PAPER TUBE NUMBER PROJECTOR

We’ve seen this idea floating around on Pinterest and decided to give it a try with numbers! YOU NEED TO – NEEEEEEED TO!!!! – TRY IT TOO!

I still can’t believe I tricked the girls into doing math before bedtime. This makes me a superhero, right?

WHAT YOU NEED:

• paper tubes

• plastic wrap

• elastics

• black Sharpie marker

• flashlight (we used our iPhone)

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Cut a square of plastic wrap large enough to cover the end of a paper tube.

2. Use a Sharpie marker to write a number in the center of the plastic wrap square.

3. Wrap the plastic wrap over the end of a paper tube (Sharpie side DOWN), making sure the number is positioned in the opening of the tube.

4. Use an elastic to secure the plastic wrap on the end of the paper tube.

5. Repeat steps 1-4 to create projectors for other numbers.

6. Once it gets dark, use a flashlight to project the number onto the wall. Do this by holding the flashlight in the open end of the paper tube. We found our iPhone flashlight worked the best because it was the brightest and resulted in the clearest image.

ACTIVITY EXTENSIONS:

• One-digit number recognition

• Two-digit number recognition (achieved by projecting two numbers at a time)

• Identify numbers as even or odd

• Identify which number is greater and which number is less than

• Addition (add the two numbers projected onto the wall)

• Subtraction (subtract the two numbers projected onto the wall)

• Multiplication (multiply the two numbers projected onto the wall)

CONNECTION STARTERS:

• How have we used paper tubes before?

• What sorts of math activities do you do at school?

• What is your favourite number?

• Can we count to 100 together? Let’s do it in a ________________ voice! (e.g. whisper, song, robot, etc.)

THINGS TO CELEBRATE & ENCOURAGE:

• number identification

• solving addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems

• persevering through tricky questions

• listening to feedback and guidance

• using flashlight with care

I hope I’m not alone when I say it’s tricky to find engaging math activities. I always find literacy ones much easier to create and so I’m THRILLED this math activity was a winner!

We hope you enjoy these paper tube number projectors as much as we do!

Happy connecting!

XOXO,

Lindsay