Math Playground

I read about this elementary school in Northern California where they are taking math to a whole different level. They built a playground that is all about math. For example, they have doors with math problems where you touch the correct answer. They will only open if it is right, but stay closed if you get it wrong. On another part of the playground, they have blocks that you can turn that look like the old Wheel Of Fortune where Vanna White would have to turn the letters. It is the same idea but with math. They have a swing set decorated in math equations. There slides are also decorated in math equations but the smaller slide is not as challenging. For example there is a problem like 1+2 and down at the bottom of the slide it says the answer which is 3. For the medium size slide, there is the problem 6-4, and at the bottom is says 2. The larger slide has a problem like 4x2, and at the bottom is says 8. They also have monkey bars that are shaped into numbers. The marry go round is also all decked out in math equations. I think this is such a good idea because the kids are playing and while they are playing, they are also learning. They made recess like one big math class, but made it fun and probably one of the smartest ideas to do for the students, while they are having a good time with there classmates. The teachers said that you hear the students shouting out math problems while they are running around. This is most likely the only school where you would hear a thing like that. More and more schools should be planning ideas such as this one to keep the students minds going while they are having a good time. They then may associate math and having fun being put together as one. As a child growing up, I remember recess as the time where you do not have to learn and have teachers around. It was your free time to run around and talk and play, however learning was never on my mind. These students are learning and they do not even know it. Once they were done with recess and back in the classroom, the teachers would hear the students talk among themselves about if they got the math problems right on the playground. Once I am a teacher, I would love to hear my students talk about different math problems to there friends because they had fun. I believe that the playground in Northern California is a success!