Favorite Preschool Math Ideas

Math is my favorite subject and I want my kids to love it as much as I do!  I think the best way to do this is through lots of fun and creative games that let them explore and discover new concepts about the world of numbers.  Here are some of the best Preschool Math activities that I've tried with my little ones over the past year (ages 2.5-3.5)...

Making Soap With Kids

I bought a soap-making kit back in December, hoping to make holiday presents for everyone with the kids.  We ended up going to visit my in-laws a week earlier than planned, so the soap making never happened.  Instead, we made soaps as a little Valentine's Day activity.  The girls (3.5 years old) and I had so much fun.  It's such a great sensory and fine motor exercise for kids with even a little science thrown in...

Math Teachers at Play #59

Math Teachers at Play is a monthly Blog Carnival showcasing math activities and puzzles from teachers, parents, and homeschoolers all around the blogosphere.  It is organized by Denise Gaskins at Let's Play Math, and I'm very excited to be hosting the 59th carnival on Learners in Bloom.

The number 59 is a prime number, and has a twin prime 61 (a consecutive prime number that differs by 2).  It's also the sum of three prime numbers: 17 + 19 + 23 = 59.  If you divide 59 by 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 you get remainders of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. 

The regular icosahedron has 59 stellations.

Here's a little puzzle for you: 59 is the smallest prime that can be expressed using the digits 1 through 9 in order with only the addition and multiplication symbols between them.  Can you find a way to express it with these rules?  (one solution is at the end of this post).

And now on to the great ideas that were submitted this month...