Jump to the Roof -- Floor Division

What you need:
Black yarn cut in the following lengths: 2 feet, 8 inches, and 2 inches
A deck of number cards 0-9

What you Do
Create a division house on the floor with the longest piece of yarn. In the picture above, my daughter used part of the yarn to create a chimney where she would put the remainder. The 8 inch yarn becomes the floor of the basement. Use number cards to create the division problems. Use a small object (penny size or smaller) to be a treasure hidden on the roof. The numbers inside the house (dividend) are the family that lives inside hiding a treasure. The divisor is the King’s soldier who comes knocking at the door. When the soldier knocks, the treasure must be hidden on the roof in the spot where the first number of the quotient will go. Then the divisor has to decide which soldier will jump to the roof to get the treasure. Each soldier has a number. The only soldier that can get the treasure is the one with the correct quotient number. If it is an edible treasure, the child can eat it after correctly solving the division problem. Use pennies for decimals in decimal and money division. Make two dollar sign cards—one for inside the house and one for the roof for money division.


Here are the words of a song I created to help us remember the steps in long division. To get the sheet music please email me at lovetolearn123@gmail.com.

The Division Song
By Sherri Boekweg
First you divide, then jump to the roof.
Then you multiply --
Put the product in the basement.
Eat your favorite candy bar
While you subtract,
Then find the next digit and slide-------
Then start all over again.




The candy bar represents the subtraction sign (the 2 inch piece of yarn)Jump to the Roof  – You could make a giant division house with yarn and use large number cards and let the child do the jumping to the roof with the number to get the treasure.