Oh we do like to be beside the seaside... Keep up your maths over the summer holidays, with our fun games and activities to do at the beach. If you won't be near a beach this summer, the first two games can also be played in a yard with some chalk.
Frisbee Targets
A couple of rounds of frisbee targets is a great way to sneak some counting skills and addition in to a beach day. Draw a series of targets in the sand, each with a point value (don't make the targets too far apart). Draw a starting line in the sand a few metres away from the targets. Now take it in turns to throw a frisbee from the line, trying to get it to land in one of the targets. Add up your scores as you go. Whoever has the highest score after an agreed number of rounds is the winner.
Cross-Square
This game for 2-4 players encourages logical thinking and spacial perception, and is perfect for the beach. Draw out a 10 x 10 grid in the sand. Each player starts in a different corner. You can move forwards, backward and sideways (but not diagonally). On your turn, move one square in any of the permitted directions and draw a cross in the square you just stepped out of. If you run out of moves you’re out of the game. The last person still in the game is the winner.
Shell Art
What's a day at the beach without collecting shells? Use the shells to create art in the sand, incorporating some maths elements such as repeating patterns or lines of symmetry. You'll need to use your observational skills to find shells of similar shapes and sizes. Don't forget to take a photo of your artwork!
Maths Scavenger Hunt
There's lots of things to spot at the beach - another great opportunity to practice your counting skills. How many feathers, shells, pebbles, or pieces of sea glass, driftwood or seaweed can you find? Keep a tally, then evaluate which items you found the least and the most of. Or play in teams, and compare who found the most of each item. We've created a scavenger hunt sheet for you to download, or you can create your own.
If you're going to be spending a whole day at the beach, this DIY sundial activity is perfect for tracking the passing of time. Start by collecting some driftwood and small rocks. You'll need a nice long(ish) stick, and one rock for every hour you plan to be at the beach. Push the stick firmly in to the sand, and start by placing one rock at the tip of your stick's shadow. Keep placing a new rock every hour. As the day passes, the shadow will move in a circle, just like the hands of a clock. Make sure you set up your sundial above the tide line, so that it doesn't get washed away early if the tide comes in!
If you try out any of our maths beach activities over the Summer, we'd love to hear about it! Please feel free to tag us on Twitter or Facebook, and use the hashtag #MathsWeekScot.
To celebrate Book Week Scotland, we are delighted to announce the finalists and winners of our Maths Tales story-writing competition, run in partnership with Read Write Count with The First Minister.
