Patterns are everywhere! The game What Repeats? is a great game for young children and older kids as well. Patterns are abundant in nature (and within our own bodies), but they are especially noticeable in man-made objects. Take the image above, for example, and answer What Repeats?
The tear drop shapes circling the dot in the center of the helmet.
Keep going!
The lines on the blacktop.
Keep going!
The skateboard has two wheels on each end.
The boy has a sock on each foot, a shoe on each sock, laces on each shoe, etc.
This game starts out very simple, but once you start looking it becomes more apparent just how many patterns can be found. Can’t find any? Maybe you need to look closer. A magnifying glass can be a great tool to bring in to examine the fibers in a shirt or the texture of a piece of fruit. This activity has a tendency to blow minds when you start examining the formation of everyday objects!
If finding the patterns around your kids has lost its luster, and you want some fun images to challenge your kids’ pattern-finding, check out the Idea Gallery and click on the “What Repeats” button.
If you’re looking for something for kids to draw or write on, we have blank How Many? and What Repeats? printables in English and Spanish near the bottom of our Printables page. Ask your kids to make a pattern or draw a picture and ask you to find What Repeats?.
What patterns can you find? Where did you find them? Let us know in the comments!
Melissa Burt
Guest Contributor
Melissa is a Graphic Designer & Copywriter at Educational Service District 112 who provides design for Math Anywhere’s printed and online materials. She is also the mother of four young math-curious kiddos.