Are your upper elementary students tired of doing boring paper and pencil math worksheets or assignments from the math textbook? Why not try math color by number activities? Color by number activities are not just for lower elementary students. Upper elementary students enjoy these types of activities just as much. After all, they are still kids! After observing my fifth graders, I came up with five benefits of using color by number activities in the upper elementary classroom.
Kids Love Color by Number Activities
One of the many benefits of using color by number activities is kids love it! Color by number activities paired with math problems make learning fun. It doesn’t seem like work when kids know that they will get to color after they finish the math problems. It’s almost like a game to them.
Color by Numbers Keep Students Engaged
Students stay engaged and on task. I had one student who said he loved to do math color by number activities because he was able to focus and work hard knowing that he would be able to color the mystery picture at the end. Students are eager to finish the math problems. They feel like they get a reward for their hard work.
It's a Creative Outlet
Some students need a creative outlet. Let’s face it. In the upper elementary grades, we are not able to do much cutesy, fun stuff. There is so much content to be learned and very little time to learn it all. Students need a break from all of that sometimes. Coloring allows them to be creative and unique in their own way. Often students are creative just in the way they color. Some are very meticulous in how they outline a picture before they go back and fill it in.
Coloring Relieves Stress and Anxiety
Coloring relieves stress and anxiety. It has a calm, soothing effect. Students can enjoy coloring as they forget about everything else that might be going on in their lives. Playing soft music while the students are coloring also adds to the peaceful atmosphere.
Color by Numbers Make Awesome Displays
Completed color by number activities make an awesome bulletin board or hall display. As an upper elementary teacher, it is difficult to find the time to have students create something to go on a bulletin board display or to hang out in the hall. Color by number activities have you covered. A simple display in the hallway can consists of students’ names printed on circles attached to clothespins. The clothespin is then hot glued to a piece of laminated construction paper. These can be left up all year. As your students complete color by number activities, have them hang their completed work in the hall for everyone to enjoy. They love to see their work displayed!
I think you would agree that there are many benefits of using color by number activities in the upper elementary classroom. If you would like to try some of my FREEBIE color by number activities, sign up below and you will get a FREE Safari Color by Number Adding Fractions with Unlike Denominators resource immediately in your inbox. Not only will you get this FREEBIE when you sign up, but you’ll get more FREEBIES in your inbox in the weeks to come. If you are interested in any of the color by number activities shown in this blog post, just click on the image. Also, check out my TPT store HERE to see all of my color by number resources.
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