Math is one of those topics that children either love or seem to struggle with a little bit.
It’s no different in our family. I have one child who seems to “get” math concepts right away, but for the others, it takes a little time. (And preferably a lot of movement.)
So that’s why I love using outdoor math games for kids to help my children practice some of their most difficult concepts.
With these outdoor math learning activities, kids get to practice their skills, move around, and even get a little messy. They’ll have so much fun they won’t even notice they’re learning!
These fun math games would be perfect for outdoor play over summer break, particularly if you’re trying to avoid the summer slide before school resumes in the fall.
Want more ways to keep learning over the break? Don’t miss our list of 40 summer learning activities for kids!
3 DIY Outdoor Math Games for Kids
Sidewalk Chalk Math
What child doesn’t love drawing on the sidewalk with chalk? The chunkier the chalk and the brighter the colors, the better.
Instead of setting indoors doing math worksheets on plain old paper, why not take your little one outside and do your math on the sidewalk? Your child will love walking (or running) around to answer oversized math problems!
Beanbag Toss
Head outdoors with several beanbags and some plastic buckets. Place the plastic buckets on one end and have your child and the beanbags on the other.
Ask your child a math question or write one on the driveway with chalk and have them then toss the correct amount of beanbags into the plastic bucket.
For example: If the math problem is 2 + 3, they would then need to toss five beanbags into the bucket.
Counting Treasure Hunt
Setting up a treasure hunt for your child is a perfect way for them to get out and about in nature and have fun with math! Pick 10 different objects and place them around the yard.
Have your child find those objects and bring them back to you, counting as they go. Once they have found all ten items, it’s time for them to hide some objects from you!
Out of the 10 items, tell them to take three or four to hide. You can also practice subtraction by asking them how many objects are left afterwards.
10 More Outdoor Math Games for Kids
Need even more outdoor math ideas? Take a look at these math games and activities!
Arithmetic Hopscotch – Look! We’re Learning!
Rock Addition – Creative Family Fun
Chalk Number Game – The Educator’s Spin On It
Doubles Water Balloon Math – Fantastic Fun and Learning
Water Squirter Math Game – Kitchen Counter Chronicles
Outdoor Math Chalk Web – JDaniel4’s Mom
Butterfly Symmetry Nature Art – Childhood 101
Water Balloon Addition – No Time for Flashcards
Fishing for Numbers Game – Buggy and Buddy
Watermelon Seed Spitting Measurement – Schooling a Monkey
And try some of these fun math games for even more ways to make math into a fun activity with the kids! (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)
Check out these other math learning ideas for kids!
And follow my Math Mania board on Pinterest for more ways to teach math to students!
