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10 Fun Math Warm-Up Activities

Are you looking for fun math warm-up activities that you can use to start your math class each day? Math warm ups are a great way to grab students interest at the beginning of math class and get them thinking about math.

These math warm-up activities only take 5-10 minutes at the beginning of your math class but are packed with a lot of valuable math content. You will love how easy they are to plan and implement, and your students will love how fun and engaging they are.

Math Puzzles

Math picture puzzles are great math warm-up activities that help build algebraic thinking, problem-solving, creative thinking, flexibility with numbers, and concentration. You can find math equation puzzles like the one shown below HERE!

Math puzzles can be done as a whole class by projecting the puzzle on a screen, or they can be done independently by printing copies for each student.

Math puzzles come in many formats like picture equation puzzles, secret number puzzles, math logic puzzles, balance the scale, multiplication grids, color logic, and more!

My math logic puzzle and brainteaser packs include a wide variety of puzzles for different themes, seasons and holidays. You can find math puzzles like the ones shown below HERE .

Solving math puzzles like these grab students’ attention and give them a low risk opportunity to practice applying different math and critical thinking skills, while also motivating them to work on challenging problems until they find a solution.

Grab a FREE set of 10 math puzzles by CLICKING HERE .

Number Talks

Number talks are great for highlighting math strategies, building flexibility with numbers, and communicating about math. They only take 5-10 minutes but can have a huge impact on students’ understanding of different math strategies and concepts.

Number talks can come in many formats like number strings, which one doesn’t belong, what do you notice, word problems, patterns, balance scales, or images to analyze.

With number talks , you can choose to highlight a specific strategy or you can let the students’ discussion lead which strategies you talk about and highlight.

You can grab my FREE set of 20 days of number talks and number strings HERE .

You can read more about number talks and number strings HERE or HERE .

Get the Ultimate Guide to Number Talks HERE.

If you are looking for ready-to-go number talks perfect for upper elementary, CLICK HERE .

Choral Counting or Counting Circles

Using choral counting or counting circles as a math warm-up builds number sense and helps students see patterns in numbers.

All you need is a starting number and a count by number.

For example, you may say “Starting with 7, count up by 5s.” or “Starting with 74, count down by 3s.”.

With choral counting, the whole class counts/says the numbers together. It is great if the teacher can write down the numbers as the class counts them so students can see patterns that emerge in numbers visually.

With counting circles you have students stand in a circle and you go around the circle having students individually continue the counting pattern you have selected.

This math warm-up can be differentiated by using larger numbers, decimals, or fractions.

Problem of the Day

Project an equation or word problem for your students to solve as a math warm-up. I like to choose a problem that relates to the skill we are currently working on or a skill we have recently completed. This is a quick and easy way to get kids thinking about math right away and allows kids to share a variety of strategies and possible solutions.

I love using task cards for this math warm-up. If you have a set of 20-30 task cards, you can pick one of the cards to use each day as your math warm-up.

One set of task cards could provide you with a whole month of problem of the day math warm-up activities!

• Number of the Day

Number of the day is a very versatile math warm-up that is easy to plan, implement and differentiate!

Pick a number you want to work with each day. Then, students apply a bunch of math skills or operations to that number. For example, if your number of the day is 37, you may have students add 10, subtract 10, multiply by 10, and divide by 10. You could have them identify if it is even or odd, and whether it is a prime or composite number.

Number of the day warm-ups can be done as a whole class, projecting a number of the day template and filling it in together, or you can have students complete it individually and go over the answers together. You could even use it as a mini check-in to see how students are doing with certain concepts.

You can easily differentiate this activity by adjusting the numbers to be larger, smaller, decimals, or even fractions.

You can create your own number of the day templates, or you can grab one that is perfect for upper elementary in my FREE math warm-up activity pack by CLICKING HERE .

Mental Math Warm Up Activities

Mental math activities help strengthen math fact recall and the ability to quickly solve simple math problems. It also builds student strategies for efficiently solving computation problems.

I like to do mental math as a math warm-up or as a math time filler when I have an extra 5-10 minutes open during the day.

One of my favorite ways to do this activity is by giving students a starting number and then dictating several math operations to perform on that number.

For example, you might say, “Start with 13. Add 15. Subtract 7. Add 20. What is the result?”.

Students then share what number they ended up with.

Number ladders are similar to oral mental math activities, except they are done on paper.

Students have a starting number and they work their way up the ladder performing the different math operations for each ladder rung until they get to the top of the ladder.

This math warm-up can be differentiated by using different starting numbers.

You can grab some free mental math cards as part of my math warm-up packet HERE .

Students can complete each rung of the ladder mentally or you can give them the option of working out each step on their paper.

Grab this number ladder sheet and a blank template HERE .

Give students a number and challenge them to make an equation that equals that number. For example, you might give them the number 85, and challenge them to come up with as many equations as possible that equal 85.

To increase the difficulty of this warm up, give students one or more parameters that they must include in their equation. For example, you might give them the number 70, and require that their equations include 3 or more numbers, only use division, use two operations, or include at least one odd number.

Creating equations is an easy activity that allows a point of entry for all students to participate while also offering students to challenge themselves.

Target Number Math Warm Up

In the target number math warm-up , students try to use all five pre-selected digits to make an equation that equals the selected target number.

I like to have my students choose a target number for us to work with. You can narrow their options by giving them a range to choose from. (Pick a target number between 30 and 75).

Then, we roll a die five times to generate five numbers to work with to build an equation.

While the goal is to use all 5 numbers to make an equation that equals the target number, I always praise students’ successes in making an equation using less than 5 of the digits. Then, I encourage them to keep playing with the numbers to see if they can find a way to use all 5.

Some combinations are more challenging to solve than others. If we do not find a solution I either post it as an ongoing challenge that kids can keep working on if they finish other activities early or challenge kids to bring it home and see if they can find a solution with the help of their family.

To add more of a challenge, you can use dice with more numbers or larger numbers to generate the digits students can use to make their target number equation.

Number Riddles or Mystery Number

The mystery number math warm-up is great for reinforcing place value concepts with whole numbers and decimals.

You give clues, telling students what place value position a given digit is in and students build the number.

For example, you might say “There is a 3 in the ones place. There is a 4 in the thousands place. There is a 5 in the tens place. There is a 2 in the hundreds place. What is the number?”

Students share their final number after all of the clues have been given. You can increase the difficulty by using larger numbers, decimal numbers, or more challenging clues (ex: the digit in the tens place is double the digit in the ones place).

Grab a free set of mystery number cards HERE.

What’s the Question?

In this math warm-up activity, you give students a solution (ex: 24, 32 square inches, 7 feet, 5 hours) and they have to come up with a problem to match the solution.

You can leave the problem type open-ended or specify that you want them to create a word problem.

I love the creativity of the problems students come up with and the variety of the types of questions they create for each solution. It really helps kids connect math to many different situations.

There you have it! 10 fun math warm-up activities that are easy to use, easy to plan, fun for kids, and full of learning!

If you would like to try some of these activities with your class, I have put together a FREE math warm-up activity pack that includes:

• Target Number
• Mental Math
• Math Ladders
• Mystery Numbers

CLICK HERE to grab your FREE math warm-ups resource!

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1:14 pm By Proud to be Primary 1 Comment

6 Simple & Fun Math Warm-Up Activities

Try these six simple and fun ideas for math warm-up activities for kids! They will engage students and get them ready for any math lesson.

Math Warm-Up Ideas for K-2

Want to know the secret to hooking students into your math lessons? Start with a math warm-up. These fun math routines are highly engaging and get kids eager to participate.

Math warm-ups are quick activities usually completed as a whole group. They allow you to prepare your students for the math lesson by activating their brains.

Warm-up activities build mathematical reasoning, communication, problem-solving, and further understanding. They also allow students to review and practice math skills.

Start your math lessons with a short 10-minute or so warm-up activity that reinforces a math skill and engages your students in a meaningful way.

Below are quick and effective math warm-ups you can use in your classroom TODAY!

1. Quick Math Warm-Up Activities

Give students a short task to complete before beginning your formal lesson. These can be short, engaging activities that get their brains thinking about math and ready to learn more! Kids can work on them alone, or you can pair them up to work together.

• Task cards –  Use task cards to assign short math warm-ups that students can complete independently or with a partner. Task cards include a short mathematical task students must complete using manipulatives or readily available materials. Select tasks that review a previously taught concept or provide you with a glimpse at a child’s prior knowledge. The Mindful Math Curriculum includes math task cards for each lesson.
• Math Mats – Use Math Mat activities to start a lesson by reviewing previously taught material. They are practical activities because they contain different math skills and standards for students to practice and review on one page. Have students complete one mat a day as your warm-up.
• Journals – Have students solve a word problem in a math journal to begin math time. Print out prompts to paste them into the kids’ notebooks or have one to write down. Math journals provide a valuable, quick check for understanding.
• Mental Math Flashcards – These cards are helpful as math warm-ups as they build a child’s mental math ability and fact fluency. Try playing a game with the cards, use them to quiz students as a class, or have them quiz each other!

2. Number Warm-Up Activities

Use math warm-up time to ensure kids have a solid understanding of numbers. Building number sense and fluency requires daily practice. Using the math warm-up time right before a math lesson is an excellent opportunity to strengthen skills.

• Number Sense – Build number sense through various activities focusing on recognizing, understanding, and becoming fluent with numbers.
• Number Talks – This is when you let students solve math problems in various ways and then have them talk aloud about how they arrived at the answer. Starting your math lesson with a number talk as a class can be fun and effective.
• Number of the Day – A Number of the Day routine allows you to build number skills each day as you dissect new numbers together. Write the number word, draw the number using dice, use tally marks, and more. You can also create a number of the day poster to organize your routine!

3. Calendar Activities

A daily calendar time is an excellent opportunity to review and reinforce math concepts. You can incorporate the calendar into our morning meeting time or use it as a warm-up before your math lesson.

• Count – Count aloud the days of the month together. Point to the numbers as you count to the current day. You could have the student of the day come up and lead the class in counting. The repetition of saying and seeing the numbers is essential, especially in kindergarten.
• Discuss – Ask and talk about how many days are left in the month. You can quickly turn that into a math equation. For example, how many days are left if there are 30 days in the month and today is the 15th?
• Build a calendar routine that serves your students and develops their math skills. Once students have memorized the routine and are no longer engaged in the same way, move on to another math warm-up.

4. Math Games as Warm-Up Activities

Classroom Math Games always make learning fun! They can be played together or in small groups, and students will be engaged and hardly notice that they are practicing their math simultaneously!

