Passports are an easy and fun way to encourage students to try different stations at your Family Math Night event. Students get their own passport as they enter the event then collect stickers as they complete activities at a station.

This is one of those super simple additions that’s always a HUGE hit. Each of our event kits come with the ability to print out passports but you can easily make and print your own.

Passports can be used in a variety of ways:

• Collect them at the end of the event and use them in a raffle for a prize.
• Students who collect a certain number of stickers can get an extra guess at the estimation station.
• Students who collect a certain number of stickers get to choose a prize from the prize table.
• The passport is simply theirs to take home to remind them of the fun they had at Family Math Night.

We create passport “necklaces” by attaching yarn. That way the passports won’t get lost or left at a station during the event.

Here’s how we used them at our recent event

As students entered the event they were handed their passport with the explanation that after trying an activity at a station the station facilitator would give them a sticker for their passport. Once they had collected at least 5 stickers they could choose a prize from the prize table.

Note: If you choose this option for your event, keep in mind that a Family Math Night event is a fun, non-threatening event where students get to explore math with their families at their own pace. So the number of stations they need to complete should be something all students can achieve.

We typically include 10-11 stations at our events. Eight of the stations come from one of our event kits (Nifty Numbers, Math Medley, or Gellin’ with Geometry). Then there’s the Estimation Station – always a huge hit. And because I’m always trying out a new collaborative project, there’s my project station. Finally, we include a Take-Home station where students learn to play one of our games then take it home.

The nice thing about the passports in our kits is that they can be customized. So if you decide to include more than the 8 stations in the kit, we’ve got you covered.

With 11 stations and 90 minutes, it is reasonable to think that students could complete at least 5 stations.

Students were super excited to come to the prize table after getting 5 stickers! Dollar stores usually have some fun inexpensive items. For this event, we included a variety of colorful mini play-doh and some fun glow sticks. After the facilitator at the prize station initialed their passport confirming they had completed at least five activities, students were able to choose an item.

Although we used stickers to show a completed activity, students could instead collect a rubber stamp…or…even easier…initials from the station facilitator.

And…it’s a math activity, too! Look at the passport in the photo. How many more stamps are needed in order to head over to the prize station?

Passports in Action at our Math Medley Family Math Night event

This is one of those super SIMPLE additions to your event that students LOVE. Simple and Love…it’s a win/win!