Snowflake Themed Math Activities

Even if you don’t live somewhere that gets a lot of snow, adding snowflakes to your classroom themes can be a lot of fun. They’re a great way to learn about symmetry, patterns and just to use in math learning.

For example, you can practice math facts up to 10 with these free printables from Math Geek Mama. They include addition and subtraction facts and kids color in all the snowflakes with problems that have the same solution (for example every problem where the answer is 5).

Work on multiplication facts and break the code with this activity from Royal Baloo. The download comes with questions that are answered by decoding multiplication problems where the answers stand for different letters. You could use the same code to write your own secret messages, too.

HoJo’s Teaching Adventures has a snowflake puzzle activity that includes addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You can get it when you give your email address. You know where to put the puzzle pieces because the math sentence on one piece matches the answer on the other.

Graph out the number of each different kind of snowflake with this snowflake I-spy graphing activity from Schooltime Snippets. Kids can mark each snowflake as they count them with a dot marker, or color them in with different colors of crayons.

Symmetry is an important aspect of snowflakes, and kids can play with shapes of different numbers of sides to make their own symmetrical snowflake patterns. This activity from A Little Pinch of Perfect has printable tanagram shapes kids can use to make a snowflake on a template, then count up the number of each shape they used.

Here’s another project using pattern block shapes to make snowflakes from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls.

This one is maybe more art than math, but you can also have kids complete the snowflake with different geometric shapes with this activity from As Told By Mom.

Snowflake Suduko Game

When I first saw Orofino, a cute summer top from Berroco, I thought it was crocheted. Something about those shifting blocks of eyelets made me think of crochet but on closer inspection it is knit, so let’s take a closer look.

This project alternates blocks of simple eyelet lace and garter stitch to make a boxy tee with a bit of air flow and a lot of texture.

The project is worked from the bottom up mostly in rounds (which does mean a fair bit of purling to do that garter stitch in the round, but the effect is worth it). When you divide for the armholes, the back and front are worked separately and flat to the end of the project.

That leaves you a little seam at the top of the shoulder, and there’s a tiny bit of finishing (literally picking up stitches, purling a round and binding off) at the neckline and armholes.

It calls for a worsted weight cotton yarn, but this would also be nice worked in linen or a blend.

The pattern includes both written and charted instructions, but the key on the charts is a little confusing in how it describes working flat versus in the round, so you can always double check with the written instructions if you need help.

There are six sizes available, ranging from a finished bust circumference of 38 to 71.5 inches, or 95 to 179 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 6 to 12 inches (or 15 to 30 cm) of positive ease.

It is rated as an intermediate knitting project, but if you have a little experience with lace knitting and potentially reading a chart if you want to use them, it shouldn’t be difficult for you.

The pattern is available to download for free on the Berroco website. You can also learn more about it on Ravelry.

[Photo: Berroco]

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