• Uno Flip – Turn over Uno cards to create math equations and then solve them or determine which number is bigger. This would be played with a partner. These giant-sized Uno cards would be great for younger students.
• Math Fact Smack – Write math facts on the board for students to solve. Take turns reading a problem and then smack the equation as they call out the answer.
• Human Number Line – Create a large number line with tape on the floor and have students take turns counting and hopping to act out equations.
• Online Math Games – Kids love playing digital math games. Fun Brain online math games kids are sure to enjoy!
• Math Websites – If you are looking for ways for kids to practice math online, these math websites provide plenty of online math games to play.

5. Engage with Books

Children’s books are a fantastic way to warm students and get them thinking about math! Read a book to kick off your math lesson and connect the book and the concepts you will teach that day.

Here are some children’s book titles to get you started.

• I Spy Numbers by Jean Marzollo
• 1, 2, 3 Peas by Keith Baker
• Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin, Jr.
• Numbers Everywhere by Elliott Kaufman
• 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle

Select books from the lists in this Math Books for Kids guide for each math topic you teach!

6. Using Math Manipulatives

Math manipulatives support students’ development in math skills. They provide us with tools to teach math concepts more efficiently in a “hands-on” way. Giving kids time with math manipulatives as a warm-up to a math lesson can be effective.

Provide tubs of math manipulatives for students to work with independently or with a partner. They can contain snap cubes, pattern blocks, shape counters, magnetic numbers, and more. A great warm-up is to give students an open-ended question and ask them to solve it using their choice of math tool.

Make sure every student has access to a laminated number line and hundreds chart to use during math. These can be used to practice counting in different ways.

Using Mindful Math for Your Math Warm-Up

If you are looking for a comprehensive math program that is differentiated and provides supportive lessons and activities to support your Math block, Mindful Math is for you!

The Mindful Math curriculum by Proud to be Primary includes detailed lessons that can be broken down into whole-group mini-lessons and small-group instruction. It also has various math practice options, such as journals, warm-up task cards, practice sheets, centers and games, and assessments.

You can read more about the Mindful Math program available for Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade HERE .

See the Mindful Math program in action here .

Hopefully, you feel inspired to make your math lessons more FUN with math warm-up activities!

Math Warm-Up Task Cards

Try the Mindful Math task cards as fun and quick math warm-up activities.

Click the image below to grab a copy.

Proud to be Primary has math task card packs for Kindergarten , First Grade , and Second Grade available separately.

More Math Lesson Inspiration

Math Strategies for Struggling Students

Math Manipulatives Every Classroom Should Have

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

Using Math Warmup Activities (Free Starter Pack)

Transitions in the classroom are extremely important. This is when so much time can be wasted, and misbehavior can occur easily. One way to help transition into a new subject is to have routines in place that the students know to expect each day. One routine could be using a warmup to start the lesson. Not only do using warmup activities help transition students quickly and calmly, but they also help prepare their minds for the next subject. This post will share tips and strategies for using math warm-ups AND a free starter pack to help you start using math warmups in your math lessons.

What are Math Warm-Ups?

Math warm-ups are activities to help your students transition their minds and prepare for a math lesson. Using warm-ups to kick off your math lesson gets students engaged quickly. Using daily warm-ups can allow some predictability in the routine. Students will know when it’s time for a warm-up, it’s time to get into “the zone” for math.

Here are some other benefits of using math warm-ups:

• Provides review of previously learned skills
• Requires students to discuss and defend their thinking
• Gives students practice with problem solving skills
• Presents students with a different perspective when students share their thinking with one another
• Allows struggling students to find success early-on in the lesson
• Provides challenge for students to think beyond their basic knowledge of concepts and defend their answers.

Procedures and Expectations for Math Warmups

When beginning with math warm-ups, it is important to set procedures and expectations with your students.

Here are some ideas:

1. Give students time (I call this private think-time) to solve the math warmup independently before calling on students to share or solve the problem. This will ensure that all students have a chance to work on the problem and not just the students who raise their hand first.

2. As the students are working independently, walk around and monitor their work. While you are doing this, you can:

• Clear up any misconceptions you see
• Help any students who need a bit more support to access the problem or begin solving it
• Select students’ responses to share that will benefit the class

3. When calling on students to share their responses, have them explain their thinking. A sentence stems that helps for this at beginning of the year is: I think…because…

4. You could also have students share their answers with a partner before sharing with the whole group. This will give every student a chance to explain their thinking to someone.

Differentiation Ideas for Math Warmups

Here are some ideas for differentiating with math warmups:

1. Read the warm-up or task aloud with the students and briefly discuss it before having students work on it independently. This will ensure that all students have an “entry” point to solve the problem.

2. If you are using a digital warm-up, put it in presentation mode and have students solve the problem on whiteboards or a piece of paper with a partner. You can strategically pair students up to support those who may need it.

3. Provide hints if appropriate for the warm-up.

4. If you are having students discuss their answers or writing them, provide sentence stems to support them and get them started. You could even include a word bank of words students can use.

Using Warm-Up Activities in Small Group

Another idea for using math warmups during your math lesson is to use them to start your small group instruction.

You can set your iPad up to post a digital warmup or have printable warmups placed on the table for the students to complete as soon as they get to your table. You can also have one posted on a small group table markerboard for students to complete.

This gives students something to do right when they get to your table. This gives you time to get your materials out for that group’s lesson or check on the other students and make sure that they are actively starting their math centers. And you are not wasting any small group time because your students are engaged in math already at the small group table.

About the Free Math Warm-Up Activities

Whenever I am beginning a new routine, I like to use easier content than grade-level skills. This allows students to focus on learning the warm-up routine and the expectations (and not on complex math skills that they have just started to learn).

The content in the free set of math warm-ups is easier and more accessible for students in grades 4-5.

Skills Include:

• Odd and even numbers
• Place value
• Comparing numbers
• Rounding numbers (numbers less than 100)
• Basic multiplication

The three types of math warm-ups included in the free starter set are perfect to begin a math warm-up routine .  There are 4 task cards per activity (12 task cards in all).

Each warmup comes in printable and digital format so they will fit whatever needs you have in your classroom. The digital version is ready to assign or work on through Google Slides.

For more information on assigning Google Slides activities, click here.

Math Warm-Up Activity #1: Odd One Out

In this warm-up activity, students will select which number in a set of 4 does not belong and defend their thinking. This activity is great for critical thinking and class discussion. It can spark great conversation and debate about why students chose a certain number.

Another bonus of using this activity is the stakes are low for all students. There is not one correct answer, so it allows students who might otherwise struggle in math find some success.

In the digital version of Odd One Out, the students will look at four numbers and decide which one does not belong. They will mark the number they picked with a moveable X. Then they can explain the number they chose in the text box provided.

Math Warm-Up Activity #2: Two Truths and a Lie

In this activity, students will select which statement about a number is false from a list of three statements and defend their thinking. This activity is a great activity for a math warm-up, and an added bonus is that it also gives students some beneficial practice with problem-solving and test-taking strategies as they analyze the number and each statement.

The digital Two Truths and a Lie math warm-up has students reading three statements and then labeling each one as “true” or “false.” For each slide, there will be two true statements and one lie, or false statement. As an extension activity, you could have your students correct the lie to make it true or prove how they knew the true statements were factual.

Math Warm-Up Activity #3: Which One?

In this warm-up, students will select the correct answer to the problem from a multiple choice set and defend their thinking. This activity gives students experience with word-problem types of questions in an engaging and low-pressure way.

Ways to Use the FREE Math Warm-Ups

Each activity in this free set of math warm-ups is formatted like a set of task cards. You could have your students complete one problem per day for a quick intro to a math lesson or they could complete all of the questions within an activity for some extra practice.

These math warm-ups are flexible and can be used in many ways. Here are some ideas:

• Use the digital version for a whole class math warm-up.
• Use the task card version for small group warm-ups.
• Use the digital or task card version as a math center.
• Use the digital or task card version for early finishers.

Get the FREE Starter Pack of Math Warm-Ups!

Looking for MORE Math Warmup Activities?

If you like the free set of math warmup activities and want more that cover grade level skills, check out my 4th and 5th Grade Math Warm-Ups bundle .

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4th & 5th Grade Math Warmups – Digital + Printable

Skills included in the 4th and 5th grade math warmups bundle.

Warm-Ups Set 1: Whole Number Review

The first set of warmup activities contains practice with whole numbers appropriate for 4th graders. Use them to practice new skills after teaching them in your 4th grade classroom or use them as review for your 5th graders.

The list of skills includes:

• Prime and composite numbers
• Representing numbers in different ways
• Addition and subtraction (varies from 2-digit to 4-digit)

To read more or buy this set now, click here.

Warm-Ups Set 2: Whole Number Review

The next set of math warmups involves activities with whole numbers up to the millions place, covering more 4th grade math content.

• Addition and subtraction to a million

For more details or to buy this set now, click here.

Warm-Ups Set 3: Decimals

The third set of warm-ups revolves around 5th grade topics with decimals.

• Comparing decimals
• Rounding decimals
• Representing equivalent decimals in different ways
• Adding decimals
• Subtracting decimals

Warm-Ups Set 4: Fractions

The fractions set of warmups covers 4th and 5th grade content.

• Equivalent fractions
• Comparing fractions
• Adding and subtracting mixed numbers with common denominators

Warm-Ups Set 5: Fraction Review

The final set of math warmup activities also involves fractions, but those with unlike denominators. Therefore, the set is most appropriate for use with 5th graders.

• Fractions equivalent to a whole
• Fractions greater than one
• Simplifying fractions
• Comparing mixed numbers
• Converting mixed numbers to fractions greater than one and vice versa
• Adding and subtracting mixed numbers.
• All fractions have unlike denominators.

In addition to the printable and digital versions, each set of math warm-ups has ink-friendly black and white versions included!

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23 Maths Warm-up Ideas for the Classroom

• Math Education

1. Number of the Day: Choose a number and have students find as many different ways as possible to represent that number (e.g., through addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division).

2. Mental Math Challenges: Present students with mental math problems that they must solve quickly, encouraging them to think on their feet and improve their mental arithmetic skills.

3. Math Vocabulary Flashcards: Create flashcards with common math terms and definitions. Use them to review and reinforce key concepts.

4. Estimation Jar: Fill a jar with small objects (e.g., buttons, paperclips) and have students estimate the number. Count the objects together to see who made the closest guess.

5. Shape Hunt: Challenge students to find real-life examples of geometric shapes in the classroom or school environment. They can take pictures or draw the shapes they find.

6. Math Puzzles: Provide students with math puzzles or brain teasers that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

7. Math Bingo: Create bingo cards with numbers or math problems. Call out numbers or math equations, and students can mark them off on their bingo cards.

8. Math Scavenger Hunt: Write or print out math problems and hide them around the classroom. Students must find the problems and solve them.

9. Graphing Fun: Have students collect data, such as favorite colors or hobbies, and create bar graphs or pictographs to represent the information.

10. Math Relay Races: Divide the class into teams and set up a relay race where students solve math problems before passing the baton.

11. Pattern Puzzles: Create pattern puzzles using shapes, numbers, or objects. Students must analyze the pattern and find the missing piece.

