Tangram Pieces

• Provide students with several triangles cut from cardboard and colored red, blue and yellow. Model a shape using the tangram, or geometric-shaped, pieces, and demonstrating which colors are used in each spot of the pattern on the board or on an overhead projector. Have the students copy the pattern. Do this a few times, then allow the students to create their own patterns with a classmate.
  
  

Sound Patterns

• Pass out instruments to the children in the class. Give some children bells, others cymbals, and the third group drums. Do a sound pattern by having them do an ABCABC pattern: bells, cymbal and drums. Then switch the patterns up a bit, such as AABC and other simple variations. This is a helpful way to teach patterns for math skills using auditory skills. For instance, understanding patterns helps a child learn place value, a concept that second graders must learn. This can be helpful for children who may learn better by hearing rather than just using visual methods.
  
  

Sticker Patterns

• Assemble a group of various stickers and pass out to the second graders. Have students work in pairs. The first child makes a pattern in one row and the second child copies that pattern. Then the second child creates a new pattern for the first child to copy. Being able to create and copy a pattern enables a child to visually discriminate like and unlike objects and sort objects, which is a math skill necessary for second grade students to build on.
  
  

Find the Missing Part

• Model patterns with blocks, markers or drawings on the board. After demonstrating the pattern, take out one element or part of the pattern. For instance, if you made a pattern of red, blue, yellow and green, remove the green block and ask the class what is missing. This is a precursor to learning algebra as the student will need to find a missing element as in solving for x.
  
  

Sorting Activity

• Have a collection of art items like crayons, markers and colored pencils. Have students sort them into containers. This is a patterning activity. Sort other items such as buttons or blocks by color and then size.