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games with MUS blocks
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I need some ideas for fun and basic activities or games to play that use the MUS blocks. Ds3 started crying when I told him he couldn’t do math with dd6 today. He kept answering her subtraction problems as we were building them before she would. She was not happy with that! I hesitate to start Primer because he can’t even count with one to one correlation most of the time, he just knows the size and numbers of the smaller unit bars pretty well. So while he generally runs from the room when given the option of listening in on our school work or playing with his trucks, when it comes to the MUS videos and blocks, the kid is hooked. LOL
So does anyone have any good game ideas? Would you just start him in Primer for fun and stretch it out over 2-3 years? I have no desire to ‘do a curriculum’ (any curriculum, math or otherwise) with him at all, but he wants to do math with the math blocks.
I’ve started the Primer with my girls at age 3 or 4. I just have them point to the correct numeral rather than having them write it. You could actually go through the book part way without having him write in it at all and then when he’s a bit older and more ready to write and circle and color the blocks, you could go back and have him do those activities. It’s great to have them memorize the colors of the blocks and which number each is – makes it lots easier when they are doing the other levels. I lot my toddler build with them while my 4 year old gets help from me with Primer. You can have fun finding factors too. Say – this blue is the 10, lets see what other numbers make 10 – 2 5’s make 10, a 6 and a 4 make 10 and so on as they stack them on top of the ten.
Here are ones that come to mind –
Matching
Using them similar to pattern blocks to make pictures/shapes.
Missing Piece – Lay out some of the blocks, have them look, then close their eyes. Remove a piece and have them guess which color/number block is missing.
Patterning – set up a repeating pattern like 1 2 1 2 (green orange green orange) and have them continue the pattern until they run out of the right blocks. Expand into more complicated patterns as they are ready, such as 122122, or 12331233, or 12131213.
I like the factors game Rebekahy mentioned too!
More ideas:
Make a number. Print out basic numbers to 100 and cut apart. Probably put away those over 20 for now. Pull a number and build it. So if they pull 15 they need a ten and a five. (Basically help them learn place value with MUS’s number street and then use the skill a lot). Obviously you could begin with just 1-10 and work on number recognition and work up.
These are great ideas. My DC like to make “ice cream cones” with them. They put together the brown and green ones for mint chocholate chip and the green unit cubes are the money.
I’ll have to add in some of these other ideas! I also have a 3yo. She has fun with other counters (we have bears, frogs, and people). Housefold items like buttons, coins, and legos work as well (or larger items if they are still putting things in their mouths)! I’m thinking of introducing writing (letters and numbers) with a ziploc bag of hair gel (or similar)…or a pan of rice or sand. I’ve seen several blogs about this, but haven’t tried it.
I’ll have to add in some of these other ideas! Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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