Math Fun: Puzzles and Games
updated February 10, 2018
Recorded here is my own personal collection of articles, resources, favorite links, teaching ideas, and lesson plans. It encompasses many years, from the very beginning of my experience studying and learning about Waldorf to the present time. People from all around the world visit my site and recommend it to others. Welcome!
This site records my journey. I hope my honesty is encouraging and helps break down some barriers that may prevent people from trying Waldorf methods. Because this is an ongoing site documenting my curriculum planning and ideas, some materials are more Waldorf-y than others. Please feel free to take what you like and leave the rest.
Math Fun: Puzzles and Games
for Class 2
Mission Statement - Consulting Services - Lending Library
I prefer
to have three MLBs for each subject and so I
created "Math Fun: Puzzles and Games," in addition to the traditional second grade "Column Algorithms" and "Shapes & Number Patterns."
Without exception, I would recommend Jamie York's excellent book of
math puzzles and games for grades 4 - 12. However, even as early as grades 2 and 3, I know students want a fresh challenge.

Here are my notes:
Introductory Games
Spatial Puzzles
Turn the Fish
requires 8 wooden matches;
draw the original diagram on the board so that students can return to the beginning when trying again, or after solving it
The Farmer and His Ducks
I think this one is easiest if you draw it but you could also have gems handy
Coin Triangle (here is the solution)
I set up two of these on rimmed wooden trays so that multiple people could work on the
puzzle at the same time, and I drew the starting arrangement on the board so that they
could return the coins to the beginning configuration after solving it
Trees in Rows (here is the solution)
have a box of gems handy and a piece of plain white paper for each child to set the gems on to reduce visual clutter; if people
are still working on the Coin Triangle puzzle, you can have them re-use the wooden tray and 10 nickels to solve Trees in Rows
Logic & Computation Puzzles
Ghostie Numbers
Magic Triangle 1 - Magic Sum 9
scaffold this by giving struggling students the position of two of the numbers; this site also includes
other
magic triangle puzzles (with sums of 10, 11, 12, and 17)
Farmer Brown and Farmer Green
have a box of gems handy; scaffold this by letting struggling children know that both numbers are less than ten
Roman Numerals
Board Games
More Fun - Math Facts Practice
My blog posts from teaching this topic:
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