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Very few children like mathematics as a subject. I haven’t seen many kids who enjoy practicing math problems (not that I blame them). This was especially true until about a decade ago. However, with the advancement of technology and the creativity of designers, we now have some really fun and cool math games for kids of all ages.
These games allow kids to learn the fundamental concepts of math in an easy and fun way, thereby generating a genuine interest for the subject.
If your child is one of the many who doesn’t think that mathematics is interesting, this article might just change their life.
Here is a list of five amazing math games that your child will enjoy. These games will hone your child’s problem-solving skills and help clarify the basic concepts of calculations.
This game is an amazingly simple yet effective way to help children understand the concept of addition and multiplication. You just label different balls with different integers, fractions or decimals, and ask a group of children to pass the balls to each other.
The rule is that upon catching the ball, the person has to add or multiply the digit on the current ball to the digit written on the previous ball.
The goal is to reach the highest total in a fixed time. Depending on the labels you put on the balls, this game can engage kids from third to eighth grade.
Prodigy is a free video game that can be aligned with most any curriculum. Basically, it is like a role-playing game in which students answer math problems in order to complete tasks and reach higher levels.
This is an exceptional game for school-going kids because teachers can customize questions and problems according to the understanding of each student. Thus, it can be useful for students between first and eighth grade.
Math Bingo is a brilliant take on the traditional game Bingo. You just make bingo cards that have the answers to different multiplication tables.
The participants of the game are handed the cards and a random multiplication is called out, for example, 4 x 9.
The participants then must find the card that contains the right answer to this equation (36). This game is ideal for students from third to sixth grade.
This is a very interesting game that students from third through fifth grade will enjoy. The children are to be grouped in small groups and given sticks measuring a yard.
They are then given five minutes to collect items in the room that will add up to its length.
The closest estimation wins. To make this game more challenging, the kids may be asked to convert their results into inches or centimeters, or given smaller or larger sticks.
Up and down
This game hones logical thinking and allows children to make calculations faster. The kids sit in a circle and are told a number. Then, they should stand if that number matches the criteria that you mention.
For example, you tell them a number and ask them to stand if the number is an even number, a multiple of 4, greater or less than another number, etc.
Depending on the complexity that you put across in these conditions, this game can engage kids from first to fifth grade.
Now that you know some cool math games to engage kids constructively, you have the tools to help make math fun!