Summary
This collection introduces a variety of movement-based instructional strategies designed to help teachers integrate physical activity into math learning. It highlights practical ways to engage students kinesthetically, making abstract concepts more interactive and accessible. While the strategies provided offer a strong starting point, they are not exhaustive and are intended to inspire further creativity and adaptation in the classroom.Resources
Commit and Toss
- 6th - 12th
Students are encouraged to evaluate their classmates' effort without personal bias in this anonymous peer evaluation and writing strategy. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
July 7th, 2026
- Individual, Whole Class
- Engage/Opening, Explore/Learning Activity, Explain/Closing, Extend/Additional Learning Activity
- 10 - 20 Minutes, 20 - 30 Minutes
- Activate Prior Knowledge, Compare & Contrast, Critical Thinking, Elaborate, Evaluate, Persuade, Reason, Reflection, Self-assessment, Student Choice, Summarize, Writing
- 6th - 12th
Human Scatter Graph
- Preschool - 12th
Students use the classroom as an x- and y-axis and their bodies as points in a scatter plot in this instructional strategy, offering the teacher a quick visual representation of student answers and their confidence. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
October 18th, 2023
- Whole Class
- Engage/Opening, Evaluate/Assessment
- Less Than 10 Minutes
- Analyze, Physical Movement, Reflection, Self-assessment, Student Choice
- Preschool - 12th
Scoot
- Preschool - 5th
Scoot is a strategy where students move to complete tasks that have been placed at different locations in the room. After spending a specified amount of time at one station, students move to the next task. Read more »
Created by: Patricia Turner
April 10th, 2023
- Individual, Whole Class
- Explore/Learning Activity, Extend/Additional Learning Activity
- 20 - 30 Minutes, More Than 30 Minutes
- Active Engagement, Physical Movement, Problem Solving, Review, Self-assessment, Synthesize
- Preschool - 5th
Expert Stay and Stray
- 4th - Secondary
This collaborative learning strategy keeps students engaged as they listen and learn, take turns being the expert, and rotate through stations. Read more »
Created by: Laura Young
December 31st, 2025
- Large Group (at least 30), Medium Group (at least 10), Whole Class
- Extend/Additional Learning Activity, Evaluate/Assessment
- 20 - 30 Minutes, More Than 30 Minutes
- Active Engagement, Collaborate, Compare & Contrast, Critical Thinking, Elaborate, Physical Movement, Present, Reason, Review, Speak & Listen, Summarize
- 4th - Secondary
Snap, Clap, Pop
- Preschool - 12th
This strategy can be used as an icebreaker or get-to-know-you activity to establish community in a classroom or can be used with content to incorporate physical movement into a formative assessment. For younger grades, it can be used to teach simple vocabulary or topics. For older grades, it can be... Read more »
Created by: Lindsay Williams
July 14th, 2026
- Whole Class
- Engage/Opening, Evaluate/Assessment
- Less Than 10 Minutes
- Activate Prior Knowledge, Conversation Starter, Physical Movement, Recognize, Review, Self-assessment, Speak & Listen
- Preschool - 12th
Three Stray, One Stays
- 6th - 12th
This strategy prompts students to brainstorm and discuss ideas, come to a consensus, and share information with other students. Group members move separately around the room, interviewing their peers to gather information about different aspects of a common topic. This strategy allows students to develop... Read more »
Created by: Catherine Vaughn
January 26th, 2024
- Whole Class
- Engage/Opening, Explore/Learning Activity, Explain/Closing, Extend/Additional Learning Activity, Evaluate/Assessment
- 20 - 30 Minutes, More Than 30 Minutes
- Activate Prior Knowledge, Analyze, Brainstorming, Collaborate, Critical Thinking, Elaborate, Evaluate, Infer, Interpret, Physical Movement, Problem Solving, Reason, Review, Speak & Listen, Summarize, Synthesize
- 6th - 12th
Appointment Clocks
- 6th - 12th
This strategy gets students thinking, collaborating, and discussing together in a short amount of time. It also can be used to pair students in a way that can be easily referenced for future use. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
June 10th, 2026
- Whole Class
- Engage/Opening, Explore/Learning Activity, Explain/Closing
- 20 - 30 Minutes
- Activate Prior Knowledge, Brainstorming, Collaborate, Compare & Contrast, Conversation Starter, Elaborate, Hypothesize, Problem Solving, Summarize, Synthesize, Writing
- 6th - 12th
Human Bingo
- 2nd - Secondary
A quick icebreaker activity where students move around the room, share conversations, and work to identify traits in others. Read more »
Created by: James Doyle
July 9th, 2026
- Large Group (at least 30), Whole Class
- Engage/Opening, Explore/Learning Activity
- Less Than 10 Minutes, 10 - 20 Minutes
- Collaborate, Conversation Starter, Critical Thinking, Infer, Physical Movement, Problem Solving, Recognize, Speak & Listen
- 2nd - Secondary
Mingle
- Preschool - 12th
This strategy provides students with an opportunity to move around the room while engaging in conversations with different groups of students over a given topic. This helps students practice their communication skills. Read more »
Created by: K20 Center
July 14th, 2026
- Whole Class
- Evaluate/Assessment
- Evaluate, Physical Movement, Review
- Preschool - 12th
Still Pictures
- 6th - Secondary
Integrating the arts into education supports diverse learning styles. This strategy blends creativity and critical thinking as students use frozen gestures and minimal words to embody powerful ideas from given images and texts. Read more »
Created by: Amber Smith
July 9th, 2026
- Small Group, Small Group (at least 4)
- Engage/Opening, Explain/Closing, Evaluate/Assessment, Engage
- 10 - 20 Minutes
- Collaborate, Critical Thinking, Elaborate, Evaluate, Interpret, Physical Movement, Reflection, Summarize
- 6th - Secondary
ABC Graffiti
- Preschool - 12th
This group brainstorming strategy is designed to promote thinking about a specific topic, concept, or text. Students recall prior knowledge and make connections to new learning via other resources. Read more »
Created by: Lindsay Hawkins
June 8th, 2026
- Individual, Whole Class
- Engage/Opening, Explore/Learning Activity, Explain/Closing, Evaluate/Assessment
- 10 - 20 Minutes
- Activate Prior Knowledge, Brainstorming, Collaborate, Physical Movement, Review
- Preschool - 12th
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