Who Cares if it's Summer, or Math Games are Fun.

We did a little school Monday morning. This morning's math review is a multiplication game, and is the exact opposite of slick, professional design.  I looked for something online, but couldn't find a game like this.  This homemade game has the following features:

• Hand drawn with a Sharpie;
• Straight-ish lines made without a ruler (couldn't find one);
• Game tiles are ceramic mosaic tiles bought at Michael's;
• Game board is unlaminated construction paper; and 
• Taped to the back of a Scrabble board.

This game was primarily for Stuart, who I hope will not forget his multiplication facts over the summer.  Large multiplication table, drawn (in Sharpie!) on construction paper.  Answers written (also in Sharpie) on tiles.  Here's a bag of answers.  Find their place on the table!

Here's the end of the game.  I forgot to get a picture at the beginning, sorry.


I realized that I could include Marcus by having him take the tiles out of the bag and read out the number on each tile.  For Marcus to be able to control a game is heaven.  At least for him.






I did not anticipate the giggling.







This is such a flexible game that you could play any way you like.  I just let Marcus draw random tiles out of the bag.  After a while, he was seeking and pulling out small numbers so that Stuart could fill in the first row quickly.  You could set out just a few tiles for your student to put on the board, to concentrate on specific facts.  Like The Trickster!  (7x9=63.  Stuart gave it that name.)  I suppose I could line up the tiles in order, then have Stuart call for certain numbers (and have Marcus find them in the lineup).  So many different ways to do this.

As Stuart got near the end, Marcus was handing over the tiles too fast.  Stuart lined them up in numerical order at the bottom of the board.

I love it when my boys get along.  Especially when they're doing what I want them to do.

             

I would make this next picture the new blog banner if there wasn't stuff piled on the table behind the kids' heads.  See, Grandma, your package really did arrive!  And we have lots of books!

  

After a while, I had to give Marcus something else to do, so he started "writing a poem" on the chalkboard.

   

And...ta da!  Completed game!  (Yes, this is the exact same picture as the first picture.)



Fun was had by all.  I think they enjoyed this game more because we created it together, using simple supplies we had on hand.  I did buy the tiles for the game, but they're not what you'd expect for a game of this sort--just the best option I could find while walking around like a zombie in Michael's one evening. 

Definitely more fun than Stuart's nemesis--copywork.

Picture dump from the last two weeks.

We have been busy, and we have been with friends.  That makes posting pictures on the blog more difficult, as not everyone wants their kids' pictures all over the Internet.  So here's the best I can do with cropping non-family-members out of pictures.

Crown Point:

 

Running down the ramp at Crown Point, as all good boys should do.


 

Stuart's happy that he and his friends discovered a mud hole.

 

How happy?  Pretty happy.

 

Marcus was happy until he got mud all over his face.

 

Marcus making a sign during school...

 

...Stuart doing his math...
 

...Marcus and his responsibility chart...

 

...and with his "magnet guy", the best toy ever during school time.

 

Everyone was mugging for the camera on this homeschool field trip, but I'm only sharing my own kids' crazy faces.

 

Rubber ducky race.  After I took the picture I did move the duck so that the water would hit it.

 

Stuart dancing in his seat during a talk on bees.
 

Marcus geeking out over his yellow hands during a color class.


Stuart building a castle/volcano with friends, friends removed from picture.

 

Stuart trying to juggle.  We were camping with friends at a house in the country.

 

Climbing just outside the Mosier Twin Tunnels.

 

Sitting and looking cute, also outside Mosier Twin Tunnels.

 

Showing off new homeschool group shirts that they were allowed to print for themselves.  We have some really great and generous families in our homeschool group.

 

Because I love taking pictures of Stuart in midair.

 

Marcus just relaxing and enjoying the day.



We have had many, many good days lately.

Better Living Through Signage

This post is random pictures since the last post.  But...most of them involve the activities of one certain four-year-old.  The one who is really into making signs these days.

This is my bedroom door.  The pink sign on top says MAD, which stands for "Mommy and Daddy".  The sign below?  Marcus says, "This sign is for Daddy.  It commands Daddy to put Mommy into the bed."  I should mention that he really relishes using the word "commands".



This is Awesome Husband Doing a Task from the Honey-Do List.  He is removing old caulk around the kitchen sink and backsplash.  He even put in new caulk, and I hear by tomorrow morning I can have my sink back.  I managed to make dinner tonight without using my sink.  That was interesting.



Another appearance by Preschool Signs R Us.  One day we crossed paths in the house and he said, "I'm going to make a sign that says, 'I'm starving'."  It was nearly lunchtime.  He taped it to the refrigerator.  The smiley face on the fridge is also a Marcus Original.



This foam angel magnet is one Stuart made for Sunday School.  This boy loves crafts so much, we should probably do more of them at home.
  


I think I was following Marcus around and taking pictures while he pointed out signs.  I stopped and took a picture of Stuart reading his Highlights magazine.



Meanwhile, Marcus has retreated to his desk (which I have never before seen so clean) to make a sign with a big G.  He said it was for me, in case I forgot what a 'G' looks like.  So thoughtful.



Yes, the picture quality is horrible.  This is Stuart's first lesson in Gamma, the next level up in his math program (Math-u-See).  He was really excited to be starting the next level, so we dragged the desk into the living room to make it look/feel more official.  Poor Steve is not looking so great, between the light fixture glare and the flash glare.



Marcus continues to teach me!  This time, he puts a sign by my chair that says "BY GOOD".  He reads the sign as "Be good".



There are now two signs around my bed.  The one in pencil that you can't read, on the left, says, "PLYS SLEP IN".  It means, "Please sleep in."  The other one, "SLeP IN CAT", is in case Spike (our cat) forgets how to sleep.  And suddenly learns how to read, I guess.

There have been other signs, too, like "HUG YOUR SUNS" and "HUG ME TO".  There are two "I LOVE DADDY" signs on the front door right now.  (Also a more elaborate sign by Stuart.)  We have a laundry hamper that is labeled "Socks & underwear & towels".  He tried to add "AND LOTS MORE SOCKS" with a red marker, but he wasn't happy with the results.  When I discovered it, there was "SOC" and a big red patch on the hamper.  Oh, and a stick figure drawing on the carpet.  I am so glad the kids have washable markers.