Make Summer Count: Fun Ways to Build Your Child’s Math Skills

Summer tends to sneak up on us, but with a little intentional planning, it can be the perfect time to revisit and reinforce concepts your child may have missed—or only skimmed—during the school year. With so many content standards to cover, it’s common for some material to be taught quickly and not fully explored.

In math, many concepts are taught procedurally. Kids learn the steps: line up the digits, subtract from right to left, regroup when needed, and continue until they reach an answer. And yes, learning the procedure can often lead to the correct result—even if there’s little real understanding behind it.

But knowing how to follow steps isn’t the same as developing number sense—an intuitive feel for numbers and how they work. And that deeper understanding is what truly supports long-term success in math.

The good news? You don’t need a stack of worksheets or a private tutor to help your child strengthen these skills. Summer offers countless opportunities to build number sense in fun, meaningful ways using everyday materials.

Below are some simple, creative ideas to bring math to life this summer—and maybe even spark a love for it along the way! 

For all Grades

Read Books about Mathematicians or Math Topics

• Check out the library or do an online search for books related to math or art that requires math. 
• Books for 3-6th graders: Bedtime Math, Grapes of Math, The Greedy Triangle, The Math Curse, Sir Cumference Series, A Girl with a Mind for Math, The Boy Who Loved Math
• For K-2 books: Elevator Magic, Quack and Count, Balancing Act, Pattern Breakers, The Math in Me, Math in The City

For Grades K–2

1. Math Scavenger Hunt

• How to Play: Ask kids to find objects that match math clues, like “Find 3 round objects,” “Find something longer than your foot,” or “Find 4 items that are the same shape.

2. Number Hopscotch

• How to Play: Draw a hopscotch board, but instead of numbers in order, mix them up and ask them to hop on even numbers, or add the numbers as they hop.

3. Math & Food

• Find ways to see the math in food. Ask questions such as: “If you eat 2 grapes from your pile of 10, how many are left?” or “Group your crackers into 2s. How many groups?”

4. Pattern and Shape Walk

• Go on a walk and look for patterns in nature or around the house (brick patterns, fence rails, tile patterns, flower petals).
• Go on a walk and search for street signs. Notice the different shapes and colors of the signs. Ask questions such as, “How many sides are on the sign?” or “Can you see other shapes that make up this sign?”

For Grades 3–5

1. Math Chefs & Bakers

• Get kids involved in cooking or baking—doubling or halving recipes, measuring ingredients, estimating, and timing.
• Have kids plan, shop, and make a meal once a week for the family. 

2. Daily Math Challenge Jar

• Fill a jar with questions like:
  • “What’s 25% of 100?”
  • “Find 3 ways to make 50 using addition and multiplication.”
  • “Estimate how many cups of water would fill a milk jug.”
• Have your child create some of these questions to add to the jar.

3. Explore Math in Sports

• Track basketball shots, baseball stats, or running times. Calculate averages, ratios, or percentages.

4. Budgeting with Allowance

Give a “weekly budget” to manage pretend or real money. Let them plan spending and saving with goals. This could be connected to them planning a family meal or outing.