Fun Math Games That Kids Will Love
Discovering ways to make math enjoyable and appealing can be
difficult. Kids need to practice certain skills in math to
become competent but doing repeated drills again and again isn’t
much fun.
However, making math fun can be as straightforward as adding a
few fun math games into your daily math routine. Math games can
be used to introduce new concepts, practice math skills and
consolidate math concepts.
Here are four different kinds of math games to consider using in
your math program.
Math Board Games
Board games can be used to teach many different math skills.
Commercial board games are available however these can be
expensive and often one board game will only teach or practice
one skill. Why not involve the children in creating math board
games or look for ready made board games that can be printed
from the internet?
Math Card Games
Math card games can be played with an ordinary deck of cards or
with specifically designed cards. Simple match up games are easy
to make with cards having an equation on one card and the answer
on the matching card. This can be played like Memory or
Concentration. Kids simply turn over 2 cards at a time and if
they are a matching pair they get to keep the cards.
Pencil and Paper Games
Many games can be played with just a pencil and paper. Everyone
knows the word game Hangman but not everyone is aware that
Hangman can be played as a math game. Just select an equation
and draw a dash for each of the numerals and signs in the
equation, e.g. 24+18=42 would be recorded as eight dashes.
Children then guess the signs and the numerals. Write the sign
or numeral on the dash for each accurate guess and draw a piece
of the hangman for each incorrect guess. If you don’t like the
idea of drawing a hangman, just change it to something else and
play ‘Racing Car’ or ‘Robot’ instead. Just choose the shape to
be drawn before you start.
Tic Tac Toe can also be converted into a math game. Simply draw
a tic tac toe grid by drawing two vertical lines crossing two
horizontal lines. One player plays with odd numbers - 1, 3, 5,
7, 9; the other player uses even numbers - 2, 4, 6, 8 and 0
(which is neither odd nor even). Players take turns to write
their numbers. Odd numbers start. Use each number only once. The
first player to complete a line that adds up to 15 is the
champion. The line can have both odd and even numbers.
Other Games
Lots of math games can be played with little or no equipment.
Twenty Questions can be played with no equipment at all. One
player thinks of a number within a set range, e.g. between 0 and
100. The other player/s asks questions about the number until
they guess what the number is. Each question can only be
answered with yes or no, e.g. Is it an odd number? Is it more
than 50?
Tips for selecting Math Games
· Make sure that the instructions are simple and clear.
· Make sure that the game will challenge the ability level of
the children without being so difficult that it will be
frustrating.
· Ensure that everyone knows all of the rules.
· Include children in making and selecting the games to give
them a sense of ownership of the games. Then they will be even
more eager to play as they will consider it as ‘our game’ or
‘the game that we made’.
Let the children know why they are playing the game and what
they can achieve by playing the game.
If you are looking for a way to really get kids interested in
math, think games. A few fun math games might be all that you
require to get kids actually enjoying math.
I know that you are
interested in making math fun and easy for the children in your
life so -
Here are some other
resources that you may be interested in -
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Secret Code Math
Kids love playing
with codes and now they practicing basic math skills is as much
fun as solving secret codes.
Kids will be
motivated to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division, basic facts, comparing numbers and rounding off
numbers.
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The Math Riddle Book
This is Math
practice that kids love. It combines Riddles (Which kids always
enjoy) and math practice.
Each sheet
motivates kids to practice a basic math computation by rewarding
them with a riddle.
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Fun
With Figures Brilliant Mental Math Short Cuts That Will Amaze
Everyone!
Discover the
amazing techniques from Ancient India that will have you
figuring in your head, faster than most adults can with a
calculator....
Vedic Math is sure
to intrigue you and the children in your life!
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