Math is Just Like Christmas! Math is Just Like Christmas! is a post from Bekki @ A Better Way to Homeschool where we learn to train our children to become lifelong learners. If you have enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Bekki on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+! I introduced the boys to their manipulative math bin today. It was like Christmas Morning! This little guy was so excited that I never could get a picture in focus! I gave them no agenda, just “Explore”. They had a ball handling all the fun things: base 10 blocks, practice clocks, counter markers, math mats, and rubber stamps. The older boys had fun “making things” out of the different sets. Squishy created a unique game while Giggles built with the blocks like they were Legos. The most surprising discovery was the set of rubber stamps. These have become, not only a fun activity, but a necessary component of every lesson. My kids no longer want a 100% written on their work, they want a 100 block stamp instead (the older kids want the 1000 block stamp). A really simple, yet surprisingly challenging activity is to write numbers onto a blank piece of paper and then to have the kids stamp the correct block representation of each number. I was surprised that it was as challenging as it was for the younger boys and we have incorporated it into our weekly math activity schedule. What’s in our math manipulative bin? Base 10 stamps Base 10 Starter Kit Learning Clock Geometric Patterns Teddy bear counters …and more… Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets.