Are you looking for an engaging Valentine’s Day math activity that your students will love? Today I want to share with you a Build-a-Monster Valentine’s Day Math activity. This printable and digital interactive math activity that will allow your students to be a little creative while also enjoying the holiday (and practicing their math skills).
About the Free Valentine’s Day Math Activity
For this Valentine’s Day math activity, students will practice decimal operations by creating their own monsters. After creating their monsters, they will use a price list (with decimal amounts) to determine the total cost of their monsters.
You can extend the math activity by having the students answer a few additional (but optional) math problems.
Printable and digital versions are included.
About the Printable Version
The printable version of this activity allows students to physically create their own monster and then have a fun project to take home and show their families.
The printable version of this activity includes:
- a student directions page
- 4 different monster bodies for students to choose from
- 2 pages of monster accessories (eyes, mouths, arms, legs, hair, and head wear)
- a price list with decimal amounts
- a page of math questions about each student’s monster
Materials Needed:
- copies of monster bodies and accessories (I usually print a few copies of the accessories page for each group of students)
- price lists
- optional math question printable
- scissors
- glue or tape
- crayons/markers/colored pencils
First, students will start by choosing a body for their monster. Then they will choose accessories to add to their monsters and color them. After they have been colored, they can cut out the body and accessories and assemble their unique monsters.
Once their monster is complete, the students will use the price list to find the total cost of their monster. This will have them adding decimal amounts. They can then practice more decimal skills by completing the optional printable.
About the Digital Version
This freebie also includes a digital version for use with Google Slides (or downloaded as a Powerpoint).
Students will have all of the same options available from the printable, but rather than cutting and pasting they will drag and drop the items they choose to create their monsters on a computer.
In the digital version of the price list, there are circles that students can drag and drop around the items they chose to help organize their monster “purchases’ as they calculate the total cost.
Each of the math problems are separated into their own slides with text boxes to give students plenty of space to show their work and respond to each question.
Ways to Use the Free Valentine’s Day Math Activity
There are a variety of ways this activity could be used in the classroom from independent practice to actually creating a physical store for students to purchase the parts for their monsters. No matter how you choose to use it, this activity is sure to be one your students will enjoy and remember.
It is very versatile – use it as a…
- math station or math center
- partner activity
- Valentine’s Day party game
You can differentiate the activity in a few ways:
- simplify it by limiting the number of accessories,
- provide a challenge by asking students to stay within a budget
- make it a game by challenging students to create the most expensive monster by only using a certain number of parts
No matter what, it is an activity that your students will genuinely enjoy. This is one of those activities that my students talk about long after we have completed it.
Get the FREE Build a Valentine Monster Math Activity!
To get the FREE Build-a-Valentine Monster math activity, simply click here or on the image below. In the download, you will find a PDF containing the printable version. Digital access links are on page #3 of the PDF.
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