Make a Geo Board

As kids move through elementary school math, one subject they return to yearly is shapes and size. In first and second grade, this is all pretty simple—squares, triangles and so on. But in the later grades, students break out complex, multi-sided shapes as a precursor to geometry. Pen and paper are one way to approach the challenge, but to build a spirit of discovery and of deep understanding it’s always good to take out hands-on materials and explore the possibilities. Here is a classic geometry discovery activity that you can make at home, and enjoy for years.

What You Need:

• Wooden board, 8.5” square, about ¾” thick
• Hammer
• 100 1” small headed nails
• Pack of multicolored rubber bands
• Ruler and pencil

What You Do:

1. Use the ruler and pencil to mark a grid of 100 squares, each ¾” x ¾”, on one side of your wooden block.
2. Use the hammer to pound a nail into the corner of each grid block, so that you have ten rows across and ten rows down. Note: this can be challenging for many fourth graders, and you’ll want to stand by to help…it’s also great practice for them in developing advanced hand-eye coordination, not to mention old fashioned handiness with simple tools!
3. Once you’ve got your nails pounded in, you have created your basic “geo” board. Now you’re ready for fun: take out a pack of multicolored, multisized rubber bands, and practice stretching them across nails. Make any geometric shape you like; invent new ones; overlap them if you like as well. Young artists will note that the results are beautiful to look at; mathematically, they’re also a great chance to explore geometry. The points on the geo board become a set of coordinates to work from, and you in the middle of the fun, you can use the board to explore and explain area, perimeter, and angles!