In our everyday life, even if we are not always consciously aware of it, we are using math to understand and make sense of the world. This is especially true when we are engaging in tasks outdoors. Exploring the outdoors, whether in a forest or in a busy downtown core, offers a wealth of mathematical learning opportunities. This summer, take the time to discover the different and exciting math in your community and beyond.
Primary Tasks:
- Ask your child how long you think it will take them to walk/run/move to a specific landmark. After they make an estimate - time how long it takes and have them compare their estimate with the result.
- Look and read maps together as you are following trails.
- Have your children count how many items they see (e.g., how many red cars, how many maple trees, how many other people).
- If you are in an outdoor space with building materials (e.g., sand, sticks, rocks), have them build structures and talk to them about them (e.g., Why did you choose to put this item here? What shapes do you see inside your structure?).
Junior Tasks:
- Measuring distance driven on a trip.
- Planning for hike (e.g., distance travelled, how long it will take, the route to follow).
- Farmers market (e.g., figuring out the route so you visit all stands, determining the total cost) of products you want to buy and how much change you will get back).
- Gardening (e.g., determining the space needed before planting, figuring out how many plants you will need, determining what plants will grow best within your garden, figuring out how many plants to buy and determining the cost).
Intermediate Tasks:
- Navigating using a map
- Using public transit (e.g., time management, routes on a map, schedules, costs associated with travel)
- Geocaching
- Orienting
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