Family and Homeschool Activities: Equivalent Fractions

These family and homeschool activities are designed to complement the Equivalent Fractions topic on BrainPOP Jr.

Paper Pie

Together with your child, draw pies, cakes, or pizzas on paper plates. Then divide and cut the pies into fourths, sixths, eighths, tenths, twelfths, and so on. Present a plate to your child and have him or her take away slices of the pie to represent a certain fraction. For example, you might start with a plate divided into eighths and tell your child to take one-fourth of the slices. What equivalent fraction represents one-fourth of the pie? Then have your child instruct you to take a fraction of the pie. Be sure to make a “mistake” so your child can correct you.

Fraction Memory

Write pairs of equivalent fractions on separate index cards. Then have your child draw pictures to represent the fractions. Together, play a game of memory and match up the fractions with pictures of fractions: turn all the cards face side down and take turns flipping them over to find matches. You could also have your child draw more fractional amounts and play a game of memory to find equivalent fractions. Do the pictures of ¼ and 4/8 match? Talk with your child about how he or she can tell.