rainy day Archives - JDaniel4s Mom

Roll and Cover Games for One and Two Dice

April 7, 2022 By Deirdre

Roll and Cover games are a great way to review simple addition facts. Some of the game boards can be played with one die and the others will require two dice. Children can play the roll and cover games on their own or with a friend. Playing with a friend will hold them accountable. Friends can help them know if they are added correctly. After covering a number, they will let them know if they have come up with the correct sum.

The set contains black and white game boards along with game boards in color. You can use whatever version of the board will work for you.

If you plan on using the games over and over again, you will want to laminate or place them in a plastic sleeve. Below you will find some wonderful lamination tools.

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Getting the Roll and Cover Games

This set is a PDF. When you download it, you will need to open it with a PDF reader. Acrobat Reader is a popular reader that you can download to use. You probably have it on your computer already.

Roll and Cover Games for One and Two Dice Download

Roll and Cover Supplies

After you have downloaded the games, you will need to gather the supplies you will need to play them. You will need dice and materials you cover the numbers. Below you will find my suggestions for both.

Types of Dice

Below you will find several different types of dice. You will see single dice in a variety of colors. There are foam dice that roll quietly. There is a set of dice that feature a die in a plastic die container. Finally, you will see a set of dice poppers.

The links below are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You can use any type of dice your children have used before or you can try a new set.

More Math Activities for Kids

Jump the Shark Math Games

Free Printable Sneaker-Themed Math Game Boards

Free Sneaker Themed Game Boards

Decorating an Umbrella Based on an Algorithm

April 6, 2022 By Deirdre

These decorating umbrella color pages were created to expose young children to coding. Children are asked to color all the sections that display the same number the same color. One of the pages invites children to select the color they will use for each numbered section.

Getting the Decorating an Umbrella

This set is a PDF. When you download it, you will need to open it with a PDF reader. Acrobat Reader is a popular reader that you can download to use. You probably have it on your computer already.

Decorating-an-Umbrella-Based-on-a-Algorithm Download

After downloading the set, you can decide which of the pages will work best for your children. Some children will do well if you tell them just what color to use. Others will prefer to choose their colors. The page that lets you choose your own color area also allows you to use the colors your children may have on hand.

Exploring the Decorating an Umbrella Set

You will need to decide which page you want your children to work on. The first page tells children what color to use and has them draw their own raindrops. The second page displays raindrops to color as well as tells children what color to use. The last page tells children to add raindrops and add their own raindrops.

Next, you will need to decide if your children need to work through the page with you. If you think that they will need your help, you could work with them in groups or one on one.

More Algorithm Pages

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Algorithm Page

How to Make Slime with Liquid Starch Algorithm Coding Activity

How to Make Liquid Starch Slime Algorithm

How to Make a Rain Gauge Using an Algorithm

April 5, 2022 By Deirdre

The How to Make a Rain Gauge algorithm page walks children through the steps needed to create a rain gauge. The steps or directions are displayed on Blockly coding blocks. Coding directions are called algorithms. Children will get the opportunity to see how a coding algorithm works while building a rain gauge. This page lets children explore Blockly blocks before they use them online.

After completing each step, children are asked to color in the part of the rain gauge they have completed. The act of coloring in each step will ensure that they don’t forget a step. Children can also color in the Blockly blocks as they complete a step. However, they will need to color lightly or use light colors. You will want them to double-check that they have completed all the directions. It will be hard to read the words on blocks that have been colored over darkly.

Getting the How to Make a Rain Gauge Page

The pages are part of a PDF set. You will need to have a PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat on your computer to open the set.

Once you have printed out the How to Make a Rain Gauge page, you are ready to start.

How-to-Make-a-Rain-Gauge-with-an-Algorithm Download

Gathering the Supplies

You will need to gather the following supplies needed to create the rain gauge. You probably have many of the supplies already at home.

Plastic Water Bottle
Fine Tip Sharpie Marker
Masking Tape
Scissors
Small Pebbles or Flat Glass Marbles
Water

Steps for Creating the Rain Gauge

First, you or your children will need to cut the top portion off of the plastic bottle. Scissors can be used to poke a hole in the bottle. Then they or you can cut around the bottle.
Second, tape used to check the amount of rain that has fallen will need to be created. A zero will be placed at the bottom of the tape. After that, every quarter of an inch will need to be marked on the tape. If a fine-tipped marker is used, it will be easier to create numbers that are easy to read. Using a sharpie marker will make the numbers waterproof.
Third, the tape will need to be placed one inch from the bottom of the bottle onto the bottle.
Fourth, one inch of pebbles will need to be poured into the bottle. The weight of the pebbles will keep the bottle from falling over.
Fifth, just enough water to cover the pebbles. The rain that falls will be measured from the zero on the tape to the top end of the tape.

Putting the Rain Gauge Together

Children can follow the directions to put the rain gauge together. Here are some questions to ask yourself before having them work on their own.

Will they be able to cut the top part off the bottle on their own?
Do they know how to mark the tape to display quarter inches?
Can they write numbers small enough to fit on the tape?
Will they spill the water as they pour it into the bottle? They may need a funnel to help guild the water into the bottle.

If you answered no to any of the questions above, your children may need your guidance or help to create the rain gauge.