How to Make Boring Math Worksheets a Little Engaging

Worksheets have been an age-old way of not only testing students but also to help them develop a habit of engaging with a particular topic in a structured step-by-step process. But if the worksheet activities get boring, then it fails to fulfill the very purpose of cultivating an interest in studies for students.

Let the worksheets be related to art, science, or math; we firmly believe that it’s your responsibility to ensure these worksheets can catch hold of the student’s attention constructively. Because the more he/she enjoys it, the easier the learning becomes, right?

We have listed out a few activities that can transform 2nd-grade math worksheets to fun activities for children.

1. Time and calendar worksheets
   This grade 2 worksheets will help students read a traditional clock-face so that they not only learn how to be good with numbers but also help them understand the dynamics of time. You need to start this activity with whole hours and slowly progress to half fours, quarter hours, and five and 1-minute intervals and let the students settle into it. Furthermore, you need to teach them different aspects of time like am & pm and then elapsed time should be introduced in the activity. Finally, you can teach students days of the week and months in a year. Make sure you familiarise them with everything before you proceed with questions.
2. Around the block
   In this activity, we would first put together a list of questions related to a skill, following which we would have the students stand in a circle. Once you commence with the activity, you need to give a ball to anyone of the students, and the teacher (you) will read a question from the list. Upon hearing the question, the students will start passing the ball clockwise amongst them in the circle. The student who started with it must answer the question before receiving the ball again. However, if the student fails to answer the question, the ball can be passed to a fellow classmate. Also, if the student correctly answers, they get the advantage of choosing the next contestant. 
3. Math fact race  
   For this activity, you will have to divide students into teams and post grid sheet in front of each group. One student from each team should write an answer in the appropriate grid to the best of their knowledge. For example, to practice multiplication, a student would have to write 20 in the grid where the fourth row and fifth column meet. After writing the answer, the student shall return to their team, and then it’s the turn of the next member to fill the sheet. So the next group member can fill another grid or, if needed, correct a previous answer. This process continues until a team wins by filling the sheet by writing the maximum number of answers.
   
4. Math Relay 
   We have all heard about relay races in sports but won’t it be interesting if numbers had something like that too? So we would like to familiarize you with an activity to practice mathematical operations or algebraic equations in a format based on the relay-race. For this activity, you should arrange students in lines of four to five per team. Each student should be given one mathematical problem to solve. When the child solves it on the chalkboard, clearly mentioning each step and manages to reach the correct answer, he/she must run to the back of the line, allowing the student who is now first in line to solve another mathematical problem and so on. The first team to correctly solve all the problems allocated for the team would then be declared the winner.

We believe these team building math worksheets are essentially important because they not only facilitate communication between the students but also help them in understanding the different perspectives related to a particular situation or activity. They also promote healthy student relationships and rational thinking in the kids.

Further, math worksheets for kids will help build your child’s interest in topics that he/she would otherwise find boring. They would also act as a catalyst for your child to learn and grow motivated in different aspects. Moreover, it would cut the first turf between students but will also strengthen the mentor-student bond without strenuous textbook language. 

The above activities will not only help your child to grow and learn new things but will also give him or her the much-needed exposure in individual as well as a team-building process that is essential to all the above activities. So what are you waiting for? Hold your little one’s hand and dive right in – and of course, have some real fun! You can now explore 98thpercentile for more such team activities with interesting Math worksheets.