Provide students with several triangles cut from cardboard and colored red, blue and yellow. Model a shape using the tangram, or geometric-shaped, pieces, and demonstrating which colors are used in each spot of the pattern on the board or on an overhead projector. Have the students copy the pattern. Do this a few times, then allow the students to create their own patterns with a classmate.
Pass out instruments to the children in the class. Give some children bells, others cymbals, and the third group drums. Do a sound pattern by having them do an ABCABC pattern: bells, cymbal and drums. Then switch the patterns up a bit, such as AABC and other simple variations. This is a helpful way to teach patterns for math skills using auditory skills. For instance, understanding patterns helps a child learn place value, a concept that second graders must learn. This can be helpful for children who may learn better by hearing rather than just using visual methods.
Assemble a group of various stickers and pass out to the second graders. Have students work in pairs. The first child makes a pattern in one row and the second child copies that pattern. Then the second child creates a new pattern for the first child to copy. Being able to create and copy a pattern enables a child to visually discriminate like and unlike objects and sort objects, which is a math skill necessary for second grade students to build on.
Model patterns with blocks, markers or drawings on the board. After demonstrating the pattern, take out one element or part of the pattern. For instance, if you made a pattern of red, blue, yellow and green, remove the green block and ask the class what is missing. This is a precursor to learning algebra as the student will need to find a missing element as in solving for x.
Have a collection of art items like crayons, markers and colored pencils. Have students sort them into containers. This is a patterning activity. Sort other items such as buttons or blocks by color and then size.