Easy graph lesson for children with printables

Here’s a fun and easy graph lesson for children, complete with two options of graph paper printables.

Easy graph lesson for children with printables

Here are two fun and easy ways to teach children about graphs. The first is a snack time graph activity and the second idea is one you can use in a variety of ways to get to know your class better.

How to print these graph sheets

See below for details on how to print the graph sheets for these lessons.

There are two graph sheet options to choose from. One graph page is from 0 – 10, the other extends from 0 – 20, so you can select the one appropriate for your children and the activity you’re using it for. 

Snack graphing activity

A fun and easy graphing activity is to graph your snack time.

Use a trail mix-style of snack and give each child a small selection of five types of food. You can make your own mix from small food items that will each fit in one space on your graph. Choose from grapes, raisins, almonds, breakfast cereal, mini marshmallows, gummy bears, dolly mixtures, popcorn.

You can also use this as a Halloween math activity by graphing the sweets you get when you go trick or treating!

Invite your children to inspect their trail mix. Start with a quick estimate: which type of snack do they think they have the most of? The least of?

Invite your children to graph their snack. Explain how a graph works, showing your children:

:: the place to write a title for their graph

:: how to write in categories along the x axis, one for each type of trail-mix item they have

:: how the y axis counts up how many of each thing there is

Have your children layout their snack on their graph paper, creating columns on the page of each type of snack.

Next, have your children talk about their graph. What does their graph show them about their snack? Which food-type do they have the most of? How do their results compare with their friends?

And then finally, let them eat!

My favourite things graphing activity

You can use the same graph printable to make graphs of your children’s favourite things.

Set out five options along the x axis and then survey the class to find out which of the choices they like the best.

You can make graphs for favourite:

:: colours

:: pets

:: TV shows

:: songs

:: things to do at the weekend

:: ice cream flavours

:: pizza toppings

:: things to eat for breakfast

Your children can work solo or in pairs and work around the class, asking everyone what their favourite choice is, noting down each answer on the graph sheet.

Classroom sign-in activities using graphs

You can also set out the graph sheet and ask children to sign their name against their favourite option.

This makes a great morning activity: set out a sheet each morning, with a different question each day. Use the graph as your sign-in sheet.

This can become a familiar part of your arrival routine. You could put one child in charge of the graph for the next day, inviting them to think of the question and five options for the graph that day.

More graphing activities for children

Try these other graph activities from NurtureStore:

:: forest school graph activity

:: gingerbread man graph activity

:: Halloween graph activity

:: weather graph activity