12. Math Vocabulary Charades: Act out math terms or concepts without using words, and have classmates guess what they are.

13. Math Art: Integrate art and math by having students create geometric designs using rulers, compasses, or pattern blocks.

14. Math Jeopardy: Play a Jeopardy-style game where students answer math questions, earning points for correct answers.

15. Math Song Lyrics: Write math-themed lyrics to popular songs and have students sing and perform them.

16. Math Dice Games: Use dice to create and play math games, such as multiplication Bingo or addition war.

17. Math Story Problems: Create story problems based on real-world scenarios for students to solve using their math skills.

18. Math Card Games: Play card games like War, Go Fish, or Blackjack using math facts or equations instead of traditional playing cards.

19. Math Brain Breaks: Incorporate short math-related brain teasers or activities into transitions or breaks throughout the day.

20. Math Journal Prompts: Provide students with math journal prompts that require them to reflect, explain, or analyze a math concept.

21. Math QR Code Hunts: Create QR codes that link to math problems or challenges. Students scan the codes with devices to access the problems.

22. Math Treasure Hunt: Set up a treasure hunt where students solve math problems to find clues leading to the hidden treasure.

23. Math Reflections: Have students reflect on their learning by writing or discussing what they have learned in math class and how they can apply it in real life.

These warm-up ideas are designed to engage students, reinforce key math concepts, and promote critical thinking skills. Use them regularly to set a positive tone for your math lessons and help students develop a strong foundation in mathematics.

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10 Quick Math Warm-Up Activities

ALI Staff | Published  April 14, 2023

When you’re looking to introduce or review a math concept, use warm-ups at the beginning of class to get students engaged and ready to dive into the class lesson.

In just 5-10 minutes, students can complete a warm-up activity that gets them thinking about math and having fun right at the start of the period. It’s a great way to shift students into a math mindset and immediately engage them.

Math warm-ups enable students to practice skills they’re learning and review previously covered ones.

Being quick, warm-up games and activities are also great for you since they require minimal explanation and setup. Not only that, but they provide an excellent opportunity to utilize STEM learning.

From games to puzzles, worksheets to reading aloud, here are 10 math warm-ups to get your students excited about math.

1. Give one number the royal treatment

For younger grades, this is a great warm-up that allows students to focus on a single number but think about it in a variety of ways.

To get this activity going, pick one number and ask students to do a series of things with it, such as:

• Writing it in words
• Writing it in numerals
• Writing it in tally marks
• Putting it into an addition/subtraction/multiplication problem
• Writing a world problem that totals the day’s number
• Illustrating the number in a creative way
• Finding it on a number chart or a number line

Based on how big the number is, you may modify which tasks you ask students to do, but each option provides plenty of practice, familiarizing them with the number of the day.

2. Connect the dots

When counting those bigger numbers is getting tricky, set up a connect-the-dot worksheet warm-up, but instead of starting at one, start the dots at a higher number.

Maybe students need to connect the dots from 50-to-100 to get that secret shape. This is a quick worksheet activity, but it will help them practice their counting skills.

3. Number or shape bingo

Games are always fun, especially when the whole class participates, and bingo is a tried and true favorite. You can play number bingo to help students recognize more complex numbers or a modified, visual version when teaching shapes or simple equations.

Bingo cards can have a combination of all three to make a more advanced game. Imagine a bingo card where when you draw the number 10, students can mark a box with an equation whose answer is ten or one with ten circles in the space.

This type of bingo requires students to think and think fast if they want to get that elusive B-I-N-G-O.

4. Creating order

When place value is the theme of the week or lesson of the day, math warm-up games can focus on putting numbers that look very similar into order from smallest to largest (or largest to smallest.) It’s okay to try and trip up students here, giving them choices that look like this:

1099, 1909, 1900, 1999, 1009

Organizing these will take a minute and really makes students think about place value, all within the first few minutes of class.

5. Journaling

Another way to make a quick math warm-up idea easy to implement is by using a math journal. This is a way for students to participate without having to turn in a worksheet or even have others really see their work.

This can be something you check weekly as a completion grade since there’s no pressure associated with the work. At the start of each class period, put 1-2 equations on the board and ask students to solve them in their journals using a strategy they’ve already learned. Maybe you give them some choices of math strategies or require a specific one.

Either way, this is a straightforward practice that gets your students’ heads into the math from the very start of class.

6. Check the calendar and the clock

Telling time and understanding how months and dates work are important skills that many students struggle with without practice. Starting class with a look at the calendar, and asking students to write out the date in words and numbers, makes it easy to add this into the routine.

To take things up a notch, give them a clock face to add the hands to so they can display the date as a time of day.

For a bonus, have them tell you what day of the week it is too, and maybe even spell it out.

For example:

If it’s Tuesday, April 11, have students write April eleventh and 04-11. Then, ask them to draw 4:11 on a clock. Finally, ask them what day of the week it is (and hope they all say Tuesday.)

7. Roll the dice

Getting students hands-on when it's time for math classroom games is always a winning strategy, and it can also work as a warm-up idea when you’re looking for some quick math.

For a fun and easy way to get a little addition into the warm-up, hand out sets of dice to each student. Give them a certain number of rolls for each set (5-6 would work in a 10-minute period.) Have them catalog the results for each roll on a sheet of paper by drawing the resulting dots from each die. Then, have them convert the results into an equation and solve it.

This also can work for simple subtraction as long as you remind students that the larger number on the dice pair should go first in their equation.

8. Read a book

To align your math warm-ups with STEM practices, make one day a week about warming up with a book that features math. Universal favorites include:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
• Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth and Laura Huliska-Beith
• Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow
• Chicka, Chicka, 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin, Jr.
• How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

To engage your students in this warm-up even more, ask them to bring in their favorite book from home that features numbers and read it to the class. Not only does this make a fun way to connect to the daily lesson, but it also adds literacy into the mix! 

9. Work ON some mental Math

Warm-up games involving mental math take the work off the paper and ask students to make calculations in their heads.

This is quick math without pencils, calculators, or any other counting tools.

It's a great warm-up to help students practice those math facts they’re meant to memorize, whether it’s addition, subtraction, multiplication, or a combination. It replaces simple flashcards and makes things more challenging and fun.

Mental math can involve class discussion too, where students look at a problem or two on the board, solve it in their heads, and then share their answer and how they got there with the class. This number talk is a great way to engage everyone.

You can also do mental math warm-ups by asking students to go up a number ladder, where each level requires some kind of computation to reach the final answer at the top.

For example, at the bottom, give the students a starting number, then to get past the first rung, they need to add six to that starting number.

Next, they must subtract two, etc., until they get to the top and reveal the answer. 

Once the activity is done, you can go through each step on the board to help those students see where their mental math might have taken a wrong turn.

10. Solve a riddle or puzzle

There’s nothing more fun than doing math without feeling like you’re doing math.

To transform math work into fun math questions is quite an achievement, and creating a riddle or puzzle to solve is a great way to accomplish this. Especially if you’re working with larger numbers, this can get really fun.

Start with a list of clues to help students solve the puzzle. You can also reveal the numeral in each place of the final number but do it out of order. Students could also be required to do small equations to solve for each place.

Either way, each clue gets them another numeral in the final answer and makes for a fun way to review.

To get more advanced, you can offer fun math equations that use pictures as clues to help decode the final equation students must solve as the answer to the warm-up.

Start math with a warm-up activity

While you may not always have time to kick off math with a warm-up, they’re guaranteed to open the class up on a fun note.

When you can, these simple activities are easy to implement and provide practice in an engaging and different way that gets everyone into math from the start of class.

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K-5 Math Centers

K-5 math ideas, 3rd grade math, need help organizing your k-5 math block, fun and engaging math warm-ups for your math block.

Math warm-ups are highly engaging, yet short opening routines…Real short. Depending on how much time you have in your math block , 5 – 7 minutes short.

When used as a daily routine, math warm-ups help build a positive classroom culture where kids are eager to participate. In addition, they also provide opportunities for students to practice and review previously taught skills.

There are a wide variety of engaging warm-up activities that you can do with your students, let’s run down the list so you can choose one that’s right for you and your kids.

Math Warm-Up Activity #1:

Problem of the day.

Having a problem of the day or a problem of the week is a surefire way to get students to think critically about the math skills you’ve taught.

It’s best to use high-quality questions that can be answered in multiple ways.

Use these as a warm-up activity if…you want to give your kids opportunities to develop deeper conceptual understanding.

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Math Warm-Up Activity #2:

Math talk routines.

This is one of my favorite ways to start the math block. If you want to get your students into the habit of talking about math, then you’ve got to have a structure for them to do just that.

Math talk routines are the perfect way to generate meaningful math conversations and provide opportunities for children to use mathematical vocabulary.

Use these as a warm-up activity if…you want a clear structure to talk about important math topics.

Math Warm-Up Activity #3:

Number of the day.

Number of the Day activities are a tried and true way to improve number sense. For this simple routine, children interact with a number and complete a variety of number sense skills. For example:

• more and less
• odd and even
• place value
• decomposing

If you use this as one of your math warm-up activities, your students will quickly learn what to expect because it’s the same activities but with a different number.

Use this as a warm-up activity if…your students need extra support with building number sense.

When choosing activities that are right for your classroom, you can use the same warm-up activity for a period of time and then switch to another one later, OR you can mix it up every week!

It all depends on your purpose.

Either way, including math warm-up routines at the beginning of your math block increases student engagement, improves critical math thinking, and creates a positive classroom culture. And now you know three ways to do it!

Check out one of these activity types to see which best fits your classroom.

• Read more about: K-5 Math Ideas

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Using Math Warm-Ups: Best Practices

How we spend our valuable math minutes is a decision we make every single day.  Using math warm-ups to kick off a powerful math class is a tried and true way to activate students’ deep math thinking.  Much like an athlete needs to get themselves ready for their workout, using math warm-ups prepares our students to do the “real” work of our lessons.

Sometimes I like to vary how I do these important routines–but the one thing I always do in class is start the day off with a quality math problem to build engagement.  We don’t look at homework.  There is no passing out papers.  We don’t turn to a workbook page.  Instead, we dig into a problem that invites thinking and discussion. Let’s look into the different ways we can do just that!

“Study findings suggest that learning of new content is supported by activating a conceptually relevant prior-knowledge sequence that helps connect the prior knowledge with the new knowledge.” —Pooja G. Sidney and Martha W. Alibali

Ways to use math warm-ups

1. project, solve discuss.

One of the easiest ways to quickly (read “low prep”!) ways to incorporate math warm-ups is to simply project a problem/task onto a screen, let students solve it, and then discuss.  This can be done in tons of different ways.

