lesson plans, learning activities, and games.

# data[].attributes.body
I think a fun game to play is math bingo. This allows kids to add/multiply/subtract/divide (depending on the type of bingo) while they can have fun adding chips to a board. It would also be fun to give the winner a prize to give the kids an essential.
http://www.learn-with-math-games.com/homemade-math-games.html

http://blog.brookespublishing.com/math-bingo-free-printable-game-to-help-all-students-learn-math-facts/ (picture)

# data[].attributes.headline
Abigail Maker : Leaning with Cupcake Liners 

# data[].attributes.subject
Abigail Maker : Leaning with Cupcake Liners 

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great was to practice counting money with students. It is easy to check and also allows students to keep their materials organized.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. By clicking on these links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Welcome to Day 2 of Learn with Your Craft Stash! Today we are sharing learning activities that can be created with cupcake liners! This Counting Money cupcake liner game is just one of the many fun ways that you can use cupcake liners to learn!

Materials needed for the Counting Money Cupcake Liner Game:

10-20 Cupcake liners (depending on skill level of the child)
1 Pom pom Lots of coins Marker
How to prepare the game:

Write a money value in the bottom of each cupcake liner.

Arrange the cupcake liners randomly on a table or on the floor.

Have the child sit in front of the cupcake liners and toss the pom pom into them.

When the pom pom lands in a liner, have the child demonstrate the money value written on the bottom of the cupcake liner with the least amount of coins possible.

Remove the pom pom and toss again. (Repeating the same values, will reinforce the coin combinations.)

If you want to keep score:

Give one point for each value that is correctly made.

Give 5 bonus points for creating five money values in a row successfully.

Your stopping point will depend on the skill level and focus of the child.

Alternatively, you can provide the child with the same amount of pom poms as cupcake liners and have them play until each amount has been done.
Other ways to use this game plan:
Word Families

Sight Words

Be sure to visit the other great blogs who have shared learning activities using cupcake liners!

A fun cupcake liner activity to go along with the book "Owl, Moon" and some great resources as well!

Make some fun cupcake liner flowers to accompany a great acrostic poetry activity!

This sweet flower-making activity is great for practicing fine-motor skills!

Combine play dough and cupcake liners for a super fun counting activity!

Do you have a cupcake liner learning activity? Link up here!

[inlinkz_linkup id=514275 mode=1]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. By clicking on these links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Welcome to Day 2 of Learn with Your Craft Stash! Today we are sharing learning activities that can be created with cupcake liners!

# data[].attributes.body
A fun card game that strengthens multiplication skills. Mulitplication war also provides practice in comparing numbers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Multiplication War | Activity | Education.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Play multiplication war, a fun card game, with your child and before long those annoying multiplication facts will be part of her mathematical skill set.

# data[].attributes.headline
James Bucciero: This game is great for helping children with their place values.  https://www.education.com/activity/article/number_maker_third/

# data[].attributes.subject
James Bucciero: This game is great for helping children with their place values.  https://www.education.com/activity/article/number_maker_third/

# data[].attributes.body
This is a great way to encourage kids to recognize and work with patterns - after going the pattern cars with your children you can encourage them to come up with their own as well. This can also be done with other things than skittles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As I mentioned earlier this week, teaching kids to explore, recognize and use patterns is an essential part of math education. While students will eventually learn to recognize patterns with numbers and tables and graphs, it's important to start early with basic shapes and colors! And as I've mentioned before, what's more fun than learning math with Skittles? 🙂 My kids had so much fun with these Skittles Pattern Cards, and even got busy coming up with their own patterns after they finished each of these!
*Please Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and help support the work of this site. Read our full disclosure policy here.*
Materials Needed for Skittles Pattern Cards:

Printed cards (cut apart and laminated )

A variety of Skittles candies (although if you're looking for a sugar free option, these pom poms would work great as well! 😉 )

To Use Skittles Pattern Cards:

Simply distribute the pattern cards and place a handful of Skittles on the table. Then let the kids discuss the patterns they see and complete the cards!

MY LATEST VIDEOS

Be sure to engage them in discussions while they work, and ask questions like, "What made you put an orange skittle next?" or "How do you know that is the correct pattern?"

Once they've completed the pattern cards, have them come up with their own pattern and challenge each other to add the next 3 or 4 Skittles . See if they can make a pattern with all 5 colors, or who can make the longest chain without messing up or skipping something.

Included in this download are 12 different pattern cards, which consist of the following patterns:

But once your kids have mastered these cards and patterns, let their imagination go wild and encourage them to create more complex patterns! Or if these seem too easy, come up with a more challenging pattern and see if they can add the next 3-4 Skittles .
*This set of pattern cards has been updated and included in my huge Skittles Hands On Math Bundle! Get the entire set of Skittles Math activities for grades PreK-1st for just $3!*
You might also like this set of 3D Shapes cards that include pattern cards, as well as several other game ideas for learning and exploring 3D shapes!

What are some of your favorite ways to work on pattern recognition? The possibilities are endless!

Want more fun math with Skittles? Try one of these ideas:

Want access to exclusive FREE resources that I don't share on the blog? Subscribe to my FREE e-mail newsletter! 🙂

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Creating Patterns With Skittles {FREE Printable!}

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As I mentioned earlier this week, teaching kids to explore, recognize and use patterns is an essential part of math education. While students will eventually learn to recognize patterns with numbers and tables and graphs, it's important to start early with basic shapes and colors!

# data[].attributes.body
I think this game would be great to play with the students that I work with at math buddies. The kids that we work with are just learning to count and I think knowing whether or not a number is odd or even is important. The kids I work with also love playing games, so I feel like they would be very involved in this. http://www.math-play.com/even-or-odd-game.html

# data[].attributes.body
I found a game called "Make Ten" that is used with playing cards. Each child/math buddy leader participating receives 4 cards and tries to add to 10 with any of those 4 cards. It can be with 1, 2, 3, or 4 cards. The cards that made ten are then set to the side, like matches in go fish. The game keeps repeating until there are no more cards left.
http://mamapapabubba.com/2016/06/28/make-ten-an-easy-card-game-for-kids/

# data[].attributes.body
I think a fun game to play at math buddies would be to count money. We as the math buddies leaders, could give the students different amounts like $5.00, $2.50, $0.75, etc. and then hand the kids money so they are able to count and determine what coins/bills can be used to satisfy the given amount.
http://www.abcya.com/counting_money.htm