Category: Make

Playful maker activities, free play, mathematical adventures and explorations.

How to Make Multiplication Tables with Perler Beads

My child has been playing with Perler beads for a while now making all sorts of things, including a map of Minecraft. So when I suggested making a multiplication table, the kid was very interested. Except a) I didn’t have

Posted in Make

Soroban abacus and finger math

Finger Soroban 824

  Have you ever wondered why the Oriental Soroban abacus has 4 separate beads? It is in base 10, not 4 or 5, so why organize it that way? In response to yesterday’s post Hand tricks! Alexander Bogomolny linked his

Posted in Make

Hand Tricks!

Using one’s hands is practically intuitive in the math world. Counting on one’s fingers is the most basic mathematical practice one could think of. But there is other more complex math you and your kid can do with your hands!

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1001 Leaders: Exploring the spiral multiplication table

Learning Flower

Today, our guest is Joey Grether, an unbridled idealist, parent, and teacher. His journey to math play with kids started with designing tools and devices. Have you ever wondered how Montessori designed all the activities with her beads, or how

Posted in A Math Circle Journey, Make