Activity Idea – Intro to Math

Clixo x Mr. Andy presents: A fun and approachable way to introduce young kids to mathematical concepts! A variation for older kids is included below.

Math is everywhere! This activity is a super friendly way to introduce children to the concept of measurement so when they learn about the standard units, they can easily apply their play experience to real world mathematical concepts!

The Common Core Standards include estimation skills for every grade level. It’s important to introduce children to terms that include such words and phrases as about, close, just about, a little more (or less) than, and between. Learning about estimation is important for kids because it enables kids to:

1. _{Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.}
2. _{Reason abstractly and quantitatively.}
3. _{Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.}
4. _{Model with mathematics.}
5. _{Use appropriate tools strategically.}
6. _{Attend to precision.}
7. _{Look for and make use of structure.}
8. _{Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.}

You can start simply by asking your child “How many Quads do you think will equal the length of your arm?” If they aren’t sure of what to say, the adult can think out loud and model it. This is a great exercise for kids and could also be a fun game for kids.

The concept of Estimation using Clixo pieces can also be introduced.

Helpful Information for Parents

Children engaged in play will often exhibit specific behavioral schemas that are consistent across children all over the world during play. One of the first thing you may see your child do with Clixo is taking the similar pieces such as the Quads and connect them together in a long straight line. This may be seen in other toys when they line up their cars or blocks one after the other in a straight line. 

The behavioral schemas that may be witnessed during the initial exploration of Clixo falls under the trajectory schema. The concept they are developing through play would be linear progression, sequences, etc.

For the younger children, this activity is an introduction to non-standard units of measurements that will help develop their understanding of measurements in a stress free, fun, and authentic way. When they do learn the standard units, they will have a familiarity of measurements. For older children, they’ll be using Clixo to further develop mathematical thinking by converting measurement units.