SMMARTideas

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SMMART MATH: BALLOON BOUNCES

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This activity encourages counting and coordination.

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Show your child how to tap a balloon so that it stays in the air. As you tap the balloon each time, count out loud. Let your child try to tap the balloon. Take turns tapping the balloon as you count out loud the number of times you can tap it before it falls to the ground.

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Change it up by tapping the balloon with your head, elbows, knees and feet.

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A few ideas for older children:

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-Count together the number of taps you can keep the balloon up in the air. When it falls to the ground, let your child write the number you achieved onto the balloon with a permanent marker. Then continue to tap. After you have a few numbers, let your child add the numbers on the balloon and write the answer on the balloon.

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-You can practice tapping the balloon in “twos”, “threes”, or “fives”. The first person takes a turn tapping the balloon in the air three times, then the next person must step in to tap the balloon three times...continue tapping and counting. Count in “threes”, emphasizing every third number: "one, two, THREE, four, five, SIX, seven, eight, NINE!"

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--Take turns tapping the balloon with your child to keep it in the air. Each person keeps track of the number of times they tapped the balloon. Write down how many taps you had and how many taps your child had. Now let your child add (subtract, multiply, divide) the two numbers together.

Lisa