M&M Probability

This activity is ideal for the elementary school students!

This activity is a great way to introduce your student to probability! This activity can also be completed with Skittles, Starburst, or similar colorful candy.

Materials:

• Pack of M&Ms of your choice of size

• Pencil and paper for count and calculations

Directions: Count and record the number of red candies, orange candies, yellow candies, green candies, blue candies, and brown candies.

Add the individual counts to obtain the total number of candies.

Calculate the probability of picking each color by dividing the number of candies in each color by the total number of candies (ex. If you had 50 total candies and 5 were red, the probability of picking a red candy is 5/50 or 1/10).

EXTRA CHALLENGE: Try to calculate the probability of different combinations (ex. If you had 50 total candies, and 5 were red and 5 were orange, the probability of picking a red or orange candy is (5+5)/50 or 1/5)!