Whole class:

Having a whole-class discussion is a great way to build common language and exposure to different problem types.  This is a great way to explicitly coach students on how to work, share, and explain their thinking.  This allows you to present information you want all students to have in an efficient way.  There are issues with any whole-class instruction, as you know.  It is impossible to have tasks that are the perfect fit for every learning style and level.  Any given warm-up will be too rigorous for some and too simplistic for others.

When you use this technique, consider how you can meet those differing needs.  Do you need to scaffold for your less-experienced problem solvers?  Might they need additional tools such as manipulatives or calculators?  Could there be an “if you finish early…” problem for those who are speedy?  Perhaps you can ask them to solve the problem a second way.

The biggest issue with whole-class work of any kind is engagement, so make sure you are finding ways to get all students connected to the task. We don’t want to have one-third of our class checking out during this super valuable time!

Small groups:

One way to avoid some of these pitfalls is to present the task to the whole class but to have small groups work together.  Whether this be simply at desk groups or predetermined groupings (maybe deliberately heterogeneous or perhaps leveled by the amount of scaffolding needed), giving students the chance to talk about the math can keep them engaged and learning from each other. I do always encourage some quick “think time” before having students work in groups so everyone has something to contribute.  As the small groups work, circulate and listen, clear up misconceptions, coach, and listen for cool things to share when you come back to the whole group!  (Do make sure you come back to the whole group–then everyone gets the benefit of the work that was done.)

Partner solving

This is perhaps even a BETTER strategy–especially at the beginning of the year.  I do spend a LOT of time working on partnering skills–not just at the beginning of the year, but all year long.  Learning how to give and take, ask questions, ask for clarification, give encouragement, and stay focused are such valuable life skills.  Using math warm-ups in pairs is a great way to practice!

2.  Send digitally

Now, if you are wanting each student to get their paws on the warm-ups on their own devices, sending them virtually is a great idea!  There are a few benefits to this:

• You can engage students as the warm-up is right in front of them.
• If a student is absent, they can still be a part of the learning. This has become increasingly important in recent years!
• If you have students record their ideas virtually, teacher feedback can be quick and easy.

I still think it is critical that we acknowledge the power of “math talk” and discourse.  If students DO do a math warm-up digitally, I highly encourage you to still consider the ways you can use whole class, small group, or partner discourse as a part of the process.

3.  Printable

Using printable warm-ups is another great way to get students involved with the problem right in front of them.  I like to use spiral notebooks for this purpose.  Students can simply glue in their warm-up, do their work directly in their notebook, and then be ready to share.

This is a super way to work on showcasing organized work, working on helping students with precision and labeling their work.  By sharing under a document camera, students can see a variety of strategies and organizational styles.  It’s also a great way for you to showcase students who may not be willing to share aloud.

Another benefit to using math warm-ups in a printable form is that you can track progress over time.  students can look back at earlier work, set goals, see improvement, and celebrate successes! If you use spiraled problems, they can also reflect on how much NEW math they have learned through the year and to see the progress they have made.

Other Ideas for Incorporating Math Warm-Ups Into Your Day

Interventions:   Consider using warm-up problems at a lower grade level (or from earlier in the year) as a part of an intervention group.  Students who sometimes “check out” during whole-class instruction NEED a small group to get and stay engaged.  Find the level that is just right–and help coach them through the math that will build their confidence and help them grow.

Revisit old problems:   One thing I like to do is notice when a problem gives my class a challenge.  I save it and repeat it later in the year.  This helps me watch for student growth and to catch continued misunderstandings.  This is also a great way to “spiral” instruction and see if students who understood a concept earlier in the year still do!

Power of discussion:  As I mentioned earlier, starting every math class with a powerful math discussion is a great way to build engagement.  Finding the type of problem that nurtures this discourse isn’t always easy, but it is SO worth it.  Remember to explicitly TEACH how to do this.  CLICK HERE to read a post with some great ways to do that!

Working on organizing work:  One thing that has happened over the years as many math series have moved to workbooks is that students get very used to filling in the blanks, but not organizing their work in a notebook or on blank paper.  This truly is a skill, and by using a math warm-up, you have the opportunity to teach them how to do this.  From skipping lines between problems to circling/highlighting their answer to labeling their work accurately. many students need to be coached on how to organize their work.

This is a critical part of addressing the precision standard and setting students up to be successful mathematicians.  They need to be able to track their own work process, share their thinking, and be able to proofread and find errors.  This is a perfect time to work on these essential skills!  Remember, you may need to do tons of modeling of YOUR processes along the way.

Where Do I Find Math Warm-Ups?

This part depends on how hard you want to work!  I’ve listed a few places to get math warm-ups.  You find what works best for you!

• Look at your math series.  Are there problems you aren’t using?  Does your program have a warm-up built in?  Do you have enrichment problems that might be getting overlooked?
• Use math tests and other work from the past and create similar problems, especially if your students struggled on a given problem type.
• Find teachers who have done the work for you!  Seriously–I spent so much time writing my own problems at different levels! It only made sense for me to start to organize it to help others.

Need some help?

If you are interested in checking out MY math warm-up collections (for grades 3, 4, and 5), check the links below.  There’s even a free week available for each grade level if you want to give them a try.  Again, I’ve worked to take the “spiral” concerns out of your mind and have made sure to tackle ALL the standards at each grade level–including the Standards for Mathematical Practice!

Third Grade Warm-Ups

Fourth Grade Warm-Ups

Fifth Grade Warm-Ups

Want to read more about using math warm-ups?  CLICK HERE!

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Simple Daily Math Warm-Ups to Build Number Sense

Looking for a way to start math each day to get kids’ brains working and also build number sense and problem solving skills? Here are simple, daily math warm-ups you can implement in 10-15 minutes.

When I was in school, most of my middle and high school classes had a daily ‘math warm up’ time to get us going. The drill was simple: come to class, get out a blank piece of paper and answer the 5 math problems on the chalkboard. Was this helpful? Maybe to an extent-we got a bit of spiral skills review and got our brains thinking about math instead of science or history or lunch. But for the most part, it felt like busywork to me. So today I want to share some alternatives to the typical ‘math warm-ups’ that will wake up kids’ brains and get them thinking about math, but also deepen their number sense and problem solving skills . Plus, most kids think these math routines are super FUN!

Math Warm-Ups to Build Number Sense: Getting Started

There are literally books upon books of number sense routines that you can use and implement in your classroom. But I wanted to keep things super simple for you. I don’t want you to have to spend hours scouring the internet looking for ideas or spend hours prepping complex games or activities with lots of materials and parts.

So although this list is not exhaustive in terms of ways you can start math class each day, I hope it gives you enough ideas that you have a simple daily warm-up with about 10-15 minutes of prep (or less).

I also chose number sense routines that won’t take a lot of time to complete with your students. This is simply meant to be a 10-15 minute exercise to challenge students’ thinking and develop number sense. They’re not intended to be the bulk of your lesson for the day.

Ok, let’s dig in! Below you will find 7 daily math warm up ideas , as well as why I think they are beneficial for students ( i.e. not busywork or time wasters! )

1. Daily Number Talks

I talk about number talks quite often, because I think this is a wonderful way to start your math time. Number talks focus on mental math and computation strategies , so if your students need more meaningful math fact practice or struggle to use efficient strategies, number talks is the way to go.

>> Read more : 5 Reasons Number Talks Should be a Regular Part of Your Math Routine

>> Get Started : Grab FREE Number Talk Planning Pages HERE

2. Mental Math Challenges

This set of mental math challenges is like a single number talk on steroids . These pages give a starting number and then a series of computation challenges for kids to solve mentally until they reach the end.

These are beneficial because you get to choose the starting number, meaning you can easily differentiate for different ability levels.

In addition, these can provide some quiet, independent practice, which is sometimes a good break from group number talks.

>> Get Started : Learn more and grab this FREE set of challenges HERE

3. Esti-Mysteries

Challenging kids with an esti-mystery is a unique kind of number talk. These were created by Steve Wyborney, and he has lots of additional sets available on his site here .

This allows you to weave in a variety of different skills practice and vocabulary review, along with estimation practice, an often neglected skill. Plus, kids LOVE these! It’s such a fun challenge.

>> Read More : Benefits of Esti-Mystery Challenges | FREE Esti-Mystery Recording Pages

>> Get Started : Grab a FREE set of Esti-mystery Challenges HERE

4. What’s the Question? Prompts

Again, this type of math prompt is sure to get your kids thinking, since it’s not what they’re used to. Way too often, kids see math as nothing but computation problems to solve. One problem that has one solution with one correct method to arrive at that solution.

So open ended challenges that force kids to think flexibly and consider math as  more than a closed, single solution are a win in my book!

A ‘what’s the question?’ prompt flips a typical math problem on its head . Instead of giving kids a math problem or word problem and asking for the solution, you give them a ‘solution’ and ask, “What’s the question?” In other words, what might someone be looking for to arrive at this solution? What is a context that might provide this solution?

Sample Solutions:

• The solution is 42 square inches. What’s the question?
• The solution is 1 hour and 30 minutes. What’s the question?
• The solution is 67.7 meters. What’s the question?

Another way to use this type of prompt is to provide the beginning of a story problem and omit the given question .

For example, say your textbook includes this problem as practice:

Sarah and Ben each had $100. Sarah spent $57 on clothes and Ben spent $44 on a video game. How much more did Sarah spend than Ben?

Instead of presenting the entire problem to students, just give them the information to form a context. Leave out the “How much more did Sarah spend than Ben?” and instead ask, “What’s the question?”

You could even provide a numberless word problem and leave off the question . This adds an additional layer of things you can discuss as a group as students make sense of the situation and also think about what the question could be. For example,

Sarah and Ben each had some money. Sarah spent some on clothes and Ben spent some on a video game. What’s the question?

This opens it up more, because we don’t know who spent more, we don’t know how much they had at first, we don’t know if there’s money leftover, etc. This will force kids to think about different scenarios and the math implications .

5. Number or Fraction of the Day Challenges

These simple daily prompts will help kids to think about numbers multiple ways , a key to developing a strong number sense.

How exactly you implement this will depend on your grade level.

In the early grades, it might include writing the number in expanded form, showing with base ten blocks, +/- 1 and +/1 10, etc. Older students might focus on larger numbers and some place value addition and subtraction (daily number +500, -200, etc.).

Upper elementary students can build fraction sense by using fraction of the day prompts. This can include things like ‘find 2 equivalent fractions’ or ‘fraction + ___ = 1’. You can also have students place the faction on a number line or write a story problem equal to the given fraction.

This will help students think flexibly about whole numbers, fractions or even decimals.

>> Get Started : Grab a FREE set of number of the day prompts HERE

6. Target Number Challenge

Again, this is a super simple challenge that takes virtually no prep from you. There are so many benefits for students though. This math warm up will challenge kids to think about numbers in multiple ways, see patterns and learn to decompose numbers.

In this routine, you simply provide students a ‘target’ number. This can be anything at all, depending on the age and ability of your students.

