Geometry Games for 6th Grade Math Students

6th Grade Geometry at a Glance

In 6th grade, your child will be learning how to find the area of right triangles, special quadrilaterals and polygons. Often, it's easier to determine the area of these geometric shapes by plotting points in a coordinate plane. At this grade level, your child will be introduced to volume and the formulas that are used to calculate the volume, or capacity, of containers. When reviewing volume at home, consider using hands-on materials to help your child see the amount each container will hold.

Your child will also be learning how to determine the surface area of a geometric figure. Having your child create a net, or a 3-dimensional figure, is a great way to help him or her visualize each of the figure's sides. This approach should also make determining the surface area more manageable for your child.

Chalking Up Coordinate Planes

For this activity, you will need sidewalk chalk and an outside cemented area, like a garage. Use the chalk to draw out a coordinate plane on the cement. Provide your child with coordinates and have him or her mark the point in the appropriate quadrant. After plotting several points, have your child join the points and identify what type of figure has been created. Then, have him or her determine the perimeter and area of the created figure.

Can You Make It?

This activity is focused on having your child use graph paper to create a net. A net is a set of squares that, when folded, will create a 3-dimensional shape. For this activity, ask your child to create a cube or a 3-dimensional square. After the cube is created, ask your child to determine its surface area.

Dream House

To practice surface area, have your child draw the blueprint for his or her dream house on graph paper. After completing the drawing, have your child use the squares on the graph paper to determine the surface area that the house will take up. As an extension activity, ask your child to determine the area of specific rooms in the house.