Maths Blocks
These counting blocks give your child the best start in math they could ever need.
From learning to identify the numbers, right through to plus, minus, times and divide. It is a fun way to help your child learn the basics and enjoy the challenge of maths.
Critical thinking skills and logic are dramatically improved through the knowledge of mathermatics and making math less intimidating makes children love school and studying.
This crafts needs an adult to help in the beginning. Alternatively, you could buy already cut up wooden blocks from a hardware store.
Step by step tutorial with full instructions showing you how to make Maths blocks, presented by Crafty Corner
For any questions contact us via email
What you will need:
- 2 cm square wooden strip used for roofing
- Wood Saw
- Ruler
- Marking pen
- Sans paper
- Acrylic paint in two or more colors
- Paint brush
- Acrylic paint in pen bottle or gold liquid lead
- Modge podge
Read through all the instructions first before starting this craft. Make sure you have everyting you will need at hand and your working area is clean and tidy. Cover your surface with plastic or brown paper.
Step 1
Measure the depth of your block and mark along the top of the plank the same size as the depth so as to make sure you have square blocks.
Step 2
Mark 5 blocks and two extra, just in case you cut skew or one breaks.
Step 3
Cut the block using a hack saw or wood saw.
Step 4
Sand the block to make it smooth and to get rid of splinter edges. Sand the edges to give the blocks a nice finish and make it easier to roll.
Step 5
Paint the blocks different colours. Paint them light colors if you're going to use a black marker for the numbers, or dark colors if you're going to use a white acrylic pen or gold liquid lead for the numbers.
Step 6
With your chosen color pen write the numbers 1 - 6 on two of the blocks.
Write the numbers 7 - 12 on two of the other blocks, and write the symbol for times, minus, divide and add on the left over block
On the two left over spaces of the fifth dice write another add and a minus sign.
Step 7
Leave the blocks to dry and then coat with two to three layers of modge podge to protect the block and make them cleanable.
Playing with the blocks
For small kids, roll the dice and make them identify the numbers.
As they get used to the numbers, roll the two small numbered blocks and help them to add the numbers.
Older kids can add up the bigger number blocks or even all four blocks. You can then minus the small block from one big one.
Later on, when they are comfortble with subtraction and addition, you can introduce the fifth block that they need to learn to divide or mulitply with.
Let them play for five minutes a day without any pressure, and only if they want to. Make it fun and your child will develop much faster and happier.
We at Crafty Corner would like to help distribute these blocks worldwide to help fund our community based employment group. Help empower the unemployed of South Africa by teaching your child the art of math!!
Contact us if you would like us to manufacture these blocks for you.