Then set a timer for 5 minutes (or 10 minutes if your students are older and working with more complex numbers) and have kids record equations that are equal to the target number.

For example, if the target number is 10, students might write:

• 2 + 4 + 4 = 10
• 20 – 10 = 10
• 30 – 20 = 10

For older students, you can use larger numbers, or fraction and decimal values.

You can also add restraints or requirements such as, each equation must include 2 operations. Or each equation must include 4 different terms (20 – 12 + 6 – 4 = 10). Or each equation must use an exponent, etc.

7. Logic Puzzles as Math Warm-Ups

Lastly, I want to mention simple logic puzzles as a way to get your kids ‘warmed up’ and ready to learn math. Although logic puzzles won’t necessarily build fluency and computation skills, they are a fun way to ‘warm up’ the brain. They will also strengthen logical and critical thinking skills, which in turn better prepare and equip kids to make sense of word problems and other math challenges.

In addition, they can be a great way for kids to develop perseverance in problem solving , as the desire to solve the puzzle pushes them on in a way that a typical math problem may not.

> Read More : How to Raise Logical Thinkers and Why it Matters

>> Get Started : Try any of the FREE sets of logic puzzles I have available at the links below, or purchase a complete set of puzzles, depending on the ages you’re looking for:

• Hands On Logic Puzzles with Pattern Blocks | ages 4-9
• A Year of Logic Puzzles ( sudoku and grid puzzles with monthly themes ) | ages 9+

FREE logic puzzles to try out:

• Set of 3 Pattern Block Puzzles
• Valentine’s Day Logic Puzzles
• Pi Day Logic Puzzles
• 4th of July Logic Puzzles
• Thanksgiving Logic Puzzles
• Christmas Logic Puzzles

Well, I hope this has given you some meaningful, easy to implement ideas for daily math warm ups and I hope you are encouraged to look for ways to strengthen number sense and build problem solving skills with the routines you use in your classroom!

Have another easy math warm-ups routine to add to this list? Feel free to share it with me via email here: mathgeekmama(at)gmail.com.

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5 Math Warm-Ups for a Powerful, Rigorous Math Lesson

Using math warm-ups that require critical thinking everyday is a great idea. Not only does it help students practice thinking at higher levels, but it can also serve as a review of tough concepts. When you start out a lesson expecting students to think at high levels, they will likely carry it through your lesson as well.

I have several go-to daily math warm ups that can be used with just about any grade level and any math concept. I use these math warm ups for 2nd grade, but they could easily be math warm ups for 5th grade, or even high school!

Which One Doesn’t Belong Math Warm-Ups

Math warm up problems like this type are excellent as there are many right answers. This math warm up allows for many students to share answers and to learn from each other.

I first learned about this math warm up exercise from https://wodb.ca/ .

There are so many great examples on this site that range from math warm ups elementary students could use to ones for high school looking at complex graphs.

Students look at the four options and determine which one does not belong and why. 

Just last week, I made my own in my classroom. We were working on addition and subtraction with regrouping, so I wrote these problems on the board:

I purposely used similar digits in several, even and odd answers, and had a problem that did not require regrouping. My students solved the problems on whiteboards and prepared to explain which problem did not belong in the set.

Cryptarithms for Math Warm-Ups

Cryptarithms are typically math arithmetic problems in which each number is unknown and they are replaced by letters. They can be very challenging, or very simple depending on how many unknown numbers are represented by letters in your problem. 

A simple example is this one:

For a thorough explanation of this math warm up challenge as well as some more rigorous examples, click here. https://www.puzzles-to-print.com/math-puzzles/cryptarithms.shtml

You can easily take this algebraic concept and apply to any math concept by replacing numbers with letters. The conversations that come out of students talking about what numbers would make sense in various problems are so rich!

Warm-Up Math with The Answer Is…

As another one of the versatile math warm up exercises, the answer is strategy can become a permanent one in your classroom. 

I previously wrote about this and shared how I keep it as a bulletin board in my classroom here . 

You can put any number as an answer and students get as creative as they want to in finding a question to arrive there. If you ask students to connect it to your learning, this can also work as a great formative assessment!

This strategy gets more powerful each time you use it, especially when you have conversations about what makes certain answers more creative. Pretty soon, you’ll see students pushing themselves to come up with more and more creative and thoughtful questions.

Mathematical Questions

In 2nd grade, I’ve often found that students struggle with knowing how to ask a mathematical question. I show students an algorithm and ask them to come up with a word problem for it, and they struggle to find words that sound like the problems they are used to answering.

This math warm up exercise can help students improve in their questioning skills, and also encourages students to look at the world like a mathematician!

The teacher shows a picture to the class and asks them to come up with as many mathematical questions as possible. The questions don’t need to have answers, and the students don’t even need to possess the skills to solve the problems. It just requires students to start looking at the world with a mathematical mindset.

For this example, students could ask questions about the amount of product on the shelves, the amount of time it took to stock the shelves, how many vertices are on all of the boxes, how many more boxes the shelves could hold, or even how tall the boxes would be if they were stacked on top of each other. 

The thinking that can come from a simple picture is incredible!

If you’re interested in trying this with your students, be sure to grab this freebie ! I’ve got 20 pictures you can use to see what questions your students can come up with.

Same, But Different Math Warm-Ups

Same, but different math warm ups allow for lots of great math discussion. I have found many great examples on this website: https://www.samebutdifferentmath.com/

Students are called to look at two different examples of a very similar math concept. They find similarities and differences.

For some students, this kind of math warm up brain teaser helps build confidence in math as they deepen that number sense. For others, it’s a chance to investigate and observe the details and the challenge is highly engaging.

I hope you’ve found a few math warm up ideas you can use with your students to get them thinking.

Ready to Go Math Warm-Ups

If you love the idea of a rigorous math warm up, but don’t have the time to plan them check this out. I am working on a series of math warm-ups for each math topic, and the first one is ready for you! Check it out!

If you’d like to learn more, check out this blog post on math discussions from the amazing Mona at Mona Math. She’s got so many great ideas and a fantastic podcast, too !

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8 warm-up maths challenges to use in the classroom.

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Looking for an opportunity to practise problem-solving strategies with your students? Use some of these fun warm-up challenges in your classroom and see how your students fare!

Lower Years

Challenge 1.

Gabby is making snack boxes for a picnic. She has yoghurt cups, apples and biscuits. Each snack box gets 2 different items. How many different combinations of snack boxes can Gabby make?

Try the strategy: Making an organised list

Answer: 3 different combinations apple and biscuit apple and yoghurt cup biscuit and yoghurt cup

Challenge 2

Ben, Indy and Nour took turns skip counting by 5s. Ben went first, then Indy, then Nour.
 They started with 5 and finished on 100.

Who said the last number?

Try the strategy: Acting it out or Finding a pattern or rule

Answer: Indy

Ben	Indy	Nour
5	10	15
20	25	30
35	40	45
50	55	60
65	70	75
80	85	90
95	100

Challenge 3

Nick used a method to turn words into numbers by giving letters of the alphabet a value. BEE = 12 BUG = 30 What would FLY be?

Try the strategy: Guessing and checking or Finding a pattern or using a rule

Answer: 43 Numbering the alphabet letters in order from A–Z results in:

B + E + E = 2 + 5 + 5 = 12

and B + U + G = 2 + 21 + 7 = 30

Therefore: F + L + Y = 6 + 12 + 25 = 43

Upper Years

Challenge 4.

If the name Matilda is written repetitively (like this: MATILDAMATILDAMATILDA), what is the 50th letter?

Try the strategy: Finding a pattern or using a rule

Answer: M The pattern repeats every 7 letters, so the name ends on the 7th, 14th, 21st letters and so on (i.e. on every multiple of 7).

Following the pattern, the 49th letter will be the end of MATILDA (written 7 times over), so the next letter will be M.

This means the 49th letter is A and the 50th letter is M.

Challenge 5

A kite is 12 m above a lake. It drops 4 m, then rises 2 m, then drops 4 m, then rises 2 m, and so on. How many drops until the kite touches the water?

Try the strategy: Drawing a picture or diagram

Answer: 5 drops

Challenge 6

Trey has three times as many comic books as Hanh. Felix has half as many comic books as Hanh. If Trey has less than 18 books and Hanh has more than 2, how many comic books does each person have?

Try the strategy: Guessing and checking

Answer: Felix = 2, Hanh = 4, Trey = 12 Trey has three times as many as Hanh. Felix has half as many as Hanh.

Challenge 7

A kangaroo is hopping along the beach leaving tracks in the sand. Each hop is 7 m long. How many tracks will the kangaroo leave in 150 m?

Try the strategy: Drawing a picture or diagram or Finding a pattern or using a rule

Answer: 22 tracks The kangaroo hops 10 times in 70 m, 20 times in 140 m and 21 times in 147 m. 21 hops leaves 21 tracks, plus one more for the kangaroo’s starting position.

Challenge 8

Jarrah has 8 tins of paint in different colours. He creates new colour blends by mixing small quantities of 2 colours together. How many different colour blends can Jarrah make?

Try the strategy: Solving a simpler problem

Answer: 28 Look for a pattern by listing colour blends for 4 tins of paint (A, B, C, D):

AB, AC, AD BC, BD CD

Total colour blends for 4 tins = 3 + 2 + 1 = 6

Use the same pattern for 8 tins: Combinations for 8 tins = 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 28

