Watermelon Addition and Subtraction Math Mats
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I’m excited to share with you a fun way for children to practice building math equations with math mats! These Watermelon Addition and Subtraction Math Mats are perfect for practicing addition and subtraction! They’re a good fit for your home school or traditional classroom for use during center time or small groups.
Watermelon Addition and Subtraction Math Mats
Summer is just around the corner! The warm sun welcomes us and the sweet tastes of summer reminds us what we enjoy so much about the season.
Isn’t it fun to bring summer fun into the classroom? If you’re anything like me, then you look for every opportunity to liven up center time and small group work with some quick to assemble, yet effective math activities!
I’m back today to share with you a math mat freebie that you and your students are going to love! Let’s get started!
Gather Your Materials
- Print and laminate the Watermelon Addition and Subtraction Math Mat Printables
- Dice
- Dry Erase Marker and Eraser
- Seeds or any other manipulative for counting
For this activity, I like to use real watermelon seeds to make it appear to be the seeds that you would normally see in the center of a watermelon. If you’re not able to get your hands on seeds or if you’re concerned your children might try to eat them, then grab any other counting manipulative that will work for your students.
I also like to laminate my math mats for use year after year. It also makes this activity more effective when the children can use dry erase markers to write in the math equations. If you don’t have access to a laminator then you might try slipping the printables inside of a sheet protector. I’ve used them this way as well!
Addition
Students will start by rolling 2 dice (or one die, twice) and then writing the numbers in the equation at the bottom of their addition math mat printable.
Now it’s time to build the equation! Students will simply use the seeds to build each half of their equation. I just love how this printable shows both parts of the addition problem!
Lastly, children will solve their addition problem by adding up the 2 parts in their watermelon. Using a dry erase marker, students will write that number in the 3rd box of the addition equation.
Subtraction
Students will start by rolling one die to find their starting point.
They will place that many number of seeds in the center of the watermelon. This watermelon doesn’t have 2 parts because we are showing how we are “taking away” a part of this number equation.
They will also write the number rolled on the die, in the first box of the equation.
Students will then roll a second die (or one die, twice) to find the second part of the equation. The second number rolled is how many seeds that will be subtracted from the center of the watermelon. Children will write this number in the 2nd box of the math equation.
Students will then remove seeds from the center of the watermelon depending on the number rolled on the 2nd die. Once the seeds have been removed from the center of the watermelon, students will write how many were left in the 3rd box of the equation to get their answer!
Grab Your Free Copy
Ready to work on addition and subtraction? Grab your copy of the watermelon addition and subtraction math mats by clicking the yellow button below.
For more addition fun, hop on over and try these Domino Addition Printables!
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