Use any loop shaped cereal for this activity. Create worksheets with several simple addition and subtraction problems and give each child in the class a bag full of loop shaped cereal. Have children use the cereal loops to recreate the math problem. For addition, have children count the number of cereal loops they have when they add the two numbers together. For subtraction have children eat the number of subtracted loops and count what is left.
For this activity, you will need a large outdoor space such as a driveway or basketball court. Use sidewalk chalk to make a long line of numbered square boxes. Create a set of dice using a cardboard box and a permanent marker. For addition, have the children roll one die and hop that number of squares. An adult or another child will roll the second die and the child will hop again, adding up the number of jumps to find the answer. For subtraction, the child will roll one die and hop that number of squares. The teacher will roll the second die and the child must jump backwards from their original spot to subtract numbers.
There are several online learning sites that focus on helping children practice addition and subtraction facts. Rather than memorizing, children are actively engaged in the process of remembering facts and these sites often include simple games to keep students' interest. Some worthy sites to check out include mathblaster.com, which is a super-hero themed math learning site, best for elementary school aged children, or coolmath4kids.com, which contains puzzles and learning games as well as a section for parents and teachers.
Simple board games can help children learn addition and subtraction facts. Die rolling games such as Sorry, Monopoly or Life are appropriate for counting and addition. Simpler games for young children such as Chutes and Ladders use spinners, which can also help children practice addition facts. Simply allowing children to play these games with friends or with an adult will boost their understanding of addition and subtraction facts.
Use round price stickers to place prices on several items in your home or classroom. Give children a budget and tell them to go shopping in the classroom and try to spend as close to the amount of their budget as possible. Give the children a piece of paper and a pencil to keep track of their purchases. Have another child act as a cashier to add up the purchases and subtract to learn how much money is left in the budget after the spending spree. Have children switch roles so each child has the chance to be a shopper as well as a cashier.