Classroom Maths Ideas & Activities For You

		Stand at front of room. Say “I have 2 brothers”. Anyone else in the room that has 2 brothers joins you – linking arms. One of them states another attribute. Etc. Nil. F to 6 2 students sit back-to-back. Give each the same number and the same number of each color of pieces. One builds a shape and then gives instructions to the other so he/she builds the same shape. 2 sets of 9 to 10 pieces of construction material. F to 6 A B C As for regular tic-tac-toe, 1__/__/__ here 2 competitors cannot 2__/__/__ look at the board. Have to 3__/__/__ give grid references, eg. B2 Nil. 2 to 6 In pairs, ask the children to sort the buttons provided to them by one attribute. Now by 2 attributes (eg. shape and number of button holes). Now 3. Large container of mixed buttons of all shapes & sizes. F to 6 Skip counting, students must say “buzz” on designated multiples or on designated final numbers (eg. “buzz” on any numbers that end in a 0 or 2 when counting by 4s). Nil. 2 to 6 Choose 2 students. One student gets the calculator. The other has to work out the mental computation problems you ask in their head. First to score 3 points. A calculator. 3 to 6 Have some coins totaling $1, 50c, 30 or 20c in your pocket. For example, tell the students you have 30c. What coins do I have? See if they can match your coins. Some coins, try 50c – 1 x 20c, 1 x 10c and 4 x 5c. 1 to 6 Using only the numbers in that day’s date (eg. 16/02/12) the students (in pairs or as a class) must make a number sentence for all the numbers 1 to 20. Nil. 3 to 6 Ask a student to stand outside of the room. Now hide an object within the room. Student returns. Now, using clear directions such a right/left, quarter turn, forward/back, etc. lead him/her to object. Nil. F to 6 In each corner of the room attach a clearly seen Club, Spade, Diamond and Heart. Tell students you are going to turn over one from a deck of cards. They go to the corner of the suite they believe will be turned over. Deck of playing cards. F to 6 Ask a group of students to stand in one corner. Now choose some more to form another group. Continue until all students are grouped. Ask students – how did I group you? What attribute? Use color of clothing/shoe type/same letter in first name, etc. Nil. F to 6 Use 1 coin. What can occur? 10 flips – record on board. What happened? Using 2 coins – what combinations could occur? 2 heads – put hands on head. 2 tails – put hands on tail. 1 head and 1 tail – put 1 hand on head, 1 on tail. 2 x 20c coins. 2 to 6 Choose a student to look away from the board. On the board draw a regular shape slowly and so that the student can hear it being drawn (eg. a rectangle). What was the shape? How do you know? Nil. F to 6 “I have some money in my pocket. You have 8 questions that you can ask me to find out how much I have. After 8 questions you can guess." Emphasize the importance of not guessing numbers haphazardly. An amount of notes and gold coins in your pocket. 1 to 6 Students need to find ways to stand and literally organize themselves into their birthday months at the front of the room. At grades 3 to 5 – do this without talking at all. Nil. F to 6 Give a number (0 to 9) each to 10 students. Can you line yourselves up smallest to largest? Find a partner so your numbers add to 10. Odd and even. Straight numbers/curved numbers. 4 and 3 - make the largest number you can, etc Numbers 0 to 9 on medium sized pieces of card. F to 2 Students make digital numbers using popsticks and following a calculator display. Start with 0, then 1, 2, etc. When they start running out of sticks – “I think there’s a number that all digital numbers can be made from – I wonder what it is?” Calculator, 14 -15 popsticks between each two students. F to 2 Write a 3 to 5 digit number on a piece of paper - unseen. Students have 5 guesses to work out what the number is. For example, your number is 8 326. Child guesses 5 372. So 5x 3/ 7x 2o. x = not in my number; / = correct number, correct place; o = correct number, wrong place. Nil. 2 to 6 Give children (in groups or whole class) 4 or 5 clues to the number you’re thinking of. Children should wait until you have provided all the clues before guessing. “I am a 2 digit number; I am an odd number; the first digit is even; my digits add up to 7”. What's the number? Nil. 1 to 6 Place 3 blue, 3 red and 3 green counters, or similar, in a container. Students need to guess/predict what color counter you will draw from the container. Once drawn, colour stays out. For each of the nine draws students need to predict the color. 3 blue, 3 red, 3 green counters or teddy bears, etc. 2 to 6 Ask students to consider then record how many full swings the pendulum will make in 30 seconds. Students count the swings. Compare with prediction. Now halve the length of string. Predict again. Swing and count. Compare. Halve again. Ball of blu-tak attached to an 18cm ball of string. 1 to 6 Pull numbers (0 to 9) one at a time from a container. Students try to make the largest number possible. Play from tens and ones (Foundation) up to millions (Grades 4,5,6) Numbers 0 to 9 on small cards, container. F to 5 Children line up or place stickers on a pre-made probability line 0_______1 to show what they think is the likelihood of an event happening. Nil. F to 5 Using Post-Its or similar, place an unseen number on students’ foreheads or backs. They can ask yes/no questions of others to work out their number Post-Its. 2 to 6 Choose a number (for example, 11). Tell the children that you want all of them to think of something special about number 11. It can be what the number means to them, it can be how the number looks, it can be mathematical. Nil. F to 6 Students, in turn, take as close to ten seconds as possible to walk a designated distance (eg. across the room). Before declaring the time, students guess how long it took. Stopwatch. 2 to 6 The answer is 13. What could the question be? What is 3 times 4 plus 1? What is an unlucky date? What is a baker’s dozen? What is 20 – 7? Nil. 2 to 6 robvingerhoets_logo85 Android-icon-36×36, android-icon-96×96, cropped-android-icon-96×96.png. Free Math Warm-Ups: Boost Students' Word Problem Skills Looking for a fun and effective way to help your elementary students improve their word problem-solving skills? Look no further than these daily math word problem warm-ups! These engaging activities are the perfect addition to any classroom, and the best part is you can try them out for free. I’m excited to offer you a free sample of 12 days of math word problem warm-ups when you  join the Mrs. Burk’s Backpack e-mail list . The Benefits of Daily Math Word Problem Warm-Ups for Elementary School Students But why are daily math word problem warm-ups beneficial for elementary school students? It’s important to start your math lessons with a warm-up activity that gets students focused, thinking, and ready to learn.  Daily word problem warm-ups are a fun and interactive way to start the day! As we all know, math is a subject that requires practice and repetition to fully grasp. Thankfully,  daily word problem warm-ups are an excellent way to achieve this . Not only do they help to reinforce previously learned concepts, but they also encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Introducing the Free Solution to Your Daily Math Warm-Up Needs! My daily word problem warm-ups help build students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Plus, they’re fun! The warm-ups are perfect for elementary students because they cover a wide variety of topics that kids will find interesting and relevant to their everyday lives. Each day’s warm-up includes a word problem that challenges students to think critically and apply their math skills in a real-world context. These warm-ups are perfect for reviewing key concepts, practicing problem-solving skills, and building confidence in math. When you  sign up for my e-mail list , you’ll receive a FREE sample of daily word problem warm-ups that includes : 12 days of addition and subtraction math warm-ups (1 sample word problem from each month), a student tracking sheet for progress monitoring, and an answer key for all 12 word problems.  This is the perfect way to get started with daily math warm-ups and see if they are the right fit for your classroom! Upgrade to the Full-Year Math Word Problem Warm-Up Bundle If you love the freebie so much that you want to continue with daily math word problem warm-ups for the whole year, I’ve got you covered! You can purchase the  Daily Addition & Subtraction Word Problem Warm-Ups FULL YEAR Bundle  and continue the learning journey all year long. The warm-ups cover a wide variety of addition and subtraction problems that  include comparing, unknowns in all positions, adding together, taking from, and more . Plus, they’re perfect for busy teachers like you who are looking for an easy way to help students improve their word problem-solving skills. What’s Included in the Full Year Warm-Up Bundle? 280 total word problems (with answer keys)  covering the topics of addition/subtraction under 1000, one-step and multi-step situations, and adding up to four two-digit numbers. Print, cut & go!  There are 10 identical word problem strips on each page that are the ideal size to be cut & glued into math journals/notebooks. 12 Binder Cover Pages  to help you stay organized. 12 Tracking sheets  for student progress monitoring, with space for tracking up to 25 students. Never Miss a Deal when you Join My Community of Educators! In addition to the 12 days of math word problem warm-ups and other freebies,  signing up for the Mrs. Burk’s Backpack email list  means that you’ll be the first to know about upcoming sales, new products, and other special offers. I know that teachers and parents alike are busy and don’t always have the time to keep up with the latest educational resources, so I’ve got you covered.  By  subscribing to my email list , you’ll never miss out on a great deal or an exciting new resource.  So, what are you waiting for?  Sign up for the Mrs. Burk’s Backpack email list today by clicking here  or by filling out the form below! Get Your Free Math Warm-Ups Today! In conclusion,  join my e-mail list  today and try out your free sample of 12 daily word problem math warm-ups.  And if you love them as much as I think you will, be sure to check out the  Full Year Bundle of Daily Math Word Problem Warm-Ups .   Happy problem solving, teachers! If you’d like to save these ideas about free math warm-ups for later on Pinterest, pin the images below. Connect with Mrs. Burk's Backpack Leave a reply cancel reply. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 9 Fun math warm ups for students of different ages Warm-ups are a great way to get students engaged and ready to learn, especially if they’re transitioning to math from another subject. Warm-ups are vital in ensuring your lesson will go as planned. After all, “the teacher who begins a lesson by sparking the student’s interest kindles a fire that remains lit for the balance of the period,” David Williams said in Arithmetic Teacher. Elementary warm ups A number a day Which one doesn’t belong? Geometry with Simon Says Middle school warm ups Visual patterns Hit the target High school warm ups Famous women in mathematicians Word problem warm-ups Activate prior knowledge Math warm ups for elementary For many students, their success–or struggles–in math begin in elementary school. Math or number anxiety was coined in the 1950s , and up to 93% of Americans experience it. Neuroscientists have shown recently that for people with math anxiety, a fear center lights up in their brain — the same as when they see snakes and spiders — and the problem- solving center of the brain shuts down. Jo Boaler told NPR. These quick, unconventional warm-ups are designed to get students comfortable with mathematical thinking. Warm-ups are a great way to activate prior knowledge and help students build confidence in class. 1. A number a day This activity is a classic for a reason! This is a great warm-up for lower elementary students. Consider these variations to keep students engaged.  Pick a number: Have students pick a number out of a hat or deck of cards, roll dice, or discover the daily number by solving a simple equation for it. Creative things to do with the number students have chosen: Illustrate the number in a creative way or take it a step further by inspiring them with unexpected examples, such medieval letters. Write the number in Roman Numerals or explore the number’s form in ancient numerical systems like ancient Babylonian and Egyptian hieroglyphs . Put the number into an equation or word problem that totals the daily number. Modify for upper elementary with these additional prompts.  