Snake Maths Skills

This snake Maths skills activity is easy to do and your kids can have fun being creative while at the same time practicing basic Maths skills.

You will need:

• Cardboard in different colours
• Pre-cut foam shapes (optional)
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Marker pens or pencils

What to do:

On a larger piece of cardboard, mark out lines to a width of 3cm. Mark the length so that all the snakes lengths will vary but make sure the lengths will not be a decimal point. I measured mine to be 29cm, 25cm, 22cm, 19cm, 17cm, 15cm and 14cm. Use a curved ruler to draw the outlines and shape the heads. Let the kids cut them out.

Use different colours of cardboard and cut squares, circles, rectangles, triangles and stars (you can also use pre-cut foam shapes). Mix up the shapes and let the kids sort it out again to practice shape recognition.

Let the kids decorate the snakes by gluing the shapes to the snakes. Suggest that they try to follow a pattern.

They can add extra shapes and squiggles with marker pens or pencils. Once they feel their snakes are done, help them to glue the googly eyes and tongues.

Start by asking which snake is the longest, which snakes is the shortest. Let them arrange the snakes from longest to shortest, shortest to longest.

Mark the snakes A, B, C, D and so forth OR give them names! Help the kids to measure each snake using a ruler and to write down the measurements or use a non-standardised measuring tool like blocks. Make sure to measure down the centre from the top of the head down to the tails.

Give them a few word problems in accordance with their skills.

Examples:

• Work out how much longer is snake A compared to snake C
• What will the combined lengths of snake D and E be?
• How many times can snake F fit into snake A?

Once you are done practicing math skills, use the snakes as a classroom decoration or bookmarks.

A fun way to work on Math skills like patterning, shapes, measuring and so much more while being creative too!