One thing that I purchased years ago was a set of pattern blocks and pattern block design cards. These are great for teaching mathematical patterns. Students not only get to see the patterns, but they get to touch and feel them. They are able, through trial and error, to see how patterns work. My own children got to use them at home while they were growing up, too, and now I am able to use them in private tutoring and in a couple of years hope to use them with our young grandson. It’s worth the investment of $20-$30 to have these materials which not only develop cognitive thinking but are just plain fun to do!
If you don’t have the money to invest in these materials right now, you could make your own set of one-dimensional shapes and simple pattern cards with colored tagboard. Just look online at pattern blocks and pattern block design cards to get ideas.
