Creative Math Enrichment Activities to Help Students Become Better at Math

Math is hard. Not just for students, but for teachers, too. It’s abstract, and if you’re not careful, it’s easy to lose students in the gap between memorizing formulas and actually understanding how math works.

The resistance is quite evident. The eye rolls, sighs, the “when are we ever gonna use this?” comments. You’ve heard it all.

Closely thinking about math enrichment can help change this. Done right, it gives students the space that demand creativity from them, making them tackle activities that feel relevant, not relics from a textbook.

Being proactive in managing the classroom with subject-specific strategies builds a classroom where students take center stage. When you take the time to design lessons that prioritize math enrichment, students stop seeing math as something done to them and start seeing it as something they actually do.

Here’s how to make that happen, with actionable strategies and activities that align with these principles.

Check out our rundown on 23 Proven Math Teaching Strategies to Foster a Love for Math!

1. Give students problems with multiple correct answers

Some math problems can have more than one correct answer, and posing these challenges encourages students to think critically about relationships, and constraints.

For example, instead of asking, “What is 7 + 5?” which has only one correct answer, try a question like, “List all the pairs of whole numbers that add up to 12.”

This forces them to go beyond finding a single solution, and instead, exploring a range of possibilities while still working within clear mathematical rules.

To implement this:

• Use prompts that intentionally allow for multiple correct responses, such as, “Write five fractions equivalent to 3/4.”
• Pose questions with constraints, like, “Find all the two-digit numbers divisible by both 3 and 5.”
• Encourage students to explain why their answers are correct, reinforcing their understanding of the underlying concepts.

To help spark inspiration, here's a collection of 120 Challenging Math Word Problems (Solutions + PDF Included)!

2. Ask students to identify and fix errors in sample solutions

A key component of math enrichment is giving students opportunities to critique and correct mistakes in worked-out problems.

Below is an example of how you can structure this activity effectively:

When students encounter misapplied formulas or calculation errors, they learn to recognize these pitfalls and avoid them in their own solutions.

Pro tip: You can use anonymized examples of past student work or create their own samples with common mistakes to make the activity feel authentic and relatable.

3. Challenge students to “mental math” and explain their process

Mental math that prompts them to explain? It might sound counterintuitive. After all, mental math is often seen as a private, internal process.

But when students are asked to not only solve problems mentally but also articulate their reasoning, it sharpens both their computational and communication skills.

For example, present a problem like, “What is 25% of 84?” and ask students to solve it without writing anything down. Once they’ve arrived at their answer, challenge them to explain how they got there.

💭 Did they break the problem into smaller parts, such as finding 10% first and scaling up
💭 Did they recognize that 25% is the same as dividing by 4?

To make this work in your classroom:

• Start with simpler problems and gradually increase complexity as students build confidence.
• Use real-world scenarios to make the problems more engaging, like, “If a $48 shirt is 50% off, how much will you pay?”
• Encourage students to compare strategies. For instance, one student might calculate 50% by halving the number, while another might think of it as dividing by 2 or multiplying by 0.5.

4. Task students with designing a 5-step cheat sheet

Math enrichment thrives when students take charge of their learning. Having them create their own cheat sheets does exactly that.

It’s actually pretty straightforward, but very interesting. For example, ask students to design a cheat sheet for solving word problems involving percentages. Their steps might include:

1. Identify the total amount or base value.
2. Determine whether you’re finding a percentage, part, or whole.
3. Convert the percentage to a decimal or fraction before calculating.
4. Perform the calculation carefully, showing all work.
5. Check the answer by estimating or reversing the operation.

To implement this effectively:

• Assign different problem types to small groups, such as solving equations, working with fractions, or calculating discounts, and have each group design their own cheat sheets.
• Encourage students to test their cheat sheets on sample problems, refining the steps until they’re clear and effective.
• Use ClassPoint in PowerPoint to make the activity interactive by having students submit their finalized cheat sheets as Short Answer responses.

Using ClassPoint adds an interactive layer to this math enrichment activity. When students submit their cheat sheets digitally, you can:

• Use Quick Poll to let the class vote on the best cheat sheets.
• Insert the top-voted cheat sheets as slides for display and discussion.
• Award stars for participation to encourage engagement.

Learn more about running your first interactive ClassPoint Short Answer activity and Quick Poll.

5. Ask students to create a silent presentation

Math enrichment could also be about pushing students to communicate ideas in creative and unconventional ways, not just hone their problem-solving skills.

A silent presentation is just as it is. It means students explain a math concept without speaking or using written words. Instead, they are tasked to use only visuals, symbols, gestures, or props to communicate their ideas.

For example, assign a concept like “the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percentages” or “how to calculate the area of a triangle.” Students must then create a presentation using only visuals, diagrams, or physical objects to explain the concept.

To implement this effectively:

• Assign specific math concepts to students or groups, ensuring variety across the class.
• Set clear rules: no talking, no written explanations, and a time limit for the presentation (e.g., 1–2 minutes).
• Encourage creativity by requiring students to use diagrams, physical objects, or even body movements to convey their ideas.
• After each presentation, have the class discuss what they understood and ask clarifying questions if needed.

Before You Leave

As you might have seen, or read, these are actionable strategies that prompt both you and your students to do something. These are mundane enough to fit seamlessly into your lessons but different enough to create real, lasting changes in how students think about math.

But sometimes, forcing students into these activities can backfire. Math is already a challenging subject for many, and adding pressure might only push them further away. Instead, consider these guiding principles to ensure enrichment feels inviting, not intimidating:

• Make it optional (at first). Allow students to volunteer or opt-in before making it a class-wide expectation.
• Know your students. Tailor the level of challenge to their readiness—enrichment should stretch their thinking, not break their confidence.
• Be patient. Some students will take to these activities quickly, while others may need time to warm up. That’s okay.

When done thoughtfully, these activities can transform math from a source of fear into a space for actual, enthusiastic learning.

So, as you move forward, I leave with this: What’s one small step you can take tomorrow to make math more than just numbers on a page? Sometimes, the smallest changes leave the biggest impact.

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