Adding some vibrant spring energy to your math centers is a great way to keep young students excited about learning!
In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite rainbow math activities, crafts, and games that have kept my kindergarten – first-grade students engaged during the spring season.
Counting on a Rainbow Spring Math Activity
This activity is a huge favorite on St. Patrick’s Day, so I wanted to create a spring version as well! Students love creating rainbows using colored cereal pieces, then counting & writing how many of each color they used! And, of course, eating their math manipulatives LOL!
We extend the activity by asking questions such as what color did you use the most, the least, compare 2 colors (How many more red pieces than blue pieces did you use?), etc.
It is fun, hands-on practice for sorting, counting, one-to-one correspondence, writing numbers, and comparing numbers.
Digital Version
Students enjoyed this activity so much and wanted to do it over and over, so I created a digital version that enabled them to move the virtual cereal pieces (and kept them from eating tons of sugary cereal LOL!).
Rainbow Spring Math Craftivity
I love blending crafts with math! This spring math craft gives students an opportunity to show their creativity while practicing addition!
First, they craft a rainbow, then roll dice to see how many cereal pieces (or colored manipulatives) to place on each color! We extend the activity by prompting students to identify the total number of cereal pieces on the rainbow or to compare the quantities of different colors. (counting, addition, comparing numbers)
Rainbow Roll & Cover Math Games
This engaging game not only reinforces addition, counting, and number recognition but also encourages critical thinking as players strategically cover spaces on the rainbow game board. As students roll the dice and cover numbers, they develop their number sense while enjoying the interactive and social aspect of gameplay.
Students can play with a partner or independently. They roll dice, add the numbers together, and cover that number with a game piece. The game is over when all of the numbers are covered. The winner is the student with the most numbers covered.
I love this game because it can be easily differentiated for students not quite ready for addition. It can be played with one die. Students count the dots and cover the number.
Rainbow Addtion Spring Math Center or Whole Group Activity
Whether in whole-class instruction or small groups or centers, students love using ten frames and colorful cereal pieces to add the two numbers from the rainbow, and then write the addition equation.
I laminate the ten frames and have students use dry erase markers to write their addition equations. After we check them, they simply wipe them off and get ready for the next one!
They make great centers or small group activities and can be easily differentiated for addition to 10 or addition to 20.
You can make the centers self-checking by putting the correct addition equations on the back of each rainbow card.
Students choose a rainbow card, use the ten frame and manipulatives to add the numbers together, and then write the addition equation.
For quick spring math review, I show digital Google Slides of the rainbows on the Smart Board and have students use the ten frames at their desks.
If you enjoyed these spring math activities and would like to use them in your classroom, you can download the pre-made templates (print & digital), patterns, pages, and detailed instructions in my Spring Math Activies resource. Click here or on the cover image below:
Pin it for later!
