Looking for summer math activities for 3rd grade?

Keeping math skills sharp over the summer doesn’t have to mean workbooks, screens, or battles over flashcards. Whether you’re a teacher sending home ideas or a parent looking for something fun and educational, screen-free math activities are the perfect way to keep kids thinking without turning on a device.

Here are some fun, printable, and travel-friendly math activities perfect for your rising 3rd or 4th grader—great for road trips, quiet mornings, or just a break from the summer heat.

Fun Summer Math Activities for 3rd Graders

1. Color-by-Number Multiplication Worksheets

Color-by-number worksheets are a great way to turn basic multiplication into a fun, calming activity. Students solve problems to unlock a picture—no screens, no pressure, just a creative reward for their work.

These are easy to tuck into a folder or travel bag and only require a set of crayons or colored pencils. They also double as a great quiet-time activity at home or on the go.

If you’re looking for ready-to-use options, the Multiplication Color-by-Number Worksheets for 3rd grade include 15 different pages with math facts and mixed practice. They’re also available in a discounted bundle if you want all your summer math practice in one place.

2. Math Mazes, Mandalas, and More

Math doesn’t have to be routine—worksheets like mazes, vocabulary puzzles, and color-by-number mandalas offer variety while reinforcing key 3rd grade skills. They’re great for building fluency with multiplication, division, and rounding.

These types of activities are especially helpful when you need students to stay focused without needing help or explanation. You can even use them as part of a summer learning packet.

The Summer No Prep Math Activity Worksheets bundle includes a mix of multiplication and division mazes, rounding practice, vocabulary puzzles, and more. Each activity is designed to be engaging and take just the right amount of time to complete—ideal for summer pacing.

3. Sidewalk Chalk Math

Turn your driveway or sidewalk into a math playground! Use colorful chalk to write problems for your child to solve—anything from addition facts to multi-step word problems. You can draw number lines to hop along, write equations to solve on each square, or even create a chalk hopscotch where they have to jump to the correct answer.

Bonus idea: Have them create their own math problems for you to solve!

4. Grocery Store Math

The grocery store is full of real-life math opportunities. Bring a notepad or use the notes app on your phone and challenge your child to estimate the total cost of 3–5 items, compare unit prices to decide which brand is the better deal, or round prices to the nearest dollar and calculate a running total.

You can even ask them to figure out how much change you should get back if you’re paying with cash. It’s a great way to practice adding, subtracting, estimating, and critical thinking.

5. Math Scavenger Hunt

Create a math-themed scavenger hunt either at home or outside. Include clues like “Find something shaped like a triangle,” “Count how many legs are in the room (tables + chairs!),” or “Find 5 items longer than your foot.”

You can also include tasks like “Draw something symmetrical” or “Measure something using a paperclip.” It keeps kids moving and thinking at the same time!

6. Build It with Blocks or LEGOs

Use blocks or LEGOs to bring geometry and measurement to life. Challenge kids to build specific shapes or structures, such as a rectangle with an area of 24 square units or a symmetrical design.

You can also add in measurement skills by having them build towers or bridges that meet specific height or length requirements. For an extra twist, give them a “budget” of pieces they can use to complete their structure.

7. Board Games with a Math Twist

Make game night a math night! Classic games like Yahtzee help with multiplication and addition, while Monopoly teaches money skills, budgeting, and strategy.

You can also modify simple dice games by adding math challenges—like rolling two dice and solving a multiplication or fraction problem using the numbers rolled. If you’re feeling creative, let your kids design their own board game with math problems built in!

8. Cooking with Fractions

Bring math into the kitchen! Let your child help read recipes, measure ingredients, and work with fractions in a real-world setting. Ask them to double or halve a recipe to practice multiplying or dividing fractions.

Let them use measuring cups and spoons to see how different fractions add up. For example, how many ¼ cups make 1 cup? It’s hands-on, delicious, and full of math learning!

Wrapping It Up

Summer is the perfect time to keep math fun, light, and playful. Whether it’s solving problems on the sidewalk, measuring ingredients in the kitchen, or building towers with LEGOs, there are so many easy ways to sneak math into everyday moments.

If you’re looking for engaging, screen-free ways to keep math fresh this summer, printable activities like color-by-number, mazes, and crosswords are a great fit. They’re fun, flexible, and designed to reinforce important 3rd grade skills.

You can explore the End of Year Math Activities and Multiplication Color-by-Number Worksheets for ready-made options that are easy to print and go. They’re classroom-tested and perfect for summer learning that feels like fun, not homework.

Math doesn’t have to be a chore—it can actually be one of the most fun parts of your day!

Want a FREEBIE?!

I have a FREE reading comprehension worksheet for you! It’s a color by number reading passage.

(You can learn more about these HERE!).

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