Our cleaning and tidying unit has been lots of fun in a number of ways. I’ve been feeling lots of joy about KonMari-ing my house! And it’s been fun to prepare activities that place extra focus on cleaning and tidying with my grandkids.
One of my 5-year-old granddaughter’s favorite activities was the Montessori-inspired sweeping paper scraps addition game we did. So I decided to extend that game into hands-on multiplication.
Montessori-Inspired Trash Multiplication Game Tray with Easy DIY Multiplication Board
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You can read about our Montessori-inspired sweeping paper scraps addition game in my post with free cleaning and tidying printables and Montessori-inspired cleaning and tidying activities.
Trash Multiplication and Clean-Up Game {with Easy DIY Montessori Multiplication Board}
Montessori-Inspired Trash Multiplication Game Tray with Easy DIY Multiplication Board
Materials Used:
- Free Printable: Dustpan and Brush Numbers 1-20 (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
- Free Printable: 1-5 Spinner (part of my subscriber freebie pack, so just sign up for my email to get the link and password … or check the bottom of your latest newsletter if you’re already a subscriber)
- I used the dustpan and brush from our Melissa & Doug Housekeeping Set
- 20 red scraps of paper crumpled up. I placed everything on a Multicraft Tray.
- The multiplication board I used isn’t available right now, but there’s a free DIY Multiplication “Bead” Board with Booklet by Kristina Prozesky at Teachers Pay Teachers. This works very well also. You can see an example of it being used in my Free Black History Printables and Montessori-Inspired Black History Activities.
- 20 red scraps of paper crumpled up for multiplication facts through 5×4
- a small red pom pom for the top of the multiplication board
- small Bambu condiment cup for numbers and pom pom for multiplication board
- Bambu large condiment cup for the paper scraps
- Multicraft Tray
To see how to use a multiplication board, check out the post at Info Montessori on how to use the Montessori multiplication bead board. For this, we’re just using paper scraps instead of beads!
Completing Multiplication Equation After Using a DIY Multiplication Board
For the game, Zoey used the spinner to determine the numbers for the multiplication equation. Then she placed the multiplicand in its place to the left of the board and the pom pom in the multiplier’s place at the top of the board. She put enough paper scraps on the multiplication board to find the product.
Cleaning up the Multiplying TrashAfter the equation was solved, we would say, “Yikes! Our trash is multiplying!” Then Zoey would pour the paper scraps from the DIY multiplication board onto the tray. After that, we’d say, “Let’s clean it up!”
Zoey would sweep the paper scraps into the rectangle made from electrical tape and then sweep them into the dustpan. Finally, she would pour them from the dustpan back into the bowl with the other paper scraps.
Zoey thought this was fun, and we solved a number of multiplication equations by going through the same process.
Note: On the shelf behind Zoey, you’ll see the books Clean-Up Time/ Momento de arreglar (Toddler Tools) (English and Spanish Edition), How We Clean Up a Park, and Cleaning Day. These books are especially good for beginning readers (and younger children who enjoy a short story.)
More Cleaning and Tidying Resources
- Free Cleaning and Tidying Printables and Montessori-Inspired Cleaning and Tidying Activities
- How Montessori and Fly Lady Help Me Keep My House Clean
- Montessori Practical Life Activities, Age Appropriate Chores for Children {Free Printables}
- Helping Hands Practical Life Activities + Free Printable from Montessori By Mom
- Montessori Practical Life Cleaning Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers
- Fun with Cleaning, Movement, and Music Appreciation
- My Family’s Favorite Clean Up Song
- Free Clean Up Songs (Tidy Up Songs) and Rhymes
- Free Cleaning and Tidying Printables and Montessori-Inspired Cleaning and Tidying Activities
- Trash Multiplication and Clean-up Game {with Easy DIY Montessori Multiplication Board}
- Free Duster Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- The Best Cleaning and Tidying Books for Kids
- Free Kids Cleaning Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.
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