Today’s number is divisible by _. Is the number prime or composite? Odd or even? What’s the next prime number? Multiply today’s number by / subtract today’s number from. 2. Which one doesn’t belong? Which One Doesn’t Belong, or WODB, originates in Christopher Danielson’s award-winning book Which One Doesn’t Belong? The activity encourages students to expand mathematical thinking, improve communication skills, and expand critical thinking and reasoning. There’s a catch though–there’s no right answer! According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction , this approach encourages students to “reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, {and} attend to precision.” There are a few ways to facilitate this exercise in class. It can activate prior knowledge, check for understanding, and be incorporated into group work. Check out these 10 Examples of Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies for ideas! The basic rules Present students with a set of numbers, images, shapes, data sets, equations, or graphs. A common method is presenting four images on a 2×2 grid. Ask students to identify what doesn’t belong and explain their reasoning. This routine has no right answer–the goal is for students to communicate and defend their reasoning. Students can work in pairs or small groups to share their reasoning. They can present their theory as a group, or join in a class discussion. Customizing the approach: Explore Mary Bourassa’s collection of WODB puzzles. New games are continuously uploaded by people from around the world. The games are categorized in shapes, numbers, and graphs and equations.  None of the puzzles have answers, because many have more than one. This collection can help you cater the warm-up to what students are currently studying. For more on the WODB method, check out this article by Juliana Tapper, M.E.d. 3. Geometry with Simon Says  This familiar game is ideal for kinesthetic and interpersonal learners, as well as energetic students. It’s a fun way to help students sharpen their decision making and communicative skills. Designate a student as Simon, or be Simon yourself to demonstrate how to play the game. Simon will stand up and face the rest of the players. Simon’s commands will ask students to create angles and shapes by moving their arms. For example, “Simon says make a parallel line” or “Simon says make a ninety degree angle”. Simon can speed up the commands to increase difficulty and promote on-the-spot-decision-making. Alternatively, players can have a certain number of strikes before elimination. Try a charades-style spin by having Simon display or show the shape and asking students to correctly identify it. Supporting neurodiverse learners: Simon Says tests executive function and auditory processing, so neurodiverse students may benefit from some adaptations. The game has been used as an evaluation measure for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and learners with ADHD may struggle with following the sequences. Students with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) may need more guided instruction and support due to its unpredictable nature.  Make sure students have clear expectations of the game: what it’ll be like, what the objectives are, how long it will be, and why the game will be played. Let students ask additional questions beforehand. Have Simon select from a list of actions, or give students a list of choices for Simon’s actions. Additionally, the class can brainstorm choices and actions beforehand. Reduce or remove the penalties for doing the action wrong. This can alleviate anxiety and pressure. Practice the actions beforehand by demonstrating them to the class or having students try them out.  Classroom games like Simon Says can be accessible for all students with the right adjustments. For more inspiration, check out these adaptations.   Math warm ups for middle school Middle school gives students a foundation for advanced math in higher grades. The following warm-ups are designed to hone students’ computational skills and inspire confidence.  4. Visual patterns Sharpen your student’s algebraic thinking and pattern recognition with Fawn Nyguyen’s collection of Visual Patterns . Students must determine each pattern’s 43rd iteration. Aside from being engaging, puzzle-solving fun, children with “strong pattern understanding are found also to have strong executive function skills, including cognitive flexibility (the ability to switch focus), and working memory,” says Dr Vicki Hargaves . For example, how many stormtroopers would be present in Pattern 208’s 43rd iteration? The answer is 88 stormtroopers! Some patterns are more advanced than others, so make sure to evaluate the right ones for your students. These can be great for high school students as well! 5. Card games There’s so many ways to explore math with a simple deck of playing cards. There’s endless variations to try! These warm-ups can relax students with math anxiety and introduce a more positive spin on math. Supplies needed: A deck of playing cards. Pencils or pens. Fraction war This spin on the classic game War will help students practice division. Shuffle and deal the cards. A student can do this, or the teacher. Each student will take 2 cards for their pile at the same time and turn them over. One card goes above a pencil and the other below to form a fraction. The player with the largest fraction wins the round and collects all four cards.  The game ends once all of the cards are played. The winner has the most cards at the end.  Tips : If two fractions have the same common denominator, the fraction with the largest numerator wins. If they have the same common numerator, the fraction with the smaller denominator wins. This game may look simple, but it utilizes multiple arithmetic skills: addition, division, subtraction, and multiplication.  Place all of the cards face down on a table in multiple rows. Each player will spend their turn flipping over three cards. They have to make an equation out of these three numbers by using any type of arithmetic. If they can make an equation, they keep the cards. If they can’t, they turn them back over. The winner with the most cards by the time only seven cards remain is the winner. In this variation, students take turns flipping over two cards. The player finds the total of both cards. If the total is a prime number, they can keep the cards. If not, they flip the cards back down. The game ends when no cards remain or the few remaining can’t make a prime number. The player with the most cards wins. 6. Hit the target This zero-prep warm-up is a quick and easy way to help students get ready for mathematical thinking.  How it works Pick a number and present it to the class. This will be your “target number.” Set a timer for a short period of time, such as three to five minutes, and ask students to come up with equations that total the target number. They can use any kind of arithmetic.  Raising the target for upper elementary There’s several ways to modify this warm-up for more advanced students.  Increase the target number to multiple digits or make it a fraction or decimal value instead. Each equation has to include two or more operations. Students must include exponents in their equations. Require equations to have a certain number of terms. Don’t forget to adjust the timer! Math warm ups for high school Math courses in high school have been correlated with college success. In addition, better math education can give both high school graduates and drop-outs better outcomes in the labor market.   These warm-ups are designed to encourage abstract mathematical thinking, and maybe even inspire students to pursue math after graduation. 7. Famous women in mathematicians  According to the AAUW, “women make up only 34% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)”. Many young girls lack relatable role models in math and science.  As students consider their future after high school graduation, introduce them to the amazing stories and discoveries of female mathematicians.  Introduce students to trailblazers in mathematics such as: Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician that focused on geometry, dynamical systems, and topology. She became the first woman to win the Fields Medal in 2014. Karen Uhlenbeck is the first woman to receive the Abel Prize in 2019 for achievements in mathematics. She’s impacted new mathematical models that explain the forces in our universe.  Ingrid Daubechies is a physicist and mathematician who pioneered the image-compression technology we use to watch tv and play games today, and she’s one of the world’s most cited mathematicians.  Katherine Johnson was one of the first African-American women to work for NASA, and her orbital mechanics and trajectories launched modern space exploration. She’s received several awards and honors, and NASA built the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility in honor of her legacy. For more inspiration, check out: Historical women in math here . The Mathematician Project’s growing database of mathematicians of color. This list of LGBTQ+ mathematicians currently contributing to the field.  8. Word problem warm-ups Many students struggle with word problems, and I was one of them. This can put high schoolers at a serious disadvantage in standardized testing such as the SATs.  In general, between 30 percent and 50 percent of standardized-test items in math feature these kinds of story problems. Sarah Powell on Education Week Change the way students confront word problems in these warm-ups: Flip the prompt The solution is _ meters. What’s the question? The solution is _ minutes. What’s the question? The solution is _ dollars. What’s the question? The original problem: Ronald and Elisa each had $100. Ronald spent $55 on clothes and Elisa spent $42 on books. How much more did Ronald spend than Elisa?  The new problem: Ronald and Elisa each had $100. Ronald spent $55 on clothes and Elisa spent $42 on books. What’s the question? Numberless problems “The conversation is the goal” of number problems according to Brain Bushart . Numberless problems are a type of scaffolding that helps students face problems conceptually.  Any word problem can be made numberless, such as this prompt from Bushart’s bank . The florist has 24 roses. She is going to use 6 of the roses in each bouquet she makes. How many bouquets can she make using all of the roses? The florist has some roses. She is going to use some of the roses in each bouquet she makes. Ask students to explain what they think the story is. What numbers do they think are reasonable or unreasonable for this story/question? Why? A 2021 study found that improving math-specific vocabulary helps students with word problems.  9. Activate prior knowledge  Before students tackle a new topic, give them time to work out what they already know and how they can apply that knowledge. This gives students a chance to consider new strategies and prepare to learn something new. Think, Pair, Share Convince your partner that you’ll have enough money to buy a car in six weeks if you deposit $3 and double your account balance every day. Afterwards, they’ll pair up with a partner to reflect on what ideas they had in common. The pair will choose one major idea or answer and can share it in a class discussion afterwards. You can modify this warm-up by setting time limits on the paired discussions, having students write out their ideas or present answers on the board, or by mixing up partners. Resources for math warm ups Still looking for more warm-ups and inspiration? Check out our video resource collections! For Elementary: Create-to-Learn: Moved by Math For Middle School: BBC Bitesize: Maths For High School:  Maths Essentials For High School and Beyond: Consumer and Workplace Math  General sources and additional resources September 19, J.S. on, Svg, 2019 16 Card Games That Will Turn Your Students Into Math Aces. [online] WeAreTeachers. Available at: https://www.weareteachers.com/math-card-games/ . Bethany (2020). Simple Daily Math Warm-Ups to Build Number Sense . [online] Math Geek Mama. Available at: https://mathgeekmama.com/daily-math-warm-ups/ [Accessed 15 Mar. 2024]. Williams, D.E. (1984). Warm-Ups—Keys to Effective Mathematics Lessons . The Arithmetic Teacher, [online] 32(1), pp.40–43. