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Scratchjr Maths

ScratchJr birthday party scenes maths mission

A practical mini-mission using birthday party scenes to practise sharing through questions, examples and child-friendly challenges.

Quick answer

You can use ScratchJr to create a birthday party scene where you share items equally among friends, and this helps you learn about division and sharing.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to share items equally among a group of friends using ScratchJr, and understand that sharing means dividing items into equal parts. Success signs:
  • You can create a birthday party scene in ScratchJr with items to share
  • You can use the "repeat" and "if" blocks to share items fairly
  • You can explain what happens when you share 12 cupcakes among 4 friends
  • You can solve simple sharing problems using ScratchJr

Why this matters

When you share things fairly, you're doing maths! Whether it's splitting a birthday cake between friends, sharing toys, or dividing snacks, you're using division. In ScratchJr, you can build your own birthday party scene and watch your characters share items equally. This helps you understand how sharing works in real life and how to solve sharing problems with numbers.

How it works

In ScratchJr, you can make a birthday party scene with characters and items. To share items equally:
  1. Decide how many items you have (like 12 cupcakes)
  2. Decide how many friends are sharing (like 4 friends)
  3. Use the "repeat" block to give each friend an equal number of items
  4. Use the "if" block to check if everyone has the same amount
  5. Watch your characters share the items fairly

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you're making a birthday party scene in ScratchJr. You have 12 birthday candles and 4 friends. How many candles does each friend get? Step 1: You decide to give each friend 3 candles. Step 2: You use the "repeat" block to give 3 candles to each friend. Step 3: You check if everyone has 3 candles. Step 4: You watch your characters share the candles. Here's a table showing how this works:
Total Candles Number of Friends Candles per Friend
12 4 3
15 5 3
18 6 3
20 4 5

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Birthday Party Problem You're planning a birthday party for your friend and want to share 16 stickers equally among 4 friends.
  1. First time: Choose your birthday party character and items to share
  2. Second time: Use the "repeat" block to give each friend 4 stickers
  3. Third time: Use the "if" block to check if everyone has 4 stickers
  4. Fourth time: Watch your characters share the stickers
  5. Fifth time: Try sharing 24 stickers among 6 friends
Challenge: Can you make your own birthday party scene in ScratchJr and solve a sharing problem?

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Giving different numbers of items to each friend Why it happens: Not thinking about equal sharing Fix: Use the "repeat" block to give the same amount to everyone
  • Mistake: Forgetting to check if everyone has the same amount Why it happens: Rushing through the sharing process Fix: Use the "if" block to make sure sharing is fair
  • Mistake: Not using numbers that can be shared equally Why it happens: Choosing numbers that don't divide evenly Fix: Pick numbers that work well for sharing, like 12, 16, 20, or 24

Parent and carer guide

To help your child with this birthday party sharing mission:
  • Ask your child to explain how they shared items in their ScratchJr scene
  • Encourage them to use the "repeat" and "if" blocks to make sharing fair
  • Ask questions like "How many items did each friend get?" or "What happens if you have 10 items and 3 friends?"
  • Help them understand that sharing means dividing items equally
  • Notice if they're using the correct number of repeats for fair sharing
What to say: "Great job sharing the stickers! How many did each friend get?" "Let's check if everyone has the same number of items." "Can you make a new scene with a different number of items?" What not to worry about: It's normal for children to make mistakes when learning. They'll learn better from trying and fixing their own problems than from being corrected all the time.

Practice questions

  1. How many cupcakes does each friend get if you have 12 cupcakes and 4 friends?
  2. If you have 18 stickers and 6 friends, how many stickers does each friend get?
  3. You have 20 balloons and 5 friends. How many balloons does each friend get?
  4. If you share 24 cookies among 8 friends, how many cookies does each friend get?
  5. How many candies does each friend get if you have 15 candies and 3 friends?
Answers:
  1. 3 cupcakes each
  2. 3 stickers each
  3. 4 balloons each
  4. 3 cookies each
  5. 5 candies each

FAQ

What is sharing in maths?

Sharing in maths means dividing items equally among a group of people or things. When you share, everyone gets the same amount.

How does ScratchJr help with sharing?

ScratchJr lets you create scenes where you can share items between characters. You can use blocks to make sure everyone gets the same number of items.

Why is sharing important?

Sharing is important because it helps us be fair. When we share things equally, everyone gets a fair chance to enjoy them.

Can I use any numbers for sharing?

You can use any numbers, but it's easier when the total number can be divided evenly by the number of people sharing.

How can I practice sharing at home?

You can practice sharing with toys, snacks, or even household items. Try dividing 12 cookies among 4 people and see if everyone gets the same amount.