Who says math must consist of worksheets? Make math come alive with these math project ideas for elementary students.
Why You Should Incorporate Elementary Math Project Ideas
Although there is a place for math drills and worksheet practice, this approach can leave students feeling that math is boring.
Bring it to life by incorporating elementary math project ideas.
Math projects can not only invigorate and inspire students, but they can also provide opportunities to practice problem-solving and creativity.
12 Math Project Ideas for Elementary Students
Students will love the challenge and fun of these math project ideas for elementary.
They work well as an opening activity or as a complete lesson!
You can even extend some of these elementary math projects to multiple days.
This article contains affiliate links to things that you might like.
Shape City
Have students design and build a city using different geometric shapes.
You can use math pattern blocks or create your own shapes from colored construction paper for a 2-D city.
Or you can provide a poster board and have students make a 3-D city on top.
You can use premade 3-D shapes or decorate cardboard recycling items (like cereal boxes, tissue boxes, toilet paper tubes, etc.).
Older students can calculate the perimeter or area of buildings, roads, and parks.
Fraction Pizza
Let students create their own pizza with various toppings.
Trace a paper plate or circular pizza pan on colored paper.
Then, provide topping cutouts.
You can cut the paper into slices of 8 to explore fractions.
Or you can issue challenges like: “Arrange the toppings so they are evenly divided among the pieces.”
Or “Put on the peppers and then add twice as many pepperoni.”
Money Math Fair
Organize a fair where students can buy and sell goods using play money.
Go the extra mile and have students make the items to sell, like math activity books, calendars, or math manipulatives.
They can practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication of money while managing their budget.
Data Detective
Have students collect and analyze data from their classmates, such as favorite colors or hobbies.
For younger students, create a pictograph with paper cut-outs to present the results.
Older student can make bar graphs or pie charts to present their findings.
Time Travel
Ask students to research historical events and create a timeline using different units of time, such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years.
You can make timelines by year for the lives of historical figures like Garrett Morgan and Annie Turbo Malone.
You can create timelines of days for battles or journeys, and a timeline of minutes and hours for a hugely eventful day, like a major sporting event.
Measurement Detectives
Provide students with various objects and materials to measure, such as pencils, books, or classroom furniture.
For round objects, give them string, scissors, and a yardstick or meterstick and ask them to figure out how to measure the circumference.
Mathematical Art
Encourage students to create artwork using mathematical concepts like symmetry, patterns, or tessellations.
Show them examples from artists like M.C. Escher.
They can explore different shapes and angles while expressing their creativity.
Math Olympics
Plan a mini Olympics event where students participate in math-related games and challenges.
They can compete in mental math races, problem-solving relays, and estimation contests.
You can also make games that surround engineering challenges like “tallest tower of toothpicks and gumdrops.”
Math in Nature
Take students on a nature walk and ask them to identify different shapes, patterns, symmetry, and numbers they encounter.
To make it even more fun, turn it into a scavenger hunt!
This a great opener for all kinds of math lessons. You can draw from these nature examples for many lessons to come.
Math Around the World
Assign each student a country and have them research its culture, currency, and landmarks.
They can use their research to present a math-focused presentation.
How do you convert the currency from this nation?
What are the distances between landmarks or major cities?
What is the population of various cities? Rank them largest to smallest.
Shape Art
Give students measurement devices like rulers, compasses, protractors, or even plastic shapes.
Show them how to create shapes and angles using these tools.
Have them trace or draw their own designs using these devices. Then color them in to make abstract art.
This math project makes these measurement devices more approachable. It also highlights math’s connection to art.
Math Board Games
Give students a game board template and have them design their own math game.
Give them access to manipulatives, cards, dice, cardstock, and fake money to use in their game.
Math Projects for Elementary Students
These math project ideas for elementary students will boost your students’ love for math.
By getting them away from problem sets for a little while, they will see math’s connection to the wider world.
And, hopefully, learn to love it.