Pipe Cleaner Math – Counting, Making Patterns, and Addition Flags
Making math hands-on and FUN is easy to do with pipe cleaners! They are colorful and bendy; kids love them! Plus, you can grab them from the dollar store or you may even have these items in your home or classroom. Use this pipe cleaner math activity in your fine motor center, math center, place in a pencil box for a busy box, or put on a tray for an arrival activity.
This activity is pure fine motor FUN! As your students place the beads on the pipe cleaners, they are also strengthening their fine motor muscles, hand-eye coordination, and pencil grasp. I always love to sneak in as much fine motor work as I possibly can!
How to Create the Pipe Cleaner Math Flags
To prep this activity, you will need
colored tape
pipe cleaners
pony beads
Simply cut the pipe cleaners in half with scissors. Then cut a small piece of colored tape, place at the top of the flag, and fold over (trim if needed). Lastly, use a Sharpie to write a number, pattern, or math fact on the flag.
Counting Pipe Cleaner Flags
Write numbers at the top of each flag to create counting pipe cleaner flags! Students identify the number, count out the corresponding number of beads, and place them on the flag. If your students need help identifying numbers, you can also make dots next to the number for students to count.
Pattern Pipe Cleaner Flags
Write a pattern at the top of the flag to create pattern flags. Students create various patterns (AB, ABC, AAB, BBA, AABB) by placing the beads in order on the pipe cleaners.
Addition Pipe Cleaner Flags
Write an addition math fact at the top of the flag. Students read the addition math fact and solve it. Then place the beads on the pipe cleaner and count the total number of beads to check their answer.
Gather some pipe cleaners and make a set of pipe cleaner math flags for your classroom! Your students will love them!
If you need more fun, hands-on math activities, check out my Math for Little Learners Curriculum. Grab the bundle or individual units!
