Ice Cream Equations!

Oh summer---I’m so glad you’re here! J  It’s been just a week, and I’ve already spent an entire day in the pool, read a whole book, and eased into summer relaxing mode!  It’s awesome. 

I promised myself I’d catch up on some R&R at the beginning of summer break.  At the same time, I love using this time to get a head start and chip away at my to do list for the fall.  I was browsing Etsy just for fun, and the cutest ice cream clip art ever jumped out at me—I had to buy it and make something for my class with it!  I tweaked and worked at it, and love how it turned out.  Think it will be a great activity for the start of the school year! 

The result is Ice Cream Equations! It’s an equation-building card game where kids race to build a target number with a certain amount of “scoops” (number cards).  Players can add, subtract, multiply or divide as long as the end result is the number on their ice cream “cone” card.  Sometimes they’ll be asked to build a number with 2 scoops, sometimes with 5 scoops, and everything in between!

The set includes student directions as well as easy variation ideas to make the game easier or more challenging for your students.  There are printable ice cream scoop and cone cards for play, and a game mat where players record their equations and “race” to the sprinkles on top.  Cute little cherry chips are included to be hands-on manipulatives for building the equations with +, - x, and ÷ symbols. 

One of the biggest challenges I feel with teaching math today is building students’ number sense, fact fluency, and mental math skills.  I’m hopeful that this game targets all of these, and will be motivating and FUN for kiddos at the same time!  I plan on this being a staple in my math centers in the fall!

Scoop up some FUN, and take number sense and critical thinking skills to the next level!  Hope you'll check out Ice Cream Equations at my TPT store!  Stay COOL today and have some summer fun!  J

                                                Melissa