Last Updated on September 18, 2023 by Editorial Team
Long division is a tricky mathematical concept. It’s lengthy with multiple steps, making it difficult for students to develop fluency in this operation. Some kids forget the steps in long division, while others do not have enough multiplication and subtraction fluency.
To help learners overcome these challenges, teachers can use a mix of activities, online games, and division board games in the classroom. The element of alternative teaching methods dissipates monotony and helps refine students’ long-division skills.
If you are a teacher who is about to start teaching long division to your students or if your students are struggling to grasp the concept, worry not! Our interesting long-division activities are here to come to your rescue to make learning enjoyable and fun for your students.
Fun activities to practice long division
1. Long Division Spin Challenge
Things You’ll Need
- Chart paper
- Ruler and marker
- Bottle
How to conduct this activity:
- Draw a large circle on chart paper and divide it into different sections using a ruler and marker, with all lines passing through the center. Write a division problem in each section.
- Place the chart paper on a table and secure its corners with a few paperweights.
- Invite each student to come forward and spin the bottle at the center of the circle. The division problem to which the bottle points when it stops rotating must be solved by the student.
- Later, students can exchange their solutions and check each other’s work.
- You can go through their work as you walk around the classroom and discuss common mistakes, if any, before wrapping up the activity.
2. Long Division Puzzles
Things You’ll Need
- Card stock
- Marker
- Scissors
How to conduct this activity:
- What’s better than engaging your students in some fun long-division puzzles? To make the puzzles, use cardstock of any color and cut out puzzle pieces. Every puzzle must have only two pieces.
- Now, write a division problem on one piece of the puzzle and its answer on the other piece. Make many such puzzles before you execute this activity in your classroom.
- Spread out the puzzle pieces on the table and let every student grab one puzzle piece with a division problem.
- Have them solve it in their notebooks and pick the puzzle piece with the correct answer written on it. If the answer written on the piece is wrong, the puzzle pieces won’t fit together, and the student can retry to solve the problem.
- You can have multiple rounds of this puzzle activity to give your students good practice on long division.
3. Long Division Anchor Chart Workshop
Things You’ll Need
- A video on long division
- Chart paper
- Colorful markers
- Decorative items
How to conduct this activity:
- Begin this activity by showing your students a video on the long-division method. This will grab their attention and help them understand the different steps involved when dividing a number by this method.
- You may pause the video and explain the parts that are difficult for your students to comprehend.
- Now, divide your students into groups of 3 or 4, depending on your class size.
- Provide chart paper, markers, and decorative items like stickers, sparkly jewels, etc., to each group.
- Instruct them to create an anchor chart poster on the long division method based on the steps they learned in the video.
- You can guide them to include the basic steps of long division, which are – divide, multiply, subtract, and bring the next number down.
- Encourage your students to be as creative as possible while preparing their anchor charts. You can reward the teams that make the best three posters and display them on a classroom wall for future reference.
4. Divide and Color the Picture
Things You’ll Need
- Crayons
- Pre-made “color the picture” poster
How to conduct this activity:
- This activity will require a bit of preparation on your part. Find a simple coloring page in digital format and print it at poster size. Use a marker to write division problems on every section that must be colored.
- Color code each section and write it at the top of the poster. For example, 250/5 = Green.
- Have students keep their pencils and notebooks ready to work on these problems.
- When you say “Go,” students must pick their choice of the problem from the poster and solve it in their notebook using the long division method.
- As soon as a student completes a problem, they can run to you and share their answer. If their answer is correct, they get to color the section using crayons based on the code given.
- The crux of this activity is to improve student proficiency and speed in solving long-division problems. A hint of competitiveness pushes students to work quickly with greater concentration.
- At the end of the activity, students will have a colorful poster depicting their efforts in solving long-division problems.
5. Create a Flipbook
Things You’ll Need
- Colorful sheets
- Markers
- Stapler
How to conduct this activity:
- A flipbook is similar to a graphic organizer as it helps students write and remember information. Flipbooks are useful in almost every sphere of education. So, why not use them to support students in learning long division?
- In this activity, every student gets to prepare their own flip book covering the different steps of long division.
- Pass on colorful sheets to your students and show them how they can make a flipbook. You can show them one of those easy videos available online, so they have an idea of how to proceed.
- After students have put together the sheets, you may staple them.
- Next, students can write the long division steps on the flipbook to get done with it. They can refer to these flipbooks every time they are solving long division problems. Flipbooks are fun and engaging, so your students will love to use them during their math lessons.
6. Long Division Task Cards
Things You’ll Need
- Cardstock
- Marker
- A jar or any other container
How to conduct this activity:
- Prepare a handful of task cards for this activity by cutting out cardstock in a 15×10 cm size.
- Use a marker to write long division word problems on one side and their answers on the other.
- Drop the cards in a jar and shuffle them in front of your class as you begin this activity.
- Call individual students to pick a task card from the jar and begin working on it.
- Ask them not to look at the answer until they’re done. After completion, they can flip their task card to check if their answer is right. If not, they can work collaboratively to find solutions before reaching out to you for help.
7. Roll and Divide
Things You’ll Need
- Dice
- Marker
- White sheets of paper
How to conduct this activity:
- Begin by creating multiple copies of the “dividend sheet,” a sheet containing random numbers that will serve as dividends.
- Make pairs of students and provide them with one dividend sheet and a die.
- First, one student will roll the die on the sheet. The number on which the die falls will be the dividend, whereas the number on the dice will be the divisor. Similarly, the second student can roll the die to find a dividend and divisor to work with.
- Now both students can work individually to practice long division and later work together if either of them gets stuck in problem-solving.
- Meanwhile, you can browse through your students’ work and offer support wherever necessary.
- Students can do 5–10 rounds of this activity to get ample practice on the specifics of long division.
8. Long Division Relay
Things You’ll Need
- A whiteboard
- Dry-erase markers
How to conduct this activity:
Here is an exciting activity that will keep your students totally engaged!
- Write a long division problem on a whiteboard.
- Instruct students that they will have to come forward and solve just one step of the problem and pass it on to the next student, just like it happens in a relay race.
- This relay technique will require students to pay 100% attention to the whiteboard while the question is being solved, as a slight miss can leave them confused.
- You may use student roll numbers to call out students one after the other for this relay activity.
- Try to present a challenging task with multiple steps so many students can participate in solving one problem. After students are done with one, you can share another problem to continue the activity until all students have gotten a chance to solve a problem.
That’s a wrap!
We all have memories of scratching our heads as we tried to solve long-division problems in school. In earlier times, math learning took a more conventional approach. But now, teachers are encouraged to use a variety of tools like flashcards and manipulatives to teach the concepts of division.
Clubbing these tools with relevant games and activities can further enhance the learning experience and make it easier for students to master the skill of long division. We hope your students enjoy our selection of long-division activities and say that math is no longer boring!
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.