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/41193949 . Danielson, C. (2019). Which one doesn’t belong? : playing with shapes . Watertown, Ma: Charlesbridge. Yeager, D. and Yeager, M. (2016). Simon Says Pay Attention: Help for Children with ADHD . Amanda Joachim Education & Research Consultant Amanda Joachim is an educational media consultant, researcher, and writer. Her interdisciplinary and creative approach is inspired by her own experiences learning and working in the Philadelphia school district. Other posts Try ClickView FREE today Teach Starter, part of Tes Teach Starter, part of Tes Search  everything  in all resources Maths Warm-ups Teaching Resources An extensive collection of maths warm-ups to use when teaching a range of mathematical concepts. These maths warm-ups give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computation strategies. Engaging maths warm-ups can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. The maths warm-ups in this collection include puzzles, task cards, games, sorting activities and many more. Teaching Resource 180 Resource Pack 1 Operations  70 Place Value  48 Addition  42 Division  26 Numbers  24 Subtraction  24 Multiplication  23 Counting  15 Units of Measurement  14 Fractions, Decimals and Percentages  12 Patterns and Algebra  12 Health/P.E.  10 3D Objects  9 2D Shapes  8 Numeracy  7 Volume and Capacity  6 Area and Perimeter  4 Fractions, Decimals and Percentages  4 Operations  4 Place Value  4 Graphs and Data  4 Patterns and Algebra  3 Units of Measurement  3 Graphs and Data  3 Number Lines  3 Problem Solving  3 Spelling  2 Positioning & Location  2 Adjectives  2 Physical Education  2 Temperature  2 Parts of Speech  2 Number Displays  1 Personal, Social & Community Health  1 Synonyms  1 3D Objects  1 Counting  1 Vocabulary  1 Problem Solving  1 Sight Words  1 2D Shapes  1 Punctuation  1 Foundation Stage 28 Key Stage 1 113 Lower Key Stage 2 108 Upper Key Stage 2 54 Key Stage 3 15 resource types Dominoes 30 Board Games 24 Teaching Presentations 16 Match-Up Games 14 Active Games 11 Worksheets 9 Card Games 5 Task Cards 3 Flashcards 1 Colouring Pages 1 Templates 1 Hands-On Materials 1 availability Premium 181 file formats Printable PDF 161 Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) 17 Adobe Reader (.pdf) 7 Microsoft Word (.docx) 7 Google Slides 1 Teach Starter Publishing 183 Maths Warm Ups Interactive PowerPoint - Year 1 A PowerPoint providing a series of warm up activities for Year 1 students across the curriculum. Fact Family Icosahedron (3, 6, 9 Multiplication and Division Facts) A hands-on game to play when learning about multiplication and division fact families. Fact Family Icosahedron (2, 5, 10 Multiplication and Division Facts) Pizza Fraction Bingo - 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/5 32 different bingo cards using 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 and 1/5 fractions. Roll It Operations Game Use this fun game to consolidate your students' knowledge of operations. Multiplication and Division Minute Maths Booklet A maths mentals booklet with ten pages of multiplication and division questions. Maths Warm Ups PowerPoint - Year 5 A PowerPoint providing a series of warm up activities for Year 5 students across the curriculum. Maths Warm-Ups Interactive PowerPoint – Year 3 A PowerPoint providing a series of warm up activities for Year 3 students across the Mathematics curriculum. Jump Strategy Addition Game A fun and challenging game to use when learning how to use the jump strategy to solve addition problems. Place Value Bingo Game - Numbers 0-1000 32 different bingo cards using place value to 1000. Fact Family Icosahedron (4, 7, 12 Multiplication and Division Facts) Money Dominoes - British Pounds Forty cards for dominoes using British Pounds. Moving Mathematics Activity - Fact Family Triangles A fun mathematics activity that explores the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction. Maths Warm Ups PowerPoint - Year 6 Maths Warm-Ups Interactive PowerPoint – Year 4 A PowerPoint providing a series of warm up activities for Year 4 students across the Mathematics curriculum. 2D Shape Bingo 30 different bingo cards using 2D shape pictures and names. Hail, Hail the Zero-Tail Game A fun and challenging maths game to reinforce rainbow number facts when solving addition problems involving two-digit numbers. Multiplication Bingo - 0-12 Times Tables 32 different bingo cards using multiplication from 0-12. Fraction, Decimal and Percentage Bingo 32 different bingo cards using fractions, decimals and percentages. I Have, Who Has? Game - Place Value (4-Digit Numbers) A whole-class game to consolidate students' understanding of place value. Chance Lower Years PowerPoint An engaging 22 slide interactive PowerPoint to use in the classroom when learning about chance in the lower years. Numbers, Words and Tallies Match-Up Activity - Tens A game to help your students understand numbers and all of the different ways they can be represented. Maths Warm Ups Interactive PowerPoint - Year 2 A PowerPoint providing a series of warm up activities for Year 2 students across the curriculum. Metric Measurement Conversions Dominoes A set of measurement dominoes to use in the classroom when converting metric measurements. Maths Warm-ups for Foundation Stage Maths Warm-ups for Key Stage 1 Maths Warm-ups for Key Stage 2 - Lower Maths Warm-ups for Key Stage 2 - Upper Maths Warm-ups for Key Stage 3 424 IMAGES Daily Warm-Ups: Problem Solving Math Grade 3 Need some math warm ups or entry tasks for the next two weeks? Teach Daily Warm Ups: Problem-Solving Math Grade 3 Problem Solving Warm-ups 1. Find a 9 5 Effective Strategies for Improving Your Math Warm Up Activities Back-to-School Math Warm-Ups: Problem-Solving / Missing Addends VIDEO A Collection of Maths Problem Solving Questions:#269 (Trigonometry A Collection of Maths Problem Solving Questions:#337 (Indices PLYOMETRIC Warmup 🩵 really just a dynamic warmup with hops added to it. #plyometrics #warmup A Collection of Maths Problem Solving Questions:#359 (Sequences) A Collection of Maths Problem Solving Questions#413 (Trigonometry) ഇതൊക്കെ അറിഞ്ഞിരുന്നാൽ നല്ലത്#maths problem solving #keralapsc #pscnotes #psc maths COMMENTS 20+ Maths Warm-Up Ideas for Your Classroom The answer is 345. Use these numbers to work out a number of questions — 10, 3, 4, 5, 2, 1, 100. Balance an even group of numbers using addition. Use addition to balance these numbers so both sides are equal — 56, 38, 22, 16, 6, 40, 24, 27, 19, 32. Make a number using different methods and provided numbers. Make 126. 10 Fun Math Warm-Up Activities Math Puzzles. Math picture puzzles are great math warm-up activities that help build algebraic thinking, problem-solving, creative thinking, flexibility with numbers, and concentration. You can find math equation puzzles like the one shown below HERE! Math puzzles can be done as a whole class by projecting the puzzle on a screen, or they can be ... 6 Simple & Fun Math Warm-Up Activities Warm-up activities build mathematical reasoning, communication, problem-solving, and further understanding. They also allow students to review and practice math skills. Start your math lessons with a short 10-minute or so warm-up activity that reinforces a math skill and engages your students in a meaningful way. Using Math Warmup Activities (Free Starter Pack) Math Warm-Up Activity #2: Two Truths and a Lie In this activity, students will select which statement about a number is false from a list of three statements and defend their thinking. This activity is a great activity for a math warm-up, and an added bonus is that it also gives students some beneficial practice with problem-solving and test ... 20+ Quick Math Warm-Up Ideas for Elementary Math Teachers The answer is 345. Use these numbers to work out a number of questions — 10, 3, 4, 5, 2, 1, 100. Balance an even group of numbers using addition. Use addition to balance these numbers so both sides are equal — 56, 38, 22, 16, 6, 40, 24, 27, 19, 32. Make a number using different methods and provided numbers. Make 126. 23 Maths Warm-up Ideas for the Classroom 7. Math Bingo: Create bingo cards with numbers or math problems. Call out numbers or math equations, and students can mark them off on their bingo cards. 8. Math Scavenger Hunt: Write or print out math problems and hide them around the classroom. Students must find the problems and solve them. 9. 10 Quick Math Warm-Up Activities 7. Roll the dice. Getting students hands-on when it's time for math classroom games is always a winning strategy, and it can also work as a warm-up idea when you're looking for some quick math. For a fun and easy way to get a little addition into the warm-up, hand out sets of dice to each student. 8 Ways to Use Math Warm-Ups: A Collection of Ideas & Resources Once you decide to incorporate a warm-up or bell-ringer into your daily routine, decide what format would be best for your class. Here are 8 totally different ways that you can kick off your math period. Try a combination of a few of these ideas to get a well-rounded, but consistent warm-up routine. 1. Number of the Day / Function of the Day. 23 Maths Warm-Up Ideas for Your Classroom Use numbers to get an answer. The answer is 345. Use these numbers to work out a number of questions - 10, 3, 4, 5, 2, 1, 100. Balance an even group of numbers using addition. Use addition to balance these numbers so both sides are equal - 56, 38, 24, 32, 18, 19, 40, 6, 16, 22. Make a number using different methods and provided numbers ... Fun and Engaging Math Warm-Ups for Your Math Block Depending on how much time you have in your math block, 5 - 7 minutes short. When used as a daily routine, math warm-ups help build a positive classroom culture where kids are eager to participate. In addition, they also provide opportunities for students to practice and review previously taught skills. There are a wide variety of engaging ... 5 Effective Strategies for Improving Your Math Warm Up Activities GET YOURS NOW. 4.) Think-Notice-Wonder (Writing Prompt) Writing about math encourages creativity, exploration, and communicating one's thoughts and feelings, which leads to deep and meaningful understanding of difficult math concepts. Think/Notice/Wonder is a great strategy for getting your kids engaged in math writing every day. Using Math Warm-Ups: Best Practices Ways to use math warm-ups. 1. Project, solve discuss. One of the easiest ways to quickly (read "low prep"!) ways to incorporate math warm-ups is to simply project a problem/task onto a screen, let students solve it, and then discuss. This can be done in tons of different ways. Simple Daily Math Warm-Ups to Build Number Sense Ok, let's dig in! Below you will find 7 daily math warm up ideas, as well as why I think they are beneficial for students ( i.e. not busywork or time wasters!) 1. Daily Number Talks. I talk about number talks quite often, because I think this is a wonderful way to start your math time. 8 Fun Math Warm-Ups Activities For Middle Schoolers Let's see how many animals you can name with this unique math warm-up activity!". Choose a number between 1 and 10. Multiply your number by 9 and add the digits of the result together. Subtract 5 from the result and find the letter in the alphabet that corresponds to the number you ended up with (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.). 5 Math Warm-Ups for a Powerful, Rigorous Math Lesson I use these math warm ups for 2nd grade, but they could easily be math warm ups for 5th grade, or even high school! Which One Doesn't Belong Math Warm-Ups. Math warm up problems like this type are excellent as there are many right answers. This math warm up allows for many students to share answers and to learn from each other. I first ... Math Warm-ups Teaching Resources Math warm-ups are short, low-stakes activities that students do at the beginning of a math class to review and reinforce key concepts, skills and problem-solving strategies. Engaging math warm-ups can also encourage students to explore number combinations, place value, patterns, and other important mathematical concepts. 8 warm-up maths challenges to use in the classroom 8 warm-up maths challenges to use in the classroom. Looking for an opportunity to practise problem-solving strategies with your students? Use some of these fun warm-up challenges in your classroom and see how your students fare! Lower Years Challenge 1. Gabby is making snack boxes for a picnic. She has yoghurt cups, apples and biscuits. Easy and Fun Math Warm-Ups to Improve Number Sense MENTAL MATH EXERCISES. First up, mental math! Start the day off with quick mental math exercises to get those brains working. These can be simple arithmetic problems or more complex word problems that require students to use problem-solving and critical thinking skills. My students love working on Extended Facts. Classroom Maths Ideas & Activities For You Maths at Home Packs; Problem Solving Strategies; Videos; ... Warm-up Activities Booklet "Numeracy for Year 5 - 8 Teachers" ... Date Maths. Using only the numbers in that day's date (eg. 16/02/12) the students (in pairs or as a class) must make a number sentence for all the numbers 1 to 20. Free Math Warm-Ups: Boost Students' Word Problem Skills When you sign up for my e-mail list, you'll receive a FREE sample of daily word problem warm-ups that includes: 12 days of addition and subtraction math warm-ups (1 sample word problem from each month), a student tracking sheet for progress monitoring, and an answer key for all 12 word problems. This is the perfect way to get started with ... Maths Warm-up Ideas for the Classroom (Easy to Set Up) The basic concept is that students get handed the full set and the begin with the pop stick that has 'start' and then find the matching answers to the maths questions until all pop sticks are in order. Put a rubber band around each set in a basket and students can randomly pick a set for a quick maths warm-up idea. 9 Simple & Fun Math Warm Ups For Students Word problem warm-ups; Activate prior knowledge; Math warm ups for elementary. For many students, their success-or struggles-in math begin in elementary school. Math or number anxiety was coined in the 1950s, and up to 93% of Americans experience it. 33 Math Puzzles (with Answers) to Test Your Smarts Picture math puzzles Do the math. BrainSnack. Enter numbers in each row and column to arrive at the end totals. Only numbers 1 through 9 are used, and each only once. Answer: BrainSnack. Tricky ... Maths Warm-ups Teaching Resources An extensive collection of maths warm-ups to use when teaching a range of mathematical concepts. These maths warm-ups give students opportunities to explore fundamental number concepts, such as the counting sequence, one-to-one correspondence, and computation strategies. Engaging maths warm-ups can also encourage students to explore number ... essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis