Mathematical Ball Toss
Students will have a partner and a small ball (light weight). Teacher will write a problem on the board. The students will determine the answer and then toss the ball back and forth with their partner the correct number of times.
Human Greater Than/Less Than
Teacher will write 2 numbers or even 2 equation on the board. Students will create the less than or greater than symbols using their arms. This has been really effective for exceptional learners to remember which way the symbol goes.
Math in Action
Assign a movement to each mathematical operation (addition – jump, subtraction – squat, multiplication – jumping jacks, division - arm circles). Teacher will show the math symbols (plus, minus, multiply, or divide) and students will do the appropriate movement
Secret Number
I have even done this while we are waiting. Teacher will choose a student to stand in front of the room. The teacher will show the secret number to the other students in the class. The teacher tells the student the number is between 1-100. All students will begin to march in place. The student in the front will guess a number. If the secret number is higher, the class does vertical jumps. If the secret number is lower than the guess, the class does squats. This continues until the secret number is identified. Can also try using equations that students need to use mental math to get the answer.
Mental Math Race
Two groups of students stand at the front of the classroom. Each student holds up a number to a hundred's equation. For example, one student holds up the "2" to the equation "246-102=". Two other students are on the other side of the room and are silent and have to draw the answer with their hands. The other 2 students on the other side of the room need to guess what number they are singling and write in on the board. The first person to finish, wins. Students can also create the number in words or expanded form that goes with the unit.
Movement in Words
Overall, even if it was spontaneously sometimes, I would try to incorporate movement even in the small ways. For example, I found out that students have a hard time with remembering what the words "sum" and "difference" is. So one day I crossed my arms to make a plus sign and told my students to create it with the arms and repeatedly say "sum" out loud. Then they repeated saying "difference" with their one arm creating a minus symbol. After that point, I felt like the students really remembered what those two concepts were because they remembered doing it with their arms. Some students that forgot about it, sometimes I would initiate it saying "show me sum.." and then something would seem to connect and they remembered what it was.
Bouncing Sums
Cover a beach ball with numbers (use a permanent marker or sticky labels). Toss the ball to one student and have her call out the number that her right thumb touches. She tosses it to the next student, who does the same and then adds his number to the first. Continue for five minutes and record the sum. Each time you play the game, add the sum to a graph. On which day did you reach the highest sum? The lowest?