Halloween Math Centers

Pumpkin NimDirections: Players take turns placing one pattern

block piece at a time until the pumpkin is covered.

The person who fills in the last hexagon wins!

Play again and change the rules so that the loser is the one who covers the last hexagon.

Pumpkin Nim Materials

Pattern blocks Pumpkin Nim pattern

Creepy Crawly EstimationDirections: Select one student to be the “Counter” and one student

to be the “Estimator.” The “Counter” should count a number of critters and

place them in the bag. Do not tell the “Estimator” the secret number.

The “Estimator” should estimate how many critters are in the bag. (Be sure to have some critters available to use as a reference.) They may feel and shake the bag, but they may not open it. Have the “Estimator” talk about the reasons for their guess.

The “Estimator” should then empty the bag of critters and count them. How close was the estimate?

Switch roles and repeat the activity.

Creepy Crawly Materials

Paper bags Black & orange unifix cubes, critters, frogs,

etc. to estimate

Spooky Data CollectionDirections: Select a bag of Halloween objects. Sort and count the objects in the bag. Create a representation to display the data

(chart, table, pictograph, bar graph, etc). Extension: Create several questions about

your data display.

Spooky Data Collection Materials

Paper bags Halloween Objects Snapping cubes, color cubes, etc. Paper/recording sheet Markers, crayons, or colored pencils

Mysterious Counting BagsDirections: Select a bag of Halloween objects. Empty the bag and count the objects. Record your results. Extension: Create your own mystery bag

and exchange with a partner.

Mysterious Counting Bags Materials

Paper bags Halloween Objects Snapping cubes, color cubes, etc. Paper/recording sheet

Sweet Pictographs

Sara returned from trick-or-treating with lots of candy. Help Sara sort her candy. Create a pictograph to display your results.

Sweet Pictograph Materials

Bucket of candy Paper/recording sheet

Creepy CountingDirections: Place a handful of pumpkin ghost counters in a cup. Shake the counters in the cup and spill them on the

table. Look at the counters.

– Are there more ghosts?– Are there more pumpkins?– Are the amounts equal?

Record your results. Write a greater than or less than equation for each time you spill the counters.

Repeat the activity at least more 5 times.

Creepy Counting Materials

Lima beans—one side painted orange with 2 triangles for eyes and a zig zag mouth (Jack-o-Lantern face) and one side with 2 black eyes (Ghost)

Cups Recording sheet/paper

Haunting EquationsDirections: Place a handful of pumpkin ghost counters in a cup. Shake the counters in the cup and spill them on the

table. Create an addition or subtraction equation to show

how many altogether or how many more. Record your equations. Extension: Create a word problem for each equation.

+ = 6

Haunting Equations Materials

Lima beans—one side painted orange (Jack-o-Lantern face) and one side with 2 black eyes (Ghost)

Cups Recording sheet/paper

Frightening Patterns

Using the assortment of spooky objects, create a variety of different patterns. Record your patterns on the paper provided.ABABABCABCAABBABBAABABBABBB

Frightening Patterns Materials

Halloween stamps Halloween objects such as bugs, bats,

spiders, leaves, etc. Sentence strips/recording sheet

Spooky Sorting Sort the Halloween objects into groups

based on one common attribute. Can your partner guess the attribute you

selected? Sort the objects by two attributes and

have your partner guess the attributes you selected.

Switch roles and repeat the activity.

Spooky Sorting Materials

Materials to sort—leaves, candy, critters Venn rings

Witchy Weighing Predict which pumpkin has the greatest

mass. Place the pumpkins in order, from the

pumpkin with the greatest mass to the pumpkin with the least mass.

Weigh the pumpkins to determine how close your predictions were.

Record the mass of each pumpkin.

Witchy Weighing Materials

Balance scale Weighing objects Pumpkins of various sizes

Cauldron Capacities Predict which container has the

greatest capacity. Place the containers in order, from the

container that will hold the least amount of liquid to the container that will hold the most.

Find the capacity of each container to determine how close your predictions were.

Record the capacity of each container.

Cauldron Capacities Materials

Containers of various sizes Water, rice, or beans for measuring

Measuring Pumpkins Estimate the height, width, and circumference of

the pumpkin. Cut a piece of string to match each of your estimates.

Measure the height, width, and circumference of the pumpkin. Compare the lengths of your string with the actual measurements of the pumpkin.

How close were your estimates? Measure the height and width of the pumpkin

using non-standard units. Compare your results.

Measuring Pumpkins Materials

Pumpkin String Scissors Non-standard units—paper clips, cubes, etc.

Witches’ StewCreate your own concoction by filling a

bag with your favorite goodies.– Dragon Scales– Shriveled Spiders– Troll Eyes– Rat Toenails– Witch Teeth– Vampire Blood

Witches’ Stew Materials

Dragon Scales—Cinnamon Toast CrunchShriveled Spiders—RaisinsTroll Eyes—M & M candyRat Toenails—PeanutsWitch Teeth—Candy CornVampire Blood—Dried Cranberries (Craisins)

Cauldrons/containers Ziplock bags Cups or spoons to measure food

Fabulous Fall IdeasDescribe additional ideas you usein your math class to engage andmotivate your students during the fall season.