This art activity focuses on the shape of numbers. A good tie-in to math for younger students.
By Andrea Mulder-Slater
What You Need:
- Cardboard or poster board
- Pencils
- Safety Scissors or an X-Acto knife (and adult assistance for the little ones)
- Tempera paint or markers
- Paint brushes (if you are using paint)
What You Do:
- Choose a number (if working in a classroom situation, you might want to have children draw numbers out of a hat to avoid a class full of the same numbers).
- Draw the number on cardboard or poster board.
- The number should be large and bulky (not small and skimpy). Concentrate on the shape of the number.
- Cut the number out.
- Outline some fun designs on the number shape.
- Using markers or paint, fill in the designs.
Further Review:
Study artist Jasper Johns and his paintings of numbers.
Recommended Books:
MathArts
by MaryAnn F. Kohl, Cindy Gainer
Math Art: Projects and Activities
by Carolyn Ford Brunetto
Cartooning With Math
by Bill Costello
