How would you prefer to learn about Fractions? Colouring in a picture of a chocolate bar or getting hands on with the real thing? We took the hands on approach with my son’s Maths homework this week, to make Fractions Fun for him (and provide a mid afternoon energy boost for mum!)
Supplies
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- 3 Paper plates
- Marker pens
- Bar of chocolate and/or chocolate buttons
Ahead of the activity
Mark out the first paper plate as 1 whole, divide the second into 2 halves and the final paper plate into 4 quarters.
Break a chunk of 8 chocolate squares from a bar of chocolate (or 10 and quickly nibble on the two extra before the kids notice) or count out 8 chocolate buttons.
How to make Fractions Fun with Chocolate
We began by looking at the whole piece of chocolate and placing this onto the paper plate marked 1 whole.
Next I asked Liam to break the piece of chocolate into 8 chunks and divide them equally between the paper plate marked with the 2 halves.
Finally we moved onto the paper plate marked with the 4 quarters. Liam shared the 8 chunks out again equally over the 4 sections on the plate.
Getting hands on to share out actual pieces of chocolate really helped to reinforce what he had been learning in school. It was a also a fun reward for each of us after finishing off the rest of his homework.
His younger brother had been watching with interest as we did this activity and he didn’t want to miss out on a chocolate treat as well. He couldn’t enjoy the white chocolate (he is cows milk intolerant), so we repeated the exercise using 8 of his special dairy free chocolate buttons.
He is only 6, so is not up to Fractions yet in his own Maths lessons, but he is really interested in all things number. Repeating the activity also provided the perfect opportunity for his big brother to practise what he has been learning again, as I asked him talk his brother through the activity. (Whilst they were distracted I may have nibbled on a few of the spare buttons…).
Pop over now and read how the rest of the Early Elementary Team have been using chocolate in their activities:
What a yummy way to work on fractions!