Turn the concept of math from a boring, stuffy activity involving paper and a pencil into a fun activity by using games as a way to motivate your child. Math games for kids reinforce basic mathematical concepts while allowing children the opportunity to practice and refine their skills in a relaxed setting, as noted by Michael S. Schiro in "Mega-Fun Math Games and Puzzles for Elementary Grades."
Pig
The game of Pig requires two or more players and two dice. Pig provides children with a chance to think strategically and helps improve mental addition skills. You can also teach probability using the game of Pig. "About Teaching Mathematics" author Marilyn Burns recommends the game for children in grades three through eight. The objective of the game is to be the first player to score 100 points or more. On any given turn, a player can roll the dice as many times as possible. The player must keep a running total of the sum of the die faces in her head. When the player stops rolling the dice, the sum of the dice rolls is recorded and added to scores from previous turns. If a 1 appears on one die, the player's turn is over and the player forfeits any points for that round. The game commences to the next player. If a 1 appears on both dice, the player's turn is forfeit and the entire score accumulated is automatically dropped to zero.
War
War is a card game played between two or three people. Shuffle the cards and deal the entire deck to all players. Instruct children not to look at their cards. Instruct the players to simultaneously place two cards face-up in front of them. Depending on the skills taught, children should be instructed to add, subtract, multiply or divide the value of the cards in front of them, providing an opportunity for children to practice mental math skills. Face cards are generally assigned the value of 10 while aces are assigned the value of 1. The child with the highest solution is the winner of the cards. The child takes the cards and adds them to his capture or discard pile. In the event of a tie, all cards are put into the middle. The players engaged in the tie play a round against each other. The winner of that round wins all cards in the middle. When all cards have been captured, the game is over. The child with the greatest number of captured cards is the winner.
Nim
This ancient game hails from China and is over 1,000 years old, according to author Louise Orlando in "The Multicultural Games Book." The game is designed for two players. To play, gather 16 of the same item--toothpicks, coins, beans, buttons, beads, candy or any other small marker. Arrange the items in a pyramidal shape; the bottom tier is composed of seven items. The second tier is composed of six items. The third tier is composed of three items and the top tier is a solitary item. Take turns with your child, picking up any number of items, but selecting from only one row at a time. The player who picks up the last item is the loser of the game. The game of Nim provides children with a chance to use creative problem solving skills, mental math and strategy skills. Older children can benefit from the game as an example of the Fibonacci Sequence and, for children interested in computing, as an example of binary coding.
References
- "Mega-Fun Math Games and Puzzles for Elementary Grades"; Michael S. Schiro; 2009
- "About Teaching Mathematics"; Marilyn Burns; 1992
- "The Multicultural Games Book"; Louise Orlando; 1993
- Scholastic Teacher Resources: 4 Great Math Games
- Achimedes Laboratory: Nim Game
