Throwback Tuesday: A Homeschool Day in the Life in Fall

 *Originally posted October 1, 2013 when my boys were 6, 7, & 9. 

I kept trying to think of something fun and math- like where the boys might not realize they were learning math, but just having fun.

I find all sorts of math games and ideas all the time but I just couldn't come up with any today.  I decided to let the older two boys play some math games on the computer.  While this may not sound like much I find that the boys play games that require a much higher level of math than they would ever do for me in a game or on a worksheet.
   
Alec and Ian went to Math Playground and they each tried out a few games.

Ian tried out Space Racer X, where he had to quickly answer multiplication problems to steer his spaceship around meteors. He didn't bother to read the instructions and then got very frustrated when he kept dying. I finally convinced him to read the directions and he gave it another try but he had a hard time using the keyboard to type in the answers correctly and quickly and decided to try another game.

He decided to try Escape from Fraction Manor.  He loved it!  I loved that he was being forced to compare fractions.  It was quite tricky too!

Alec was watching over Ian's shoulder by the time Ian's turn was coming to an end and he couldn't wait to take over. Alec played Escape from Fraction Manor, Gap Zappers (also a fraction game), Pumpkin Multiples, and Sliding Block.

He loved it and kept begging me to let him play longer.

He learned how to compare fractions, add fractions, what an improper fraction is, orders of operations, the greater than/ less than sign, what multiples mean (and the multiples of 2 and 4), he applied problem solving and geometry skills-- not bad for a morning of playing games on the computer!



We headed out  to the apple orchard and the boys tried a new variety of apple, worked together to push and pull the full wagons of stuff to our car, watched apple cider being made, trucks being loaded and unloaded, and even a conveyor & assembly line sorting and bagging apples.
     

Alec read My Weird School Book Mr. Macky is Wacky

 

 I Dare You Not to Yawn.

Ian read a few chapters in his Weird School Book Mr Tony is Full of Baloney.

Together Ian and Evan read I Dare You Not to Yawn, Tip Tip Dig Dig,

Construction Countdown.

Alec wanted to play some more games on Math Playground and Evan want to work on his Lego's.

Evan also played with his Indiana Jones dress up set and came into the kitchen telling me "mom, I never did math today!"  I told him I wanted to work with him on counting by 10's.  I recited the numbers for him a few times and then asked him to say them with me.  I had him try one last time by himself and called an end to math.

He then asked if he could play the frog math game on the computer.  I had no idea what he was talking about.  He started describing the game over and over and I eventually realized he was talking about Treefrog Treasure. 

I loaded up the game for him but told him he was going to have to play by himself; I had to get all the groceries put away.  I was amazed that he was able to go through several of the levels without any help since it's all about fractions! A very successful day of homeschooling. 

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