Fractions with Pattern Blocks on the Light Table

Introducing fractions with pattern blocks on the light table was the perfect way to discover equal parts of a whole!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click through to Amazon from this page and purchase anything, we will get a small profit for referring you!
When E received transparent pattern blocks as a birthday gift (Thanks, C & R!) I was looking forward to using them to learn about shapes, build images, and make patterns but we've already done so much more!

As we got them out to play one day last week, I put together two red trapezoids.  E comments on how they made the same shape as the yellow hexagon.  We balanced the two reds on top of the yellow.  

I grabbed two more reds and told E that the two pieces were halves if the yellow was the whole.  I had to be sure to make sure she knew I was saying "whole" and not "hole" so we talked about the yellow being a cake. Would she eat the whole cake herself or cut it into two pieces like the reds?  Who would she share with? "Momma!"

If D wanted a piece of cake too we'd need three pieces (or thirds).  She found the blue rhombuses were thirds of the yellow hexagon whole.  I love the transparent pattern blocks for demonstrating this because you could stack the pieces on top of the whole but still see it underneath!

The green triangles made sixths.  E thought this looked more like a pie than a cake!  

This is my first post as a part of the Light & Reflections Series!  I'm honored to be joining a few creative bloggers monthly in writing about educational and fun light topics.  Check them out here:

DIY Jumbo Dice for Light Table Play from And Next Comes L

Shape Puzzles: Early Learning on the Light Table from Happily Ever Mom 

Snowball Counters; Counting with Circles on the Light Table from Where Imagination Grows