Fraction activities to try at home
Teaching fractions can be hard. Really hard. Games are a great way to help make those numerators and denominators stick. Here are some fun fraction games that are sure to boost your child’s understanding and critical thinking skills.
Build a fraction wall
You can use sticks, swim noodles or even strips of paper (template here) to compare fractions. Have a go at different ways to make one whole, one half and so on. You can also use these resources to look at equivalent fractions.
Hands on fractions with sticks
Here’s a wonderful activity to try when you are out and about, with some sticks at hand. For more hands-on fraction activities, why not download our Making Maths Stick activity pack?
Lego towers
Visualising the quantities represented by fractions is easier (and a lot more fun) when you use LEGO! Lay your blocks out side by side or build towers. How many different fractions can you build?
Fraction Hopscotch
It’s hopscotch—with a fraction games twist! Draw a hopscotch board on the pavement (or outline one with tape on your hallway floor). Label the squares with fractions instead of whole numbers. Children throw a marker and jump to where it lands, then name the equivalent fractions for that square.
Fraction picnic
Get a group of children to each plan a picnic and choose the food they want to bring along. Then the picnic has to be shared fairly amongst everyone. Is everything easy to share everything in the basket? Probably not!
Fraction connect
We all know Connect Four. Here’s a version with fractions! You need to decide on the fractions to be used and label the counters on both sides.The goal is to match not only your colours, but the fractions themselves. For instance, you need four one-fourths in a row, but only three one-thirds. This makes for some lovely strategy.
Fraction Pictionary
Can you draw a fraction—without using any numbers? That’s the challenge of this fractions game. Children can draw single objects divided to represent fractions. They can try more creative approaches too – for example, they might draw three apples and two oranges to represent three-fifths, or a pizza cut into fifths.
Winner keeps all four
Deal two cards each, a numerator and denominator. Then make the largest fraction with the two cards and determine whose fraction is the largest. The winner keeps all four cards, and play continues until the cards are gone.
For example, here 23 is larger than 28.
Domino fractions
Dominoes are like ready-made fractions! Pick two domino tiles and add (or subtract, or multiply, or divide) them. Turn it into a race to see who can calculate the answer first.
We hope you enjoy trying these fun fraction activities. Maths is always more enjoyable and memorable when it’s turned into a game!
