How It\’s Done
1. Scatter artificial flowers (snipped from stems or party leis) around an area, as shown. With a rope or garden hose, mark a starting line 30 feet away.
2. Give players baskets or bags and have them stand behind the line. Call out a math problem (you may want to give each player a different equation matched to her skill level), then shout "Go!"
3. Players run to collect the number of blossoms equal to the correct answer, then race back to the starting line.
Play Pointers
Let fun blossom with these tips for success.
1. Count Together: At the end of a run, have players count aloud with you as you tally a basket's contents. Wrong answer? Talk it through, then let that player try again.
2. Time It: Add competitive zest with a stopwatch. Challenge players to beat their own best times.
3. Make It Harder: For older kids, assign values to color flowers (red equals 10, say) and up the question difficulty.
4. Reward Their Work: At game's end, use a safety pin to attach a blossom "medal" to each kid's shirt.
The skills it builds: addition, subtraction, and multiplication
No fake flowers?
This game can be played with playing cards, small balls, or plastic eggs.
Originally published in the May 2014 issue of FamilyFun magazine.
Family Fun
