Colorful Math: Area, Multiplication and Square Numbers Edition

Two things our house has a lot of: math and color.

 

We eat colorful, mathy breakfasts.  (Isn't this hexagon egg-citing?)

And then we work on our colorful and original attributes matching game.  The attributes include a multitude of choices in the following categories: shape, color and pattern.  We ask: How can I make the pair exactly the same?  How can I make the next pair different?  How are my designs similar to each other?

After a bath and second breakfast, we learn about square units and determine the size and area of each picture.  But why stop there when there are colored pencils around?  I wanted to move on but quickly concede that not only is color is a great addition for highlighting structure within the areas in question, but basic math gets a whole lot more fun to do!

At which point I think: Wow, I've got some graph paper...how about tomorrow we look into square numbers?

And how do I start that lesson?  Pick your seven favorite colors!

We do the first six numbers and the child, unbidden, suddenly looks over her work and says "Wow, they get bigger!  Oh, and there's a pattern!"  We figure out the specifics and then use that observation to predict the seven square.  I know there is lingering confusion about how exactly that number is made but, as you know, tomorrow is another day and I think I have an idea...involving colored pencils, of course.