What are your thoughts on Valentine’s Day math activities for middle school students? I used to be like the Grinch but for all holidays. I’m not sure if it is just the pressure to teach all of the curriculum or lack of ideas but what I’ve come to realize is that middle school students do want to celebrate holidays. They actually want some cheesy Valentine’s Day math activities because they are fun!
Here are 6 ways you can incorporate Valentine’s Day into your math classroom:
1. Decorate your classroom
First of all, just changing your classroom environment a tiny bit can up the engagement level in your classroom. Grab some red and pink table cloths and cover some tables. Cut out some hearts and stick them on the walls.
2. Use candy as math manipulatives for instant Valentine's Day math activities
Use candy in your Valentine’s Day math activities. You can even do your regular lesson but just add the candy! Conversation hearts are amazing for this.
- Use them as algebra tiles (the side without the words is negative)
- Grab a handful of them and have students figure out the part-to-part or part-to-whole ratios for the different colours
- Do a quick graphing activity with them.
Just make sure you let your students know that you will have a treat for them afterwards – they don’t need to eat the math manipulatives. As always, check for allergies and other dietary restrictions. Conversation hearts have gelatin in them so have alternative treats for those who need it!
3. Try a pattern block challenge
Give your students a variety of pattern blocks. How many different kinds of hearts can they make from the pattern blocks? What is the least number of blocks you can use to make a heart? They could even come up with their own challenge!
4. Go on a heart treasure hunt
Do you have any task cards lying around? Stick them onto some paper hearts and hide them around the classroom. Have your students go on a treasure hunt and work in groups to solve the problems on the hearts.
5. Play musical hearts
I don’t know about you, but sometimes around the holidays my students just need to move. Get some math questions and put them onto some large hearts. You can find foam hearts at Michael’s or the dollar store.
Split your students up into six teams and have one person from each team move around the circle to some music. When the music stops, each person grabs a heart and takes it back to their team where the whole team solves the problem on the heart. Send the next student from each team up and do it again!
6. Do a Valentine's Day worksheet
There are tons of Valentine’s Day worksheets out there. You can even take one of your own worksheets, draw a heart on it and call it a Valentine’s Day activities. Or you can try this Valentine’s Day color by number I’ve put together. Middle schoolers love to colour!
Bonus Idea: try a Kindness Challenge!
I’m Lauren, from “From Math to Music” – your go-to person for all things Math and Classroom Community.
Being a middle-school teacher and a mom of 3, I know how hard it is for busy teachers to create resources that allow for deep thinking and build classroom community. That's why I love sharing tips and tricks that you can you use in your middle school classroom right this minute.
