53 Fun and Interesting Statistics Activities

Looking for fun and interesting ways to incorporate data collection into your stats class? Check out this list of 53 fun and interesting statistics activities I have done with my students over the years in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Statistics class.

fun and interesting statistics activities

Dot Plot of the Day Activity

After creating our own individual magnets, my statistics class used them to complete this dot plot of the day activity. For an entire week, we created a dot plot at the beginning of each class period. Then students practiced writing a short paragraph to describe the data’s distribution.

Mean Median Mode and Range Challenge Activity

I created this mean, median, mode, and range challenge activity back when I was teaching Algebra 1. The activity is an adaptation of a set of questions created by the late Don Steward. Students are placed in small groups which must work through as many of the different challenges as possible.

Twizzlers Linear Regression Lab Activity

I learned about using twizzlers for linear regression from Tammy Ballard with Wake County Public Schools. I modified her activity to create my own twizzlers linear regression lab that met the needs of my specific group of Algebra 2 students.

Paper Airplane Lab

Recently, my statistics class was working on a paper airplane lab to explore the effect of the wingspan of a paper airplane on the distance traveled by the plane.

Gummy Bear Catapults

Recently, my statistics students have been doing an activity with gummy bear catapults. Click below to learn more about this activity!

Stats Response Bias Project

Instead of giving my statistics students a semester test, I chose to assign them a response bias project based on one shared online by Josh Tabor.

Probability Bingo Game

One of my favorite statistics activities for introducing probability is Probability Bingo. Probability Bingo is not your typical bingo game. Instead, the winner is the first person to fill up their ENTIRE bingo card.

Statistics: Confidence Interval Projects

I’m excited today to share the results of our confidence interval projects in statistics.

Normal Distribution Question Stack Activity

This normal distribution question stack activity was my introduction to a new practice structure for math class: question stacks. Since then, I have gone on to create question stacks for a large number of math topics.

Categorical vs Quantitative Variables Card Sort Activity

I created a categorical vs quantitative variables card sort that I would like to share with you.

5 Number Summary 5 Finger Summary

Check out this interactive notebook over the 5 elements of a 5 number summary.

IQR vs Standard Deviation Card Sort Activity

My stats students had just finished up learning to find IQR by hand and by calculator and standard deviation by hand and by calculator. I made this card sort activity to help students learn when they should report IQR vs standard deviation.

SOCS Foldable for Statistics

I’m pretty happy with how this SOCS foldable turned out that I created for my stats class. We’re practicing identifying the shape, outliers, center, and spread of a quantitative variable.

Kentucky Derby Winning Times

One of my favorite graphs to use to practice SOCS in statistics is this Kentucky Derby Winning Times graph that I found in Stats: Modeling the World. To practice describing SOCS, I had my class look at this dotplot of the Kentucky Derby Winning Times between 1875 and 2008.

Boxplot and Histogram Card Sort Activity

My stats students were struggling with boxplots. So, I decided to take a break from making boxplots to letting them look at boxplots that were already made. A quick google search led me to this boxplot and histogram card sort activity.

Graphs In The News Statistics Foldable

I made this Graphs in the News Statistics Foldable to give my stat students practice analyzing graphs of categorical data. I pulled some real-life data displays from the internet. Then, I had students discuss these questions together as a group. I loved hearing my students reason through these!

Game of Greed Statistics Foldable

I want to share a statistics foldable I made for the Game of Greed. This dice game is such a fun way to collect data!

Hiring Discrimination Simulation for Statistics

This year, I decided I wanted to start my statistics class off with a statistical simulation to give them a taste of what was in store for the year. I ran across mention of a hiring discrimination simulation on another blog, and I thought it would make the perfect first activity.

Estimating 30 Seconds Data Collection Activity

I used this estimating 30 seconds data collection activity with my Algebra 1 students, and it turned out to be a ton of fun. How well can you estimate 30 seconds?

Let’s Make a Graph Activity

I created this let’s make a graph activity to give my Algebra 1 students practice making various types of data displays. We needed to practice making bar graphs, box-and-whisker-plots, circle graphs, and stem-and-leaf graphs. We completed this activity after going over our Types of Data Displays Foldable.

Types of Data Displays Foldable

I created this types of data displays foldable for my Algebra 1 students to review bar graphs, stem-and-leaf graphs, box-and-whisker plots, and circle graphs.

Best Line of Best Fit Contest

I put together this u0022Best Line of Best Fitu0022 Contest to help my students think about how to best draw lines of best fit in Algebra 1.

Statistics Survey Project

Before Spring Break, I gave my statistics students the assignment to design their own survey projects. We spent well over a week on this project, but I definitely think it was time well spent.

Level the Towers Activity for Introducing Mean

This activity from Don Steward provides a great visual understanding of what it means to find the mean of a set of data values.

Measures of Central Tendency Graphic Organizers

I created these measures of central tendency graphic organizers for my Algebra 1 students to review how to find mean, median, mode, and range at the beginning of our data analysis unit.

Tenzi vs Splitzi Measures of Central Tendency Activity

This Tenzi vs Splitzi data collection activity was the perfect set-up for practicing finding measures of central tendency with my Algebra 1 students. I love a good dice game.

