Spooky Math Fun with Pumpkin Cookies

Last year for Halloween, we talked about learning basic geometrical shapes with some spooky fun here. This time around, let’s bake some scrumptious pumpkin chip cookies on the occasion and learn about the basics of multiplication alongside.

The recipe is pretty simple. I haven’t mentioned the proportions of each ingredient here since most of us are pretty familiar with the basics of baking cookies and this one is no different. Preheat oven to about 200 degrees C. Have your baking tray greased and ready while you whisk together sugar, vegetable oil, milk, pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. In another, mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add the mixture from the first bowl to the second, stirring gently all the while. A generous addition of chocolate chips comes next. Scoop out spoonfuls onto the baking tray compartments and bake for 10-15 minutes until they turn into a yummy golden brown.

“Bake” by StockSnap is licensed under CC by 2.0

Now for the math. If it’s a preschooler, say each number out loud when you scoop out the spoonfuls onto the tray and let her repeat after you. Once done, allow your kid to count how many of them are in a row (since it’ll be a small number, they should be able to do it with a little bit of help). For slightly older kids, ask them to estimate how many cookies there are altogether on the baking tray without actually counting them out (multiplication tables – say, 4 rows and 5 columns). If you wish to introduce the concept of fractions to them, break a ready cookie into half and then subsequently into four quarters and demonstrate it to them, making sure you have a piece of paper and pencil handy alongside to write and explain how fractions work.

The goal is to make it a fun task and get their basics right in the process. Whether their answers turn out to be right or wrong, it’s a win-win situation all along since everyone is going to have yummy cookies to eat at the end! Happy Halloween!

Spooky Math Fun with Shapes

Math always was spooky. I see a wide majority of people out there (including myself) vigorously nodding their heads in approval! Well, why not use this ‘spooky math’ to teach your little one the basics of geometrical shapes this Halloween?

Here’s a fun activity to do, which also doubles up as a craft. We all enjoy making jack-o’-lanterns out of pumpkins in order to keep them on our porches outdoors for Halloween. Let’s try our hand at making paper jack-o’-lanterns too for a change; they’ll look good adorning the walls indoors, especially the kids’ rooms!

Image courtesy: Toddler Approved

Simply draw the outline of a large pumpkin on a white sheet of paper and let your child color it a bright orange. Now cut it out. On a separate sheet of paper, draw various other basic shapes – triangles, squares, rectangles, circles, semi-circles, even a star or two. Ask your child to identify each shape and color all the similar ones a particular shade – such as yellow for circles, black for squares, blue for stars and so on. Once that is done, you could cut out the shapes as well; these can now be glued on to the orange pumpkin from the first step and, lo and behold, you have a cheery-looking multi-colored pumpkin grinning back at you!

Have a good, spooky Halloween!