Looking for a fun activity for your kids where learning can feel like play? Check out this Spark Math scavenger hunt, great for kids from 2nd to 5th Grade. This is an exciting way for families and friends to get together and have some fun with the math around us. Here’s a Spark Math scavenger hunt worksheet that you can do almost anywhere, perfect for a fun rainy day or summer activity!
The Spark Math Scavenger Hunt
What Concepts Does The Spark Math Scavenger Hunt Teach?
Time/ Time Management
Telling time gets more precise between 2nd and 5th grade. Kids should be able to get time down to the exact minute. While telling what time of that day is one of the most used math skills, in this sheet we also work on keeping track of time. Take note of the time you start and end the math scavenger hunt, and do math do see how long it took to complete. Have a stop watch going to see if your answer matches the stop watch. If doing this project in a group, see who can complete it the fastest.
Money Value
Learning how to interact with money is another math skills people use everyday. From grabbing a snack at school, to budgeting personal finances, understanding money is key to everyday life. Knowing how much things cost and are worth is an ever growing skill. A BYU study shows that by establishing money concepts early, kids who start saving young and have hands-on experience with money do better with money management later in life.that kids who have hands on experience with money and saving do better dealing with money later in life. Take time to let kids know what things are worth and how budgets work.
Geometry / Symmetry
For students between 2nd and 5th Grade, geometry isn’t just about understanding shapes, it’s about what makes up those shapes (lines, angles, symmetry, etc.) Using different elements to build different shapes factors importantly in kids’ understanding of how things are built. It may not seem like it, but understanding the concepts of how to build shapes can help kids have a strong knowledge of core STEM subjects, like engineering and technology. From architecture to video game design, understanding geometry is key in some of the most popular and exciting careers.
Matching Pairs / Patterns
Observing and understanding the connections between things, even if they are subtle, is a major aspect in being a successful problem solver. Sometimes the similarities between objects is obvious, like a pair of shoes or matching images in a game. Other times patterns and similarities are harder to find. Use items around the house and try to find ways objects are the same you might nor realize, like how much they cost or how big they are. Help your kids find patterns around your house you might not notice. From how your family stack dishes to put away clothes, patterns exist in everyday life in fun, interesting ways. Discover pattern all around and see what comes next.
Percentages, Probabilities and Writing equations.
Flipping a coin is a great intro to understanding probability. Each flip has a 50 % chance of coming up heads or tails. Take those chances and create an equation with the data you have created to figure out how your flips turned out. Do the percentages change when you flip it higher? Compare those numbers and create equations comparing the different results. This is a great and simple way to experiment and see similarities and differences.
Have family fun with this Spark Math scavenger hunt! Using math in the real world makes it more accessible for children and shows how math is part of everyday life. Spark Math uses the CPA Method (Concrete, Pictorial Abstract) method when teaching math concepts and scavenger hunts are a great representation of this method.
Check out more fun ways your kids will learn with a Scavenger hunt for kids between Pre – K and 1st grade and this blog about the top games that use math. Looking for gamified math lessons led by live teachers? Spark Math by Spark Education is the place for you. Schedule a FREE trial class today!
