Maths Warm-Up: Maths Story Chain ⭐️ The Sydney Teacher

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Maths Warm-Up: Maths Story Chain

Welcome to the Monday Morning Maths Club!

Every Monday, I share a free, low-prep maths activity that’s fun, flexible, and ready to go - perfect as a warm-up, fast-finisher, or whole-class challenge.

This week, we’re bringing numbers to life with Maths Story Chain!

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Maths Story Chain

Maths Story Chain is a playful, creative way to bring maths to life through storytelling. It is a collaborative activity that turns numbers into a shared adventure!

How It Works

Have your students work together to build a fun story using numbers and maths operations. Start with one student saying something like, “I had 5 apples and picked 3 more,” then the next adds on, “Then I gave 2 apples to my friend.” Keep it going around the room, each student adds their own little maths twist to keep the story growing.

Handy Tip: Give students a mini whiteboard to track numbers and operations for their turn.

More examples:

Example 1:

I had 10 apples in my basket. I picked 5 more apples from the tree. My friend gave me 3 apples from his basket. I ate 4 apples because I was hungry. Then I gave 6 apples to my little brother. How many apples do I have now? 10 + 5 + 3 - 4 - 6 = 8 apples.

Example 2:

There were 12 birds on a tree. 4 flew away. Then 3 groups of 2 birds joined them. Now there are 12 - 4 + (3 × 2) = 14 birds.

Example 3:

I baked 24 cookies. I gave 6 cookies to my neighbor. My mom baked 12 more cookies. Then I divided all the cookies into 6 equal bags. How many cookies are in each bag? (24 - 6 + 12) ÷ 6 = 5 cookies per bag.

Why It's So Good

Engages every student while turning numbers into real-life problem-solving
Encourages collaboration and teamwork
Lets you observe students’ problem-solving and creative thinking in action
Ready-to-go and completely no-prep, saving you time

Next time you want a quick maths warm-up, try a Maths Story Chain - just start the story with a number, let students add their twists, and watch the creativity unfold!

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