This summer I am trying to keep my son working on math skills. We are spending some time using math workbooks and some time playing games like this Adding to Ten Pool Noodle Game.
This pool noodle game can be played using pieces from just two pool noodles. Children can add using three or four numbers if they like. I made two complete sets of numbered noodles just so that we could do that.
How did I Make This Pool Noodle Game?
It all started with two pool noodles. I used a green and a blue noodle although you can use any colors you like.
Marks on each poodle were measured out to equal the number they would display.
Example: The 1 is 1 inch long. The 2 is 2 inches long. The 3 is 3 inches long.
I measured out the 1 inch from the end to start. Then I measured 2 inches away from the end of the one inch section. I continued until I measured 9 inches from the 8 inch mark. Each time a used a pencil to mark off the section. There was still room on the pool noodle to cut more,but I just cut the pool noodle off a the end of the 9 inch mark. (Don’t worry the extra part won’t be thrown away! The extra part is going to be used in an activity I am sharing with you next week.)
The reason for trying to make them equal the number on them was that the two 5 inch pieces would be the same height as the 8 inch and 2 inch pieces. I wanted kids to see that 5+5 the same thing as 8+2.
Confession: I wasn’t able to cut some of the pool noodle game piece straight across. I sure did try. Some have a slight angle. It was severe enough to try to make it flat. I was worried I would make it worse.
Pool Noodle Game
The game pieces were set out for my son to match the numbers to find sums of ten. At his age this was just a quick brain warm up. Younger kids will take longer to build the number sentences.
Then I asked him to pick a number for the sum and build as many number sentences as he could for that sum. He could use as many pool noodle game pieces as he wanted to complete the task. After building each tower that equaled that sum, I asked him to write it down on paper. ( I wanted to sneak in some fine motor skills and writing practice.)
Next we worked on adding to sums bigger than 10. We each took turn picking a sum and coming up with a noodle tower that equaled it.
Finally we took turns choosing an addend or number to add to find sums. We had to come up with a many number towers as we could featuring that number. After building each number tower, we took turns sharing the sums.
Building number towers, talking about sums, and writing them down gave us an opportunity to work on addition sentences. Oh! We also had a lot of fun.
Here are some other fun ways to work on addition:
If you make an adding to ten pool noodle game, please leave me a comment below telling me about how it went or share a picture of your game on my Facebook page.
