Games
Stoke Your Child’s Interest and Competitive Fire
Motivate and Build Confidence
Math games are a perfect way to reinforce and extend the skills your child has learned at school— they are fun, engaging, and enable you to see how your child is progressing. Games allow children to experience success, enjoyment, active involvement, and gain confidence in their mathematical abilities. Not only are games motivating, but they help develop positive attitudes toward math, as they are low-stakes and reduce the fear of failure. Furthermore, games give kids opportunities to explore math concepts as well as deepen their understanding— seeing patterns, relationships, and strategies.
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Search a list of recommended games. I have purposely selected ones I feel are especially effective for teaching math concepts and sparking kids’ interest. And, I am continually seeking out new game ideas and products that will bring out your child’s playfulness and encourage strategic thinking.
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In this bus-themed board game, children practice counting, addition, and subtraction skills. The objective of the game is to drive your double-decker bus through “town”, or around the game board, trying to pick up as many passengers as you can. However, there is some strategy involved…
In this bus-themed board game, children practice counting, addition, and subtraction skills. The objective of the game is to drive your double-decker bus through “town”, or around the game board, trying to pick up as many passengers as you can. However, there is some strategy involved! On each turn, the player rolls two dice (one white and one red). The player chooses to move their bus the number of spaces on the die of their choice. Each space a player can move to has either a plus sign or a minus sign on it. Depending on the space the player lands on, they then add or subtract the number of passengers on their bus based on the second die. So for example, if you roll a red 3 and a white 6, you may see that if you go 6 spaces ahead you will land on a minus sign, but if you go 3 spaces ahead you will land on a plus sign. And so, you decide to go 3 spaces forward based on your red die and then since you landed on a plus sign, you get to add 6 passengers based on your second, or white, die. Each bus can seat a total of ten passengers and the bus with the most passengers once everyone gets around the board, wins!
In this counting board game, children pick pretend fruit from trees on the board to fill up their buckets. With each turn, the player spins the spinner, which tells them how many pieces of fruit to pick or to put back, giving them practice with counting up, but also serving as an introduction to subtraction, or “taking away”. The first to fill their basket …
In this counting board game, children pick pretend fruit from trees on the board to fill up their buckets. With each turn, the player spins the spinner, which tells them how many pieces of fruit to pick or to put back, giving them practice with counting up, but also serving as an introduction to subtraction, or “taking away”. The first to fill their basket with their pretend cherries, blueberries, apples, or oranges wins! Small children enjoy this game, and playing with the little fruits offers extra incentive to get in the extra math practice (as well as some fine motor skill practice), though it does require some set-up time with all of the different fruits.
In the award-winning counting board game, Count Your Chickens, players work cooperatively to help Mother Hen bring her chicks back to the coop. Each player spins the spinner, counts out that number of spaces on the board, and then collects that same number of baby chicks…
In the award-winning counting board game, Count Your Chickens, players work cooperatively to help Mother Hen bring her chicks back to the coop. Each player spins the spinner, counts out that number of spaces on the board, and then collects that same number of baby chicks. While each child takes their turn, they are all working together against the game; if they are able to collect all of the chicks, they all win!
Sushi Go Party! is a fun, speedy game with some really adorable artwork. Plus, it comes in a cute “bento box” tin—so clever! In this fast-paced, pick-and-pass game, you earn points by picking winning sushi combinations. You must grab cards you need as they quickly go by…
Sushi Go Party! is a fun, speedy game with some really adorable artwork. Plus, it comes in a cute “bento box” tin—so clever! In this fast-paced, pick-and-pass game, you earn points by picking winning sushi combinations. You must grab cards you need as they quickly go by. You can score points for making the most maki rolls or collecting a full set of sashimi, or you can triple the value or your nigiri by adding wasabi! Sushi Go Party! is a unique way to practice basic addition skills, strategy, probability, and some quick thinking.
Featured Articles
Importance of Math Games
Math games are not just fun to play, they can also be a highly effective way to help your child, with a long list of benefits. Kids respond to learning when engaged, challenged, and enjoying their tasks. There is quite a difference when kids are active participants!...
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Why Do Teachers Use Manipulatives To Teach Math?
As parents, you may have noticed less emphasis on algorithms and memorization in mathematics and more emphasis on "sense-making" since the time when we were kids in elementary school. A big piece of this process is using manipulatives-- toys that are used as teaching...
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Why Use Children’s Literature to Teach Mathematics?
Children love stories. Parents and teachers can take advantage of this by using literature as a vehicle for teaching math and consolidating understanding. Children's literature can highlight concepts, act as a springboard to new math learning, stimulate discussion, or...
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