5 Wild West Math Activities to Spur Up Excitement (2024)

The cowboys have been traveling along, and it’s time to stop and ask the cookie for some Cowboy Chili!

These sensory bins are my kiddos’ absolute favorite, and I’m sure they will be a hit in your classroom, too!

Use the recipe cards as a guide to add in cups of beans (brown beads), tomatoes (red pompoms), onions (vegetable counters), and cheese (snap cubes).

The round brown beads were a new and invigorating sensation, but good ol’ dried pinto beans work, too!

The best part of this activity: no sorting at the end. You could just dump it back in the bin and cook up another batch of Cowboy Chili!

• Cowboy Chili Recipe Cards
• brown beads or dried beans
• red pompoms
• yellow snap cubes
• onion counters
• pot & ladle

My adult brain just doesn’t have room for random things anymore. I get my booty whooped playing Memory with my kids every time. Kids! Beat my developed, sophisticated brain. And the sad thing is that I do try very hard.

So while they get to bask in the glory of beating Mom at a game, it only made sense to turn it into one of our Wild West math activities for the week!

But, shh, I tweaked it so I wouldn’t keep getting beat. I made this into a cooperative game of Memory. It’s for my pride, really.

Working as a cooperative team, try to find matches of cattle before the sun sets (aka you flip over all of the cloud cards to cover the sun). Help each other remember where the numbers are (choose from tally marks, ten frames, counting fingers, or numerals), so you have a chance at beating that sunset, but not your dear old mother.

• Collect the Cattle Memory Game

Did you know the Pony Express helped cut down the time it took to deliver mail in the United States? Although the program was shut down after only 18 months, it paved the way for the 2-day deliveries we have today.

For this Pony Express activity, we quickly counted the dots in the address labels on the envelopes.

Then, we found the matching numbered stamp, stuck it on with a Velcro dot, and headed out on our pony for a swift delivery.

To add engagement, use a stick pony like the one we used for our Cowboy Ranch Dramatic Play.

• Pony Express Number Match Envelopes
• lamination
• Velcro dots

As a girl mom, my girls never talked about the Wild West, cowboys, lassos, etc. However, as the week has gone on, I keep hearing, “Wee-haw!” from around the house. It’s so cute!

For this next math activity, we brought out our light pad, which I use as a small light table. Place translucent chips on top – the ones with the metal rim – to match the patterns on the cards.

After the pattern is complete, say the colors aloud to hear the rhythm of the pattern. Finally, swipe the chips up with a magnet. Swoosh! Grab Horseshoe Patterns here!

• Horseshoe Patterns
• magnetic translucent chips

I absolutely love measurement activities. They incorporate two skills into one: counting and measuring!

For this Hide the Horse measurement activity, spread out all of the horse cards and haystacks on the table.

Then, let the little ones try to find haystacks that match the horses in size so that the horses could find the perfect hiding spot.

Next, measure the height of each horse using the horseshoe ruler and circle or write the number on the recording sheet.

• Hide the Horse Measurement Activity