Making Math Merry

A love of learning begins with a seed planted early on. We teachers of young elementary students ought to plant that seed by making learning enjoyable from the get go. Especially for more artistic-minded learners, something like math commonly becomes a chore before children even leave the primary grades.

What are some practical ideas for increasing the enjoyment of the subject, and even turning math into something that the least likely of students look forward to? For instance, with a few minutes to spare in transitions throughout the day, have your class stand in a circle and skip count, one person at a time. Allow them several chances to attempt to beat their time getting all the way around the circle.

Please share some of your tricks for making math merry!