Math Activities to Teach Your Kids on a Hike

Using the great outdoors to explore different ways to teach the basics of math can be very appealing. Addition, subtraction, and multiplication don’t have to be boring at all. Take your kids on a hike and watch as they develop a love for both nature and math. You’d be surprised at how much nature has to offer for kids aged 7-9. From science and history to chemistry and physics, there’s so much to learn on a hike. For now, let’s focus on how you can teach math while being on this outdoor adventure.

Addition with Nature’s Treasures

Turn the forest floor into a math playground! Collect five small items, like pebbles or leaves. Show all the items to your child, then secretly split them between your hands. Reveal one hand and ask, “How many are hiding in my other hand?” This game teaches addition by counting on. For instance, if you show 2 pebbles, your child can use their fingers to count up from 3 to 5 to determine the number of hidden pebbles. Mix it up by hiding objects under a bandana or in your backpack for added fun.

Subtraction in Action

Make subtraction come to life with a hands-on approach. Place a few objects in a line and count them together. Then, discreetly remove some and ask your child to count what’s left. Practice stating the subtraction fact out loud, such as “5 minus 2 equals 3,” as you count the remaining items. This will teach them how subtraction works.

Skip Counting on the Trail

Use your hike to practice skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. As you walk, count together in these intervals—2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and so on to improve their counting. You can also extend the counting to 100, and incorporate it into your conversation as you walk.

Exploring Shapes in Nature

Nature is filled with geometric shapes so challenge your kids to spot circles, squares, triangles, rectangles, diamonds, spheres, cylinders, and cones in the natural world. You can also try forming some of these shapes using sticks, pebbles, or leaves. For example, arrange pebbles in the shape of a triangle or create a rectangle with sticks to help kids recognize shapes.

Measurement Fun

Introduce your kids to measurement by counting their steps. Estimate how many steps it takes to walk a quarter mile, then multiply that number by 4 to find out how many steps make up a mile. Note that adults generally take about 2,000 steps to walk a mile.

If you enjoyed these math activities, you might also like Kris Davis’ book Seek and Find Hiking. This book is the second volume to “What Can You See on a Hike?” and is perfect for children aged 7 to 9. It offers supplementary activities that enrich the hiking experience, along with fascinating facts related to the objects found on the trail. Happy hiking and happy calculating!

Combining math with the great outdoors only makes learning more enjoyable. Next time you hit the trail, bring these activities along and watch as your child’s love for math—and nature—grows!