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About 54% of US children ages 6-16 participate in a sport. That’s around 60 million children! Sports-themed math activities are a great way to connect children’s interests to academic lessons. We’re sharing some movement-based math sports games to get your students on their feet and learning. Educators can use these math activities for elementary students to gamify math classes or to add math to elementary PE lesson plans. Incorporating math into sports through these activities can significantly impact student engagement!
Though we may not initially consider the two related, mathematics and sports support each other. Connecting the two shows young students a real-world application of math.
Some instances of math in sports include:
When you ask someone to picture “math class,” they’ll likely imagine a classroom with students sitting at desks. Traditionally, math is not considered in physical education. But math and sports make a great pair. Using math sports games in elementary PE lesson plans can significantly improve students’ learning and retention.
The hippocampus is located in the brain’s temporal lobe and is responsible for memory and learning. Studies have shown that exercise promotes its growth.
Additionally, a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, is released during exercise. BDNF encourages the growth, maintenance, and repair of neurons. Thus, being physically active creates the perfect opportunity for the brain to learn and build new neural pathways.
As we exercise, blood flow to the brain increases, bringing oxygen and nutrients to the hippocampus. This supports healthy cognitive function.
Furthermore, exercise reduces cortisol levels. Cortisol is commonly known as the “stress hormone.” So, physical activity reduces anxiety and other negative feelings.
Movement-based math activities for elementary students can benefit both students’ bodies and minds.
Math sports games are a great way to integrate math into elementary physical education lesson plans! Below are a few ideas of math and physical education activities for elementary students.
Active math movements are short physical exercises students can do while improving math skills. They do not require any materials other than students’ voices and bodies! These math activities are perfect for short brain breaks in the classroom or for elementary PE lesson plans.
Many of our active math movements are also cross-lateral movements. These movements engage both hemispheres of the brain and further boost brain activity and cognitive function.
Here are three active math movements inspired by popular sports. These movements are designed to help teach locomotor and manipulative skills while skip counting and incorporating math in sports. Practice these movements with your students to build their number sense and engage them in math!
Have students practice skip counting by 3s with or without a basketball. First, have students cross their bodies with their right hand in front of them. Dribble (or pretend-dribble) the ball and whisper, “One.”
Next, have students cross their bodies with their left hand, dribble, and whisper, “Two.”
Finally, have students dribble the ball with both hands and say, “THREE!” loudly. (Alternatively, if not using basketballs, have students clap while saying “three.”)
Repeat this up to 30.
Learn how to hit a volleyball over the net while counting by 4s.
First, ask your students to assume an athletic stance (hips, knees, and ankles bent, feet shoulder-width apart) and whisper, “One.”
Next, have students put their forearms together and whisper, “Two.”
Students will hit the ball with their forearms and whisper, “Three.”
Finally, as the ball goes over the net, have students clap and say, “FOUR!” loudly.
Practice this math sports game together as a class without a ball first, then have students practice in small groups with a volleyball. Repeat these motions up to 40.
Practice skip counting by 5s and kicking with a soccer ball. Have students step forward with their non-kicking foot, resting it next to the ball, and whisper, “One.”
Next, ask your students to bring their kicking foot back and turn their toes outward while whispering, “Two.”
Then, students will kick the ball with the inside of their foot and whisper, “Three.”
Students will follow through in the direction of the target and whisper, “Four.”
Finally, have them clap and say, “FIVE!” loudly.
Repeat this exercise to 50.
You can find hundreds of more active math movements like these in our Training Manuals. The Math & Movement Training Manual for Elementary Schools has over 250 movements to energize your students. If you’re looking for math and physical education activities, this manual is exactly what you need! Enter your email below to get your copy sent to you for FREE!
Movement isn't just for recess
Want to get started with movement-based learning right now? Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
See how simple adding movement can be!
The Math & Movement program is a multi-sensory approach to learning based on research supporting movement-based learning strategies. In addition to our active math movements, we create products that allow educators to incorporate movement-based learning into their daily lessons. Our products, including floor mats and stickers, supplement your school’s curriculum.
Access to our online activity database is included with every order. There, you can find ways to use our materials with your students. We’re sharing two math sports games your class can play on some of our most popular materials! Include these activities in your elementary PE lesson plans or your list of math games to play in class.
Grades: 3-4
The Skip Counting by 2s mat is a number line from 0 to 20, featuring each numeral, number word, and corresponding number of symbols. Each multiple of 2 is in a blue block. The Bean Bag Baseball Game activity is perfect for students learning multiplication. It can also be adapted to any multiple students are working on.
To play Bean Bag Baseball, divide students into teams. One team lines up behind zero. The other team(s) will wait off to the side until it is their turn “at bat.” Place a bucket at the top of the mat above 20.
The goal of the game is to get the most bean bags in the bucket before all of the rounds/innings are over. You can determine how many innings you play.
Give the first student in line a multiplication by 2s problem. They will solve the problem by jumping on the mat. (For example, to solve 2×4, the student would jump up the mat four times, landing only on multiples of two, until they reach eight.)
If they answer correctly, they get a chance to toss a bean bag into the bucket. The team gets a point if the bean bag goes into the bucket.
If the student’s answer is wrong, the team gets a “strike,” and the student does not get to toss the bean bag. Repeat with the next student in line. Once the team receives the set amount of strikes, switch to the next team and repeat the process.
When you complete the chosen number of innings, the team with the most points wins!
Grades: 2-5
The Add/Subtract (1-100) is our large hundred number grid! It is one of our most popular and versatile materials. This product features numbers one through 100 in a colorful 10×10 grid.
Play Football Toss on the Add/Subtract (1-100) mat to practice addition, subtraction, number patterns, or multiples. Plus, students can practice their tossing and catching skills.
Designate a student as a quarterback and another as a receiver. Give students an objective, such as counting by 7s all the way to 100.
The receiver stands on seven, and the quarterback stands off the mat by one. The quarterback tosses the receiver a ball. (Bonus points if you have a foam football to play with.)
If the receiver doesn’t fumble (drop the ball), they move to the next multiple of seven (14). Repeat this until the receiver reaches 100 while the quarterback stands off the mat by the number one. If the ball is fumbled at any point, the receiver has to start back at the beginning.
If the team successfully makes it to 100, they earn a touchdown!
Adapt this game to whichever lesson your students are learning – whether it’s simple addition by 10s, skip counting, or finding prime numbers.
Educators can start incorporating math into elementary PE lesson plans by:
Our webinar, Math & Movement for K-6 Grade Physical Educators, shares practical strategies for bringing math practice into PE class. In 1-hour, learn techniques for warm-ups, assessments, and activities that will work on PE skills while allowing students to have intentional and vigorous math practice.
The Math & Movement Training Manual for K-5 Physical Education provides activities by grade level on how to use our materials during physical education classes. The activity guides in this digital book are designed for teachers to use as lesson plans. Each lesson plan meets one or more of the National Standards and Grade Level Outcomes released by SHAPE America and the Common Core Math Standards.
This manual is perfect for integrating movement-based learning into PE and math lesson plans. Bring math into sports with exercises, stretches, and cross-body movements! You can integrate math into your physical education lesson plans as soon as your next sports unit.
Fun math activities for elementary students set them up to be engaged with math throughout their academic careers. With these math sports games, you can watch your students’ coordination and numerical fluency improve. As you use sports-inspired math activities, your elementary students will be more engaged and experience all the benefits of exercise-enhanced learning.
Movement isn't just for recess
Want to get started with movement-based learning right now? Enter your email to get our training manual with over 250 active math movements. No materials necessary!
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