Make Math Trail Mix
Children often use ratios without realizing it. Your child will see just how tasty ratios can be with this fun math activity!
Materials
Directions
Explain that a ratio is a way of comparing the two different things using two different numbers. For example, if a cup of milk is added to a cup of cereal, the ratio of milk to cereal is 1:1. If there is one cup of milk used to 2 cups of cereal, the ratio of milk to cereal is 1:2.
Ask your child to group ingredients into two categories: sweet and salty, crunchy and chewy, or whatever she’d like.
Once she has the categories, have her group the items together in two different bowls (one per category).
She needs to choose a ratio for her trail mix. For example, will she choose a 1:1 ratio, meaning there is half crunchy and half chewy or a 2:3 ratio, meaning for every two scoops of crunchy, there are three of chewy?
It’s time to make her mix. Help her measure out the proper scoops, place them in individual containers, and store leftovers for future afternoon snacks. Ask her what her favorite combination was? How would she consider changing the ratio of ingredients to improve it?
Jennifer Cooper is the blogger behind Classic-Play.com, an online resource for creative families. Her favorite pastimes include dancing around her living room, watching “The Pink Panther” with her kids, and daydreaming. Jennifer lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband, Photographer Dave Cooper, and two children.
Math