1. Perform routine to "Big Numbers." Jump to the left during "Place Value." Jump rope for 5 minutes. In groups of 4-5 players, draw numbers on ground with ropes. Roll die to determine which number is in which column. Play Mystery Number: Teacher at first, then one player, secretly writes a number on chalk board. Remaining players listen to cues and form number. Example: "2,304" Cues might include: thousands place is number of eyes each player has. hundreds place is one more than thousands. tens place is how much money you have left when you spend it all. ones place is sum of your hands & feet. Continue to alternate jumping rope and numbers.

2. Practice hula hoop tricks or routines for 5 minutes. Draw numbers with body. Each group has 4 hoops to show place value. Teacher secretly writes 4 digit number on lap chalkboard and gives cues. (see no.1 above) Players get in hoops and form number with their bodies then check their number with the one on the blackboard.

3. Play "Math Munchers" to review number recognition, more or less than and place value concepts. Make index cards with two digit number on each side. Students take a card and stand side by side in 2 lines at opposite ends of space. When player hears a property of the number on her/his card s/he crosses to opposite line. On returning to starting line player exchanges card for a new one. May dribble balls or balance bean bags on shoulder.

4. Shopping Tag. Make play money "coins." Make a poster of clothes or toys with prices marked. Form 2 parallel lines about 40' apart. Designate 4 players to be the "bad guys who don't want to work to earn money" and identify with pinnies. They start between the lines. Remaining players each get a coin and stand on one side of field. When attribute is called players run to the other side. (to Macy's) If tagged, player gives coin to tagger who puts it in bank, and continues to safe line. When all players are at Macy's the "rich aunt" gives another coin to any player whose got stolen. Players run back to the other line (Walmart) when attribute is called. Repeat several times then divide players into sets. For example, players with white shoelaces, players without white shoelaces and "bad guys." All players in a set count up their money and see what they could buy. Or, calculate how much money they would need to buy the item they most want.

5. Sets in hoops with groups. After players manipulate hoops for several minutes, place hoops on ground and travel around until stop signal. Listen to number of players that must get in each hoop. Specify how many players will get out & stand next to hoop. Write on lap chalk board as fractions: How many in? How many out? (also body parts) Example: 4 players in each hoop. They have 8 feet. (write 8/8) Put 3 feet outside. (5/8 inside, 3/8 outside) Intersperse forming sets with hoop looping to "Get In the Action with Fractions."

6. Ready set show partner games. Do addition, subtraction or multiplication with fingers showing. Try to answer correctly before your partner does, then change partners and repeat. Practice the important social skill of inviting many partners to play.

7. Hopscotch Obstacle Course Subtraction. At each hopscotch students arrange boxes, cones & hurdles. Players take turns tossing a bean bag into a square, then hopping, leaping, jumping & turning through the course and back to start. Retrieve bean bag on return. Each player begins turn with 10 (or 100) points. Subtract points for each obstacle knocked down, for losing balance while picking up bean bag, for stepping on a line.

8. Odd/even Tag Designate one team the "evens" and the other team the "odds." Teams face each other about 3' apart. Mark a safe zone on both sides of the field about 40' from starting line. Designate an operation and roll 2 number cubes. If the answer is even, evens get safe and odds give chase and visa versa. If tagged player freezes and puts hand up. Count number of tagged players then all players return to starting lines to play again.

9. Odd/even Electricity Prepare equations on flash cards and designate one team even and the other odd. Players line up and hold hands. The first 2 players turn to face teacher. The equation is shown to those 2 players. If the answer is odd the odd player squeezes the hand of the next player on the odd team. When the last player receives the squeeze s/he shouts "odd!" If the answer was indeed odd, that team earns a point. 1st players rotate to the end of the line and 2 new players see next equation. Before playing do dance routine with side steps & step kicks to "Odd & Even."

10. Flash card dribbling or jump rope. One partner holds flash card, 2nd partner dribbles or jumps answer. Player earns point if answer is correct and player doesn't "miss" rope or ball. Switch roles after 5 turns.

11. Numbered head relays in which all teams win if they calculate accurately. Divide class into groups of 3, 4 or 5 players. Number players in each group. Set up cones or lines. Play ! Students especially love shooting baskets, with 2 teams at each court. Teacher states problem. Players whose number answers problem shoot baskets for 20 seconds, then hold ball as teacher calls new problem.

12. Dance & sing the blues to "0 Is a Hero."

13. Energetic exercise multiplies enthusiasm. Create a grid of 6 columns, 6 rows in half basketball court. Students form 2 lines at one corner. Stack exercise task cards face down. Roll a die. Resulting number of students fill first row of grid. Roll a second die to indicate how many times first number of students will exercise. Fill that many more rows. Turn over 1st card. How many all together are doing half jacks? After 20 seconds those players go to the back of their line. Repeat dice rolling for other line of students.

