Mother’s Day Math Tips

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Families everywhere will be putting together their best ideas for how to celebrate Mother’s Day with Mom. Whether heading out to brunch, visiting a flower garden, or having a family day at home, moms (and dads!) can engage their children in fun, recreational math during their celebratory activities, says Laura Overdeck, a mother of three and founder of the national non-profit organization Bedtime Math.

Several of Laura’s best ideas for Mother’s Day math fun are below. 

1. Pre-Mother’s Day gift preparation – Before Mother’s Day arrives, Dad and the kids can get out their arts and crafts supplies to make Mom a special present. Kids can use construction paper to make a pretty card or picture, and learn about different shapes. If you have two circles and a triangle cut out of construction paper, can you put them together to create a heart for the front of Mom’s card?   

2. Counting flowers – What mom doesn’t love to get flowers on Mother’s Day?!If your family gives you a beautiful bouquet, use it as an opportunity to practice counting with the kids. How many different types of flowers are included in the bouquet? How many petals does each one have? How many leaves?

3. ‘Breakfast in bed’ math – Breakfast in bed for mom on her big day is sure to make her feel extra special! While helping to whip up some yummy pancakes, bacon, and eggs, Dad can help the kids practice basic arithmetic. If half a cup of flour is needed for the pancakes, how many ¼ cup-measurements should you use? If four people in the family each want two eggs, how many eggs do you need to cook?

Laura, who holds a degree in astrophysics from Princeton University, founded Bedtime Math in 2012 as a tool for parents to inspire their children to love math at a young age and outside of the classroom environment.  Through BedtimeMath.org, parents receive a nightly math problem to do with their children; each one is adapted for various age levels (including Wee Ones, Little Kids, Big Kids, and The Sky’s the Limit) and draws on real-life, kid-appealing examples.

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