After a day of cookie sorting, I can honestly say we have used more 'real' math in the last few hours than in the last month! Without any games, made up questions, worksheets, or even a trip to the store, we managed to use all sorts of basic math.
Of course there was plenty of counting for the younger ones. "Hand me 4 boxes of the purple ones, 3 blue, and 2 red"
Then there was some division for the older ones "I need 41 packages, bring the cases" (each case has 12 packages)
But the most annoying math to a mother with a fried brain, was the subtraction. "I need 20 cookies, and bring me both cases, so I can put these boxes in" This task meant you had to open a case, and take out what you didn't need. Not to difficult, at least it isn't when you don't have a 1 year old trying to bring you way more boxes than you need, and a 4 year old wanting to know if we can open a box to eat yet.
We sorted, stacked, piled, counted, resorted, re-stacked, and re-piled up over 900 cookies today. It took the combined math skills of 3 adults, and 4 kids to accomplish this in just over 3 hours. (Though I think the one year old was a negative in that equation).
I owe an enormous amount of thanks to my brother in law, who may never offer to help fetch cookies again! (they wouldn't all fit in our car, we needed his van) But I also am reminded how lessons abound, without bothering to look for them, things are found.
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