14. Cookie Monster Tag Before playing cut pictures of cookies from magazines and write a number on the back. Divide class into groups of 4-6 students. Each group establishes a starting line and safe line with cones. Cookie monster stands in front of remaining players who ask, "Are you hungry cookie monster?" If the reply is "no" they ask again. When the reply is "yes" the cookies attempt to run past cookie monster to safe line. If tagged they freeze. When players are all safe or tagged cookie monster collects cards from tagged players. He calculates how many cookies he got. He wants to share them with all the kids in the group so calculates how many each player will get. Maybe only a fraction of a cookie.

15. Double Doubles Dance routine in which each action is doubled and repeated double time. Then in groups of 2 or 3 one player jumps ropes the number of times s/he wants. Partner observes & counts then jump ropes double that amount. Switch roles and play again.

1. Play target games in groups of 3 or 4. Collect data. Use subtraction to see how much improvement each player achieved.

2. Divide class into 2 even teams and identify one team with pinnies. Line up in corner of basketball court. Roll dice to determine how many players from one team go into court and start doing an exercise or locomotor movement. Draw a card (cards prepared in advance) to determine how many players from the other team will also do exercise. Cards read, "2 more than number, 3 less than number, twice as many as number, half as many as number, etc." Those players move to end of line. Select new exercise, roll dice and repeat activity.

Measurement & Geometry

1. In partners use 2 jump ropes to measure height. One player lies down along rope with heels at one end of rope. Partner places 2nd rope along head. Try to long jump own height, your partner's height. Count how many toe heel steps between ropes, how many toe heel steps' distance you jumped and calculate the difference.

2. In groups of 3 use jump ropes to measure how many rope lengths is the perimeter of four square court, tether ball court, dodge ball circles, basketball key, etc. Record and compare which is bigger, etc. Before measuring students can estimate and/or order courts from smallest to largest. After measuring they compare with their guess and may need to reorder. Or players can estimate which is longer, the length of their combined individual ropes or the tetherball circle, for example. Demonstrate how to stretch the rope taut to achieve precision. After finishing the measuring task, jump rope. Compare effort. When does your heart beat faster? after measuring, jumping or turning the rope?

3. Use paces to measure how far you can throw a ball or bean bag. Mark restraining line with rope and throwing distance with more ropes or cones. Does distance increase with practice? (skill improving) or not? (arm getting tired) Repeat experiment facing a different location. Are the results the same? If not, explain. (Wind resistance or assistance)

4. In groups of 2 or 3 measure length of a court by counting ball bounces as you walk, run while dribbling a ball. Explain why measurements are different. (walking steps are smaller than running) Count kicks while kicking trash ball around a large oval (110 yards) and around a smaller oval. Before performing task predict which oval will require more kicks. Count out loud and compare performance with prediction.

5. In groups of 4-5 players form shapes with elastic or stretch ropes. Count sides & vertices. Take turns moving over, under and through shapes without touching elastic.

6. Form symmetrical & asymmetrical shapes with bodies, ropes. Make asymmetrical shapes symmetrical in groups of 3 players.

7. Do routine to "Geometric shapes" or "Quadrilaterals" and look at pictures. In groups of 3-4 players create art work with jump ropes that makes use of geometric shapes. Walk through "museum" and find geometric shapes, open & closed shapes, curved and straight lines. May tally how many pentagons, etc. were observed. Conclude with 5 minutes of jump rope practice.

8. Gently sculpt partner's body into a shape. Make sculpture interesting by including curved, straight & twisted lines. Then copy that shape with artist's body so partner can see, too! (congruent shapes)

9. Play moving puzzles in groups of 3 players. Good opportunity to review joints of skeleton. (Shapes created by positive & negative space)

10. In groups of 4, one player holds a cardboard model of a right angle and a flexible angle made with 2 poster board strips fastened together with brass fastener. (reinforce punched holes before assembling) Remaining players create a design with their bodies that includes a right angle and the flexible angle modeled by cardboard.

11. Lines & Intersections In groups of 3, two players move around through space to predetermined number of beats while teacher beats drum. On last beat the two players form a statue together. 3rd player finds lines formed by bodies and identifies the points of intersection and angles formed.

12. Partners stand around perimeter of playing space. Each partner group has an individual rope. 2 players form a line with large elastic rope pulled taut. 2 other players form a second line with elastic rope that has a different orientation. Remaining players form lines with their ropes that are parallel or perpendicular to elastic ropes.

13. How should you run to win a race? to elude pursuers? In groups of 4 or 5 run sprints with 2 players holding piece of yarn for finish line. Play cat & mouse tag or circle kho to make short cuts. Compare with straight ahead running. Circle Kho Players alternate facing in and out as they stand in circle formation on grass. One player is the "hunted" e.g.. deer or buffalo. One player is the hunter who attempts to tag the prey. The prey may run in & out of circle at will. The 1st hunter may not enter circle, but may tag a player who is facing inward to become hunter. Likewise that chaser cannot run out of circle when prey exits, but must tag (and stand in that place) a player who is facing outward. When tagged choose new prey. Remind players forming circle to keep their feet & bodies facing in or out while turning their heads & hips to follow the action. Cat & Mouse One player (mouse) begins inside circle of players. Another player (cat) begins outside. On signal cat chases mouse in & out & around their circle. Other players help or hinder by raising or lowering hands. When mouse is caught both cat & mouse choose a replacement.