Always Sometimes Never Activity for Mean, Median, Mode, u0026amp; Range

Check out this Always Sometimes Never Activity for Mean, Median, Mode, u0026amp; Range. This was the perfect way to review the measures of central tendency with my Algebra 1 students. I used this activity as a last-minute review before our quiz over finding measures of central tendency.

Dry Erase Workmat for Finding Five Number Summary, IQR, and Outliers

This dry erase workmat really helped my algebra 1 students to organize their work while finding the five number summary, IQR, and outliers for a randomly generated data set.

Guessing Correlation Coefficient Game

If you are trying to help students visualize what various correlation coefficients look like, this game is a must to check out!

Looking for Outliers in the OKC Thunder

Today’s lesson is brought to you with special thanks to the OKC Thunder. Let’s analyze the salary of each player to determine if any of the players are outliers!

Blocko Game for Practicing Experimental and Theoretical Probability

I love using the Blocko game to give students much needed practice with experimental and theoretical probability. This game also goes by the name Beano. I prefer to play it with linking cubes, so we call it Blocko.

Mystery Box Probability Activity

I created this mystery box probability activity to give my Algebra 1 students some hands-on experience with probability.

Hula Hoop Scatterplot Activity

This hula hoop scatterplot activity gets students moving in math class while learning about how to create a scatterplot and use that scatterplot and linear regression to make predictions.

Hex Nut Probability Activity

Students love participating in this inertia-based activity involving hex nuts and soda bottles while collecting hands-on probability data.

Blind Stork Test for Data Collection

How long can you stand on one leg with your eyes closed? Don Steward called this the Blind Stork Test, and it is much harder than you would think! u003cbru003eu003cbru003eThis is the perfect data collection activity for quantitative data!

Mean, Median, Mode, and Range Spider Puzzles

These mean, median, mode, and range spider puzzles aren’t super fancy, but my students absolutely loved solving them!

Venn Diagram Template with Guess My Rule Cards

I created this Venn Diagram template to use with Guess My Rule cards, but it could be used in so many different ways in the math classroom.

Highlights Hidden Pictures Activity for Comparing Data Sets

Have you ever done the hidden picture puzzles in the back of a Highlights magazine? They make a great source of data collection!

Are your graphs OK? TULSA Graphing Posters

I want to share a set of TULSA Graphing Posters here on the blog today. Does your graph have a Title, Units, Labels, Scales, and Accuracy?

Analyzing the Ages of Academy Award Winners

This data analysis activity asks students to analyze the ages of academy award winners through back-to-back stem and leaf plots.

Starburst Scatterplot Activity

This starburst scatterplot activity ended up being one of my favorite activities of the year! It’s such a fun way to collect data and practice performing linear regression.

Count the Objects Task for Data Collection

When I ran across this count the objects task last fall, I thought it would make a great classroom activity for anyone needing to collect one variable data to analyze.

Dotplot Matching – A Desmos Card Sort Activity for Statistics

Can your students match each dot plot with its topic? This is much harder than it looks!

5 W’s and H Foldable for Statistics

I created this 5 W’s and H Foldable for my Stats class to glue in their statistics interactive notebooks (INBs).

Speedy Squares Activity for Quadratic Regression

I was so excited to discover this Speedy Squares Activity for practicing quadratic regression several years ago. I have used it successfully with my Algebra 2 classes in the past.

Tongue Twister Linear Regression Activity

I created this tongue twister linear regression activity for my Algebra 2 students to use while collecting tongue twister data in their small groups. Students work in groups to collect data regarding the amount of time it takes various numbers of people to recite a tongue twister.

Guess the Correlation Coefficient Blooket Game

Last year, I created a guess the correlation coefficient blooket game for my statistics students to play. If you’re not familiar with Blooket, it is very similar to Kahoot or Quizizz. It’s main attraction is the ability to choose different game methods for students to play.

Candy Grab Lab for Linear Regression

This Candy Grab Lab is one of my favorite ways to introduce students to the process of linear regression. In this activity, students determine if there is a mathematical relationship between a person’s handspan and the amount of candy they can grab at one time.

How Many States Have You Visited Map

How many states have you visited? We’re getting into one my favorite part of teaching statistics: data collection! I created this free printable to help my statistics students figure out how many states they have visited since students don’t typically know that fact off the top of their heads.

Design Your Own Dot Plot Magnets Activity

We are currently learning to create and describe dot plots in my statistics classes. To help increase student buy-in, I decided to have my students design their own dots for our dot plots in the form of magnets.

Categorical vs Quantitative Variables Hold-Up Cards Activity

I created these categorical vs quantitative variables hold-up cards to help me understand how well my statistics students were grasping the concepts of categorical and quantitative variables.

Emergency Rooms Card Sort Activity for Categorical and Quantitative Variables

Looking for a fun way to assess student understanding on categorical and quantitative variables? Check out this card sort activity I created for my statistics classes involving data that could be collected in an emergency room.

Tenzi Data Collection Activity for Comparing Data Sets

Tenzi is one of my favorite games to use in the math classroom for data collection activities. I love Tenzi because the rules are super easy and fast to explain to students, and the sheer variety of ways to play keeps students (and me as the teacher) from getting bored!