Math Activities for Middle School Students: Fun Ideas for At-Home Practice

An Overview of Middle School Math

Students in grades 6-8 are broadening their skills base in preparation for high school math. Geometry and number systems are two of the main focus areas your child will be learning about. Your child will be learning to add, subtract, multiply and divide multi-digit decimals. Your middle school child will also be learning how to calculate the area and circumference of circles.

Geometry Activities

Reflections of Math

For this activity, you need to cut out ten squares from a piece of construction paper. Divide the squares into two sets of five. Ask your child to use one set of the squares to create a shape. He or she will use the other set of squares to show the reflection of the first shape. It may help your child to use a mirror to determine how the reflection of the shape should look.

After creating the reflection, have your child determine the area of one of the figures. Challenge your child to create different shapes using only the five squares.

What Is the Circumference?

Take your child on a nature walk in the woods in search of tree stumps to help him or her practice circumference. Calculate the circumference, or the length around a circle, by using for formula C = pi x diameter. The diameter is a straight line segment that passes through the center of a circle, and pi is approximated to 3.14.

Have your child locate several tree stumps and measure them to determine the circumference of each. After measurements are complete, ask your child to put the stump measurements in order from smallest to largest circumference. If a wooded area isn't available near you, try using pieces of cut firewood to practice this skill.

Number System Activities

Decimal Match Up

Before beginning this game, label index cards with a variety of decimal numbers in number form and word form. Spread out the cards and turn them over on the table. Players will take turns flipping over two cards in search of matching decimal amounts. For example, if a player turns over the card 23.08 and the card labeled 'twenty-three and eight hundredths', he or she would take the matching cards. At the end of the game, the player with the most cards wins.

Ring That Decimal!

For this game, you will need to remove the face cards from a deck of cards. You will also need five shoe boxes labeled: 5.0, .5500, .005, .500 and .05. Players will take turns tossing three cards into the boxes. Any card that the player successfully lands in a box will be multiplied by the number on the box.

For example, if a player throws a seven card into the .500 box, he or she would multiply: 7 x .500 = 3.5. The player should then record the product. After five rounds of play, the players will add the numbers they recorded. The player with the largest number wins the game.