14. Perimeter vs. Area Will more students standing elbow to elbow fit around perimeter or inside four square court? Predict, experiment, then play four square on all the courts.

1. Predict how many kicks will get a shoe box across the length of a basketball court. Kick & count. Predict and count how many kicks will get a trash ball the length of basketball court. Kick & count. Compare performance with prediction and explain difference in number of kicks between ball & box. Show difference between ball & box with bar graph.

2. True/Not True Tag Make sentence cards in advance. Half the statements should be true & half untrue. Designate one team true, the other not true. Teams line up double arms distance apart and facing other team. Establish a safe line for each team. One player from a team draws a card. Teacher reads statement. If true, the true team gets safe and the not true team pursues. Line up and play again.

3. Play predator prey tag game and write results as a ratio how many caught/how many prey all together. Create cards in advance. Assign every student to be an animal. Predators wear pinnies. Line up randomly on starting line. Pull card and call animals. Predators pursue prey to safe line.

4. In partners both players spin a frisbee or coffee can lid. Before spinning each time players predict if the lid will land with top up or down. Each player tallies how many times there prediction is true, not true. Follow up with skill game in which group of players stand in a circle. One player sets frisbee spinning in the middle and calls a name. Called player attempts to catch frisbee before it stops spinning.

5. Perform traditional folk dances. Recognize the pattern of steps and identify patterns with letters.

6. Do a hand action routine to the song, "Patterns." In small groups compose patterns with manipulative objects, non locomotor &/or locomotor movement. Groups may demonstrate routines for remaining students to identify pattern. Some prompts: Body Part Isolations: Create set of cards of body parts (head, knees, etc.) Create set of cards of nonlocomotor movements (circle, twist, vibrate, bend/straighten, etc.) Form groups of 2-3 players each group and deal each group 1 body part card and 1 action card. + players decide on 1 additional body part & 1 additional action and create an ABAB pattern. They join another group and learn their pattern. They now have 4 movements which can be assembled in several ways: ABCDABCD ABACADA ABAACD, etc. Before performing for class to guess they write their pattern on lap chalkboard. Sequence of 3: Deal an action (locomotor such as prance, scoot, hobble, leap or non locomotor) card to each student. Roll a die 3Xs and write resulting 3 numbers on board. Players form groups of 3 and, using cards & numbers, decide which action to do which number of times. Make sequence interesting by varying relationship, direction, speed, level of movement. After repeating sequence 2Xs players sit. When all are seated roll dice for 3 new numbers, exchange cards, assemble new groups of 3 and repeat activity. Accelerate: ABA pattern. Partners decide on both a locomotor and a non locomotor movement. They start moving across field slowly, get faster, slow down, stop and perform non locomotor movement slowly, faster, slower. Stop, turn around and repeat locomotor movement slowly, faster, slow down and stop at starting place.

7. In small groups form circles and add on manipulative or non locomotor movements. Start over with new motion or action when sequence is "broken."

8. Predict alike/different in partner guessing game. Partners facing decides to hold up 2 or 3 fingers. On signal they show and determine if they are alike or different. Each player tallies own results. Play 3Xs with a partner then rotate to new partner. In the classroom tally all the scores and graph results. Are the alike and different tallies equal?

1. Form teams as a math problem: There are 20 students in the class. We need 4 equal teams. How many players will be on each team?

2. Distribute equipment as a math problem: Form groups of 2-4 players to create a game that practices catching. There are ___ groups. No group can have more than 1 rubber ball. There are 10 balls in the bag. How many balls will be left over? There are 10 cones, 12 poly spots, 10 hoops. Not every group has to have the same equipment. How many additional pieces of equipment may each team take? Create and play catching games.

3. Play a tree tag game with 2 pursuers and note how many players are caught after running across the field twice. Increase or decrease the number of pursuers and predict how many players will be caught. See if prediction is true. Tree Tag Players are lined up side by side on one side of the field. Teacher chooses 2-4 players to be "It" (cheetah, etc.) then calls lined up players to run to the other side of the field by attribute. The "animals" attempt to pull the runners' flags before they are safe behind the line. When a runner's flag is pulled he becomes a "Tree." Trees are stuck in the place where their flag was pulled and pull flags of runners.

1. Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, 1999.

2. Mathematics by Charles Hohmann. High/Scope Press, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1991.

3. The Moving Box by Rebecca Fuller & Nancy Lyons. Footprint Press, Santa Rosa, 1977.

3. "Hoop fractions" was presented by Jody Gray at the CAHPERD Conference 3/88.

4. "Math Munchers" was created by Joe Gallo and published by PE Central. (http://pe.central.vt.edu/mathmunchers.html)

5. "Zero Is a Hero," " Place Value," "Big Numbers," "Double Doubles," "Get in the Action with Fractions," "Geometric Shapes," "Patterns" and "Quadrilaterals" are by Ron Brown in Math Concepts 1 & 2 Teaching Tunes.

6. "Lines & Intersections" was created by Sheila Hillinger of the South Coast RepTheatre and presented in an Imagination Celebration Workshop spring 1998.

(Information provided courtesy of pelinks4u.jasonbuckboyer.com)

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