Big Sister is moving right along in math! She says it’s her favorite subject in school and loves when she has math homework. (Is this child mine?? 😉 ) Some of the things she is learning in first grade throws me off as a parent going through this for the first time. Is my baby really learning these pre-algebraic concepts? In first grade?? It’s hard to believe she is growing up so fast and learning so much! It’s just a little nervousness from this mom as her first baby grows. She will always be my baby. Even when she does algebra 😉
One of the concepts that Big Sister learned in math this year was the Commutative Property of Addition. She had to learn the term and the meaning of the property, and use it in math worksheets. One of the ways we practiced the Commutative Property was with this flip flop addition activity. It was fun to extend the homework and practice some math facts with our flip flop game!
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What is the Commutative Property of Addition?
In the commutative property of addition, we can switch order of numbers and still get the same answer. For example, 5+1=6 and 1+5=6. Using the Commutative Property, 5+1=1+5.
Flip Flop Math Activity
We made this Flip Flop Adding activity after we talked about how the numbers can “flip flop” and still add up to the same answer.
I started by making flip flop sandal shapes on cardboard. You could also do this activity on paper with flip flop shapes, but I wanted to make our Flip Flops actually flip!
I wrote out some a + b=c math problems on the flip flops. On the reverse side, I wrote the numbers using the Commutative Property (b+a=c).
Line the flip flops up on the edge of the table. Practice the math facts. You could have your child fill in the answers, flip the shape, and then fill in the answer on the opposite side.
This was a TON of fun!
We decided that our flip flop math equations needed some details. We used plastic lacing cord
to make straps on our flip flops. Poke a hole in the cardboard with a pen. Push the lacing cord through the hole, wrap it around the shape, and tie a knot in the back.
to make straps on our flip flops. Poke a hole in the cardboard with a pen. Push the lacing cord through the hole, wrap it around the shape, and tie a knot in the back.
Have fun with your flip flop math!
Try more of our math activities:
. (Sidenote–I LOVE this paint for handprint art…and any kid art, really! It is bright, thick, doesn’t flake when it dries, it’s washable, and cheap. LOVE it!)
so it was ready for card making once the prints dried. You could make these thumbprint crafts on any color paper and just cut out the prints afterwords and glue onto cards, wrapping paper, or pictures from kids.
and add details. Put little legs, a cute sheep face, and puffy wool.
from our peg pounding toy.
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in pink, white, red, and beige. Cut them into circles, hearts, and little bits for sprinkles. It’s that easy! We pulled a few pieces in from our kitchen set to pretend to bake cookies, and added a few spatulas and spoons from the real kitchen.
and a few other dried items to fit right into the caps. I had Big Sister count out the chickpeas into piles of 10. We popped them right into the caps.
and she counted out groups of tens of those, too.
and we added these lids, too.
and pretended to feed the animals.
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