Number Rocks Math Fun [Contributed by Fun-A-Day!]

This post was contributed by Mary Catherine of Fun-A-Day!

Making Math Fun with DIY Number Rocks!

Ever since we made pet rocks, Engineer (my son) has been asking to do more with rocks.  When we sat down to paint some, I decided to make number rocks.  My original intent was to use them for some kids’ math fun in my preschool classroom.  Engineer and I found ways to adapt the rocks for his needs too.

How to Make Number Rocks for Some Math Fun

Using acrylic paints and small paintbrushes, I set about decorating my rocks.  For the numbers, I simply painted directly onto the darker stones.  Lighter rocks were painted white to provide a contrast to the darker stones.  On these rocks, I painted dots to correspond to each number (0 to 9).

Ideas for making math fun with number rocks:

• Put the numerals in order.

• Put the dots in order by amount.

• Match the numerals to the correct amount of dots.

• Place the correct amount of smaller stones underneath each number.

• Make larger numbers (ex: use 9 and 1 to make 91).

These number stones are great for young children exploring numbers!  The feel and weight of the rocks provide different sensory input for the kids. The movement involved in these activities adds a kinesthetic aspect.  Coupled with the novelty of learning with rocks, number stones will definitely keep kiddos interested in math!

Engineer and I were both happy with how the number stones turned out!  He really enjoyed making larger numbers with them.  We’ve decided to make another set or two soon, as he pointed out we couldn’t make 22 or 999 without more!

More Ideas for Math Fun & Rock Activities

If you’re looking for more kids’ math fun, please see my Math for Kids Pinterest board.  For more fun rock activities, here are some of my favorites:

• Rock Stamps {Thrive 360 Learning}

• Letter Stones {Buggy and Buddy}

• Magic Fairy Painted Rocks & Storage Tower {Twodaloo}

• Painted Name Rocks {Mama. Papa. Bubba}

• Painting with Rocks {Fantastic Fun and Learning}

More Kids Activities from Mary Catherine of Fun-A-Day!

Mary Catherine is mama to a budding engineer whose favorite question is “why?”   She is a pre-k teacher with a background in teaching kindergarten and a passion for early literacy.  Mary Catherine loves lazy days with her son, messy art projects, science fiction books, and dark chocolate.  You can find her blogging at Fun-A-Day!  Come connect with Mary Catherine on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. 

Didn’t Mary Catherine do such a great job making these number rocks bright and colorful for even more interest? I can think of so many cool things that could be done with them for even more math fun and learning.  Thanks so much, Mary Catherine!

How do you make math fun for your kids?  Have you ever used rocks for learning? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

   

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