Your Favourite Everyday Activities are Secretly Maths
Be honest, how many of you have developed a new hobby during lockdown? I know I have enjoyed gardening, and one of my friends has been baking the most amazing cakes. Some have taken up knitting or crochet, and others have been taking greater pleasure in the puzzle pages of the daily newspaper (guilty as charged, I love a good Sudoku!).
But, I bet until now, you haven’t thought of your new pastimes as having anything to do with maths, have you? How many times have you seen one of these on your Facebook timeline?
OK that’s an easy one, it’s obviously maths.
What about this one?
Believe it or not, this is maths too!
I’m about to change how you see your newfound lockdown activities – because most of them have maths in there somewhere! Here is how maths plays into your favourite hobbies and pastimes.
Exercise and Fitness
Counting calories, step counting, tracking macronutrients, and working out the pace of your run are all ways maths is involved in that lockdown health kick you’ve been on. If you’ve been strict, you’ve likely been weighing and measuring your food too!
Baking
Did you go crazy for banana bread during the first lockdown? You are not alone. But you also did maths. Weighing and measuring ingredients is also a great way to get the kids involved in a bit of learning, as they don’t feel like they are actually doing work.
Crafting
Did you get the wool and hook out and start crocheting? Or did you get your partner to build a bar in the garden as per the trends? Whether you were counting stitches or measuring timber, you’ve been secretly getting your maths head on.
I love crochet! I made this blanket for my cousin’s baby!
While there are so many other skills at play here, maths underpins a huge range of subjects and it is essential to understand the basics, like that Brick Wall theory I keep mentioning. If your foundations are unsteady, the whole wall (including other subjects) will crumble.
Linking these activities to the different learning styles, in the VARK style they would be great for the kinaesthetic, practical learner. The picture riddle at the beginning, however, is best for visual learners to unpick.
If you’re looking for some top resources to improve skills, from the basics right up to GCSE maths, my Guide to Resources Bundle is right up your street.