Our mailboxes and newspapers have started to fill up with toy guides for the holidays. I must admit I do allow my children to take a peek at them and see what’s out there. I’m always curious to see what sparks their interest in the toy guides.
Here’s a fun way to make it about math too and not just the gifts.
Using Holiday Toy Guides for Math Activities
Before we start you might be thinking… Am I opening a can of worms by allowing your child to skim through all the toy guides for the holiday season… maybe.
Yes if you already know what you’re giving your child for the holidays you’ll probably skip this activity but there’s a chance you still may want to do it with your child as you consider reaching out to others this holiday season.
However, if you’re like many of us we’re trying to decide between a few choices for the holiday and would love a little input from our child’s interest. Plus it helps them to understand the value of the things they do receive for a gift.
Toy Gift guides can do just that BUT they can also be a great MATH ACTIVITY for kids. Test it out and see if you give them a budget of a specific amount how they would choose to spend their money?
Math Activity with Holiday Gift Guides
Materials
- Holiday gift guides- multiple copies are best to allow for cutting
- Scissors
- Glue
- Marker or Pen
Directions
1. Encourage your child to cut out the toys of interest from the catalogs. If desired you can use contact paper or packaging tape to cover to last longer
2. Create a budget amount to pretend to shop with
3. Encourage your child to figure out the math to see what items would fit in that budget
Using Toy Guides for Giving Inspiration
Reaching out to the community during the holiday season is something you can do with children. One of those options is toy drives that local stores host.
You can use the gift guides to see what types of things you can purchase within a set amount that your family has decided to contribute.
Encourage your child to see the best way to maximize those dollars spent using MATH.
If you need Gift Ideas for your child’s Age be sure to stop by our ULTIMATE GIFT GUIDE for the holidays per age group.
