Children can learn math anywhere. Learning doesn't have to take place only inside the classroom. Math is just about everywhere you look--indoors or outdoors. Even preschool age children play games that can help them begin to understand math concepts and problems. Math need not be boring or difficult for a child to learn. The trick is to make basic math concepts seem less abstract to children. Playing games adds fun and challenge. Younger children in particular can relate better to things that they can see and touch.
Board Games
Board games provide an excellent tool to get children learning about math, says Robert Sieigler, a researcher who focuses on children's understanding of mathematical problem solving and reasoning. According to Siegler, 4- and 5-year olds can improve in their abilities to count and identify numbers after playing a board game for just one hour. Kids learn about counting through board games as they move forward and backward on the board. For a board game that uses dice, children need to count the dots on the dice in order to know how many spaces forward they can move. A money game such as Monopoly helps children learn how to count money and teaches them about basic addition and subtraction. Candy Land is a board game that exposes younger children to math concepts.
Exploring Nature
Exploring nature gives kids an opportunity to apply different math concepts in an entertaining way. Take children for a nature walk, and have them count trees along the way. They can count flowers, bugs or anything else they see for practice. Have children collect leaves, and then show them how the leaves they collect come in various shapes and sizes. Encourage kids to explore the different symmetry of what they see in nature and explain that this, too, is part of math.
Play Store
Play store with children using play money. Generally, youngsters like to play store, which can help them master basic math skills. Playing with money helps kids learn how to count, add and subtract. They learn about the different denominations of coins and paper bills, as well as how to use these to make purchases. Children who are a little older can use playing store to solve math problems. They can learn how many quarters they need to pay for something or how many pieces of candy they can buy with the amount of money they have. Kids can practice their subtraction skills by learning to make change. Playing with money also leads into learning about fractions and decimals.
Card Games
Card games are another way to teach children math. One game kids can play with cards requires that each child who plays receives four cards. The kids then have a few minutes to see how many numbers they can get from the cards they hold in their hand by adding and subtracting the numbers. Children who are old enough can also divide and multiply the numbers. The child with the most numbers at the end wins. The card game Flinch involves placing cards in a number sequence. The game comes in a variety of different levels, which makes it practical for kids of all ages.
Household Games
There are lots of simple games kids can play at home. Cooking games and other household activities can help children learn math. Kids learn about portions by using measuring cups while helping to prepare a recipe. Ask an older child to break down a recipe to feed a smaller number of people. Another game is to play carpenter and have a child measure various items or different distances in the house. He can practice multiplication and division skills by calculating half the distance he measures and then figuring twice a distance.
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