There are so many fun ways to explore fractions with young learners. And we all know that through hands-on activities, kids make a deeper connection to learning. So it’s important to have a wide variety of activities on hand to help kids learn this tricky concept. We’ve compiled a list of the most popular fraction games and activities to try in the classroom or at home.
1. Build factions with clay
Have students use a plastic cup or cookie cutter to cut out circles of different colored dough. Then have each student use a plastic knife to cut their circles into different fractions (halves, quarters, thirds, etc.). Finally, use Fractions to help students find equivalent fractions and form math sentences that are greater than and less than.
Learn more: Frugal fun 4 boys and girls
2. Make a break sundae
Students follow the recipe to create a delicious sundae with ice cream, sprinkles and cherries!
Learn more: Ashleigh’s educational journey
3. Sort sticky notes
Divide sticky notes into sections, then have the children sort them on anchor charts. We especially love using fun shapes like hearts or stars!
Learn more: Smitten With First
4. Connect fractions to learn and win
Use a Connect Four set to play fractional games! The goal is to match not only your colors but also the fractions themselves. For example, you need four quarters in a row, but only three thirds, so strategy is also required.
Learn more: No time for flashcards
5. Shoot hoops
Using the smallest official Nerf basketball set in the world, students shoot a set number of hoops, track their success, and turn each round into a fraction.
Learn more: Teaching with Jennifer Findley
6. Solve the fraction of the day
Fractions are one of those math concepts that we actually use quite a bit in everyday life. Make them a part of routine practice by asking a new split-day question every morning, e.g. B. “What percentage of the class is wearing shorts today?”
Find out more: Round room
7. Reach for spoons
If you’ve played Spoons before, you know the drill. Match four of a kind (this time using free printable fraction cards found at the link below) and you get to grab a spoon – and everyone else too! The loser takes a letter of the word SPOON and the game continues.
Find out more: Match 4 wins
8. Fix them
Comparing fractions is definitely a bit of a challenge. This simple, free printable game asks kids to rank a series of four fractions from smallest to largest. You can race to see who finishes first or challenge yourself to find the right answer.
Learn more: Math Geek Mom
9. Whip up some s’mores
Can you think of a better way to grab your students’ attention than by mentioning a tasty treat? Your students will love this hands-on activity on equivalent fractions.
Find out more: The Curriculum Corner
10. Fight it out in a faction war
Your kids probably already know how to play card war. This version only adds a break aspect. Students deal two cards—a numerator and a denominator—then determine whose fraction is the largest. The winner keeps all four cards and play continues until the cards are gone. You can also play with these free printable fraction cards.
11. Noodles with breaks around
It’s so easy to make these pool noodle math manipulations that you can then use for all kinds of fraction games and activities. Here’s how to make them and get ideas for using them.
12. Build excitement with LEGO fraction games and activities
Representing fractions is easier (and a lot more fun) when you use LEGO bricks! Place them next to each other or build towers. No matter how you play, this is a surefire hit.
Learn more: JDaniel4’s mother
13. Try butterfly fractions
Teach your older students the butterfly method of adding and subtracting fractions. The step-by-step instructions guide you through the process.
Learn more: Move It Math
14. Make paper plate fractions
Such a fun, colorful way to play with fractions and equivalences! Get the full guide here.
15. Boogie down with newspaper factions
turn up the music Start with a full newspaper as a dance floor for each student, then fold it in half. Keep folding the paper into smaller and smaller dance floors and watch kids get creative as they try to stay on the paper.
Learn more: Mrs. King’s music class
16. Go to Fraction Avenue
This is such a fun activity! Get the free printable street scene at the link. Then have the children follow the instructions to add details. For example, 2/8 of the homes have dogs outside. Ask the children to reduce the fraction, and then draw the correct number of puppies.
Learn more: Ashleigh’s educational journey
17. Divvy Up Buttons
This is a great hands-on activity, especially if you’re trying not to use food as a math manipulative. Solicit donations of buttons from your community and have a large supply ready. For this activity, have each student take a large handful of colored buttons and add up how many they have. Then have them group the buttons by color. Finally, have them write a fractional equivalent for each color.
Learn more: The teacher next door
18. Jump into Faction Hopscotch
It’s heaven and hell – with a fraction of the game! Draw a hopscotch board on the playground (or sketch one with tape on your classroom or hallway floor). Label the squares with fractions instead of whole numbers. Children throw a marker and jump to where it lands, then name the appropriate fractions for that square.
More information: Capture ideas for the classroom
19. Convert your name to fractions
Who would have thought that your own name hides so many fractions? Ask the students these questions and ask them to find their own fractions as well.
Learn more: Tunstall’s Teaching Tidbits
20. Have a fractional picnic
Offer a variety of food pictures clipped from magazines or printed off the internet. Students plan a picnic and choose the food to bring. Using a ruler and scissors, cut out portions of your food choices and stick them onto a paper plate. Finally, label each item with the name of the faction. Bon appetit!
Learn more: Fraction Picnic/E stands for Explore
21. Put a twist on breaking fun
Kids love things that spin, so they’ll love these free printable fractions games and activities. Since the spinners are just pencils and paperclips, each child can have their own while practicing their breaking skills. Get the entire free gameset here.
22. Color your way to break bingo
Playing Fractional Bingo requires learning and strategy. Children color parts of the circles to get five in a row based on the fractions the teacher calls out. Of course, the best thing is to yell “Bingo!”
Learn more: School Time Snippets
23. Reduce fractions and run to the goal
Children draw a card (see the link below for the free printable cards and charts) and reduce the fraction shown. You then move along the board to the next matching square. The first to the end wins!
Learn more: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
24. Build relationships while developing math skills
Divide the students into small groups. Give each group a list of questions they can use to find out more about each other. Have them record their results in the form of fractions on a poster.
Learn more: The teacher next door
25. Harness their creativity with Bruch Pictionary
Can you draw a fraction – without using any numbers? That is the challenge of this fraction game. Children can draw individual objects that are divided to represent fractions or to be more creative. For example, they could draw three apples and two oranges to represent three fifths.
Learn more: Bruch Pictionary/E stands for Explore
26. Got caught in a fracture fiasco
Once they understand the rules, kids add fractions and check each other’s work in this free printable game. All instructions and the game board can be found in the link below.
Learn more: Learn with math games
27. Expect domino breaks
Dominoes are like ready fractures! Multiply (or add, subtract or divide) them and reduce the results. Turn it into a race to see who finishes – right – first.
Find out more: Tireless fun, deceptively educational
28. Use M&Ms to teach fractions
Begin this activity with instructions for your students to eat their math manipulatives after class! Then let them dive into creating different factions.
Learn more: Frugal fun 4 boys and girls
29. Play with pattern blocks
If you already have pattern blocks handy, you can put them to good use in some fraction games. In this one, kids spin to see how many blocks they can add to their board to be the first to build six complete shapes.
Learn more: Pattern Block Fractions/Math Geek Mom
30. Shake it up with number ties
All you need is a plastic cup and two-sided counters. Children shake the cup and pour the game pieces onto the table, then count how many of each color landed face up. For example, if 13 checkers were rolled, six red and seven blue would end up face up. Six and seven are both parts of 13 (the whole). Have students write the tie numbers and fractions for each color.
Learn more: Number Bond Fractions/E stands for Explore
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