Gumballs Even and Odd Numbers Math Activity

I love playing with numbers!  There are so many fun things to do with them!  Counting! Comparing! Sorting! I could go on and on!  No matter what age your little learner is, the possibilities for fun with numbers are endless.  This Gumball Even and Odd Numbers Math Activity is a FREE, fun, and engaging way to practice identifying even and odd numbers! A great addition to our Google Slides and Seesaw Activities.

As much as I love teaching about odd and even numbers, it sometimes can be hard to get students excited about demonstrating their knowledge of the skill with just a math worksheet.

Students will jump at the opportunity to use technology to practice deciding what numbers are even and odd instead of doing a printable worksheet!

This Even and Odd Gumball Numbers Math Activity using Google Slides or Seesaw is a wonderful way to provide hands on practice for the skill of identifying odd and even numbers.  Students will be excited at the chance to sort the colorful gumballs into the machines!

Learning Odd and Even Numbers

When should I teach odd and even numbers?

After your learner has mastered the skill of counting 1 to 10 or counting 1 to 100,  a natural learning progression is for them to begin to practice identifying odd and even numbers.  

Some learners may quickly pick up on the rule:

• numbers ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are always odd
• numbers ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 are always even

Building a strong foundation for the understanding of even and odd numbers is incredibly important for a child’s number sense.  While some learners may quickly find the pattern, it is important that they understand why that rule is true.

How do I teach odd and even numbers?

Hands on exploration is my favorite way to teach math!

You can start with the basics of sorting items (marbles, number cubes, even food!) into groups of two and seeing if there are any left over without a match.

Don’t be afraid to circle back to tools like ten frames and skip counting that your little learner is already familiar with!

Why do my learners need to know even and odd numbers?

Learning odd and even numbers builds a strong foundation for when it is time to introduce multiplication and division skills.  The more number sense your learner has, the better understanding they will have when it is time to learn those concepts!

Knowledge of even and odd numbers is also helpful when teaching prime numbers to students!

Other ways to use this Even and Odd Numbers Math Activity

• Introduce basic math vocabulary while talking with your learner. (I see you made three pairs! Look you have two equal groups of candy! You have one remaining crayon!)
• Continue your practice by using other odd and even worksheets and activities! You can even print this activity and have your learner work on their fine motor skills by cutting out the gumballs and pasting them onto the correct gumball machine.
• Work on comparing numbers within the gumball machines! Which gumball machine has the largest number? Which machine has the smallest number?
• Find the sum of the gumballs in the machine using single or double digit addition!
• Make up your own word problems! If you bought three gumballs from the machine would you have an even or odd amount?
• Provide your learner with extra support using ten frames, skip counting, number lines, and hundreds charts!

How to use this Google Slides Math Activity

PLEASE NOTE: This download included Google Slides and Seesaw formats. For ease of reading, this post only mentions Google Slides.

Click on the link to open the activity. Then pick the Google Slides activity on the left (there is also a Seesaw version that will on on the right!)

Be sure to click on the “Make a Copy” pop up to ensure that you get an editable copy of the activity.

Once the activity is open all your little learner needs to do is click and drag the gumballs into the correct gumball machine!