Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to perform arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, while having fun with play blocks.

Materials and Prep

• Play blocks (various shapes and colors)
• Writing materials (paper and pencil)
• Basic understanding of numbers and counting

Activities

• Activity 1: Addition Towers

Build towers using play blocks. Start with two towers of different heights. Count the total number of blocks in both towers by adding them together.

• Activity 2: Subtraction Structures

Create different structures using play blocks. Take away some blocks and count how many are left. This will help you understand subtraction.

• Activity 3: Multiplication Arrays

Create rectangular arrays using play blocks. For example, build a 3x4 array using 3 blocks in one row and 4 blocks in another row. Count the total number of blocks in the array to understand multiplication.

• Activity 4: Division Sharing

Use play blocks to represent a group of objects. Divide the blocks equally among a certain number of people or groups. Count how many blocks each person or group receives to understand division.

Talking Points

• Arithmetic is a branch of mathematics that deals with numbers and operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Adding means combining two or more numbers to find the total. For example, if you have 3 blocks and add 4 more blocks, you will have a total of 7 blocks.
• Subtracting means taking away a number from another number. For example, if you have 8 blocks and take away 3 blocks, you will be left with 5 blocks.
• Multiplying means repeated addition. If you have 3 rows of 4 blocks each, you can count the total number of blocks by adding 4 + 4 + 4, which equals 12 blocks.
• Dividing means sharing equally. If you have 12 blocks and want to share them equally among 3 friends, each friend will get 4 blocks.
• Remember, arithmetic can be fun when using play blocks to visualize and understand the concepts.