Games To Nurture Your Kids’ Math Skills

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Want your kids to become better at math? Playing games might be the answer. There are many board games, card games and other games that incorporate math skills like counting, addition and even multiplication. Below are a few examples of games that could be worth playing with your kids to improve their math skills.

Monopoly

This classic board game is great for testing one’s math ability as well as teaching kids money management skills. Players buy, sell and trade properties – while having to add up dice rolls, budget their money and calculate rent/mortgages. Monopoly now comes in many different versions, including versions for young kids. This is a fun game for all the family to play. Just make sure to dedicate a couple hours to it as Monopoly is often not a short game.

Scrabble

Scrabble may be a word-based game, but it also has its fair share of math involved. On top of testing one’s vocabulary, players must add up letter values and factor in tiles like ‘double letter’ and ‘triple word’ in order to build the highest score. You keep playing until all the letter tiles from the bag have been used and every player has played as many letters as they can (the remaining value of any letter tiles you have left is then subtracted from your score). It’s a great game for uniting budding wordsmiths and mathematicians.

Qwirkle

Qwirkle is another strategic tile-laying game that uses colors and shapes. Players must recognize patterns and make calculated moves. Points are scored based on the number of tiles that are played in a row. Keeping a tally requires players to use their addition skills, as well as critical thinking skills. Kids aged 6 and up can play this game – it’s very addictive and a great game for all the family.

Odd or even

For teaching kids the difference between odd and even numbers, this simple card game can be worth trying. Players draw cards and must determine beforehand if the card value will be odd or even.There are other versions of this game which can involve adding card values together to incorporate some extra math. Odd or Even is also possible to play with dice.

21

Also known as blackjack, 21 is a simple game that requires players to achieve a total card value as close to 21 as they can without going over. Players are dealt two cards each to begin with and then must decide whether to draw another card and risk going over 21. This game requires quick addition skills, as well as requiring players to calculate probability. Although this is a classic casino game that is typically played with money, it’s still possible to play 21 with kids and bet with something else like candy or toys (the betting aspect may also introduce some extra math).

Hearts

Hearts is a trick-taking card game that requires players to track their scores through multiple rounds – providing a fun way to practise addition and subtraction. The aim of Hearts is to end with the lowest score by avoiding hearts (each worth 1 point). There is also the Queen of Spades, which is worth 13 points. While young kids may find this game a little complicated, older kids are likely to be able to pick it up easily and will enjoy the strategy that comes with it.

Race to 100

Race to 100 is a math game that can use playing cards or dice. Players must race to reach a score of 100 by rolling dice or drawing cards and then tallying the value. It’s a fantastic way to help kids practise addition and develop number fluency, and can be a very fun and quick game if you don’t want to play something long-winded. Make sure to have a pen and paper handy so that you can keep score.

Yahtzee

This is another points-scoring game played with dice. Unlike Race to 100, this game requires players to roll specific dice combinations to score points – calculating one’s score as the game goes on and determining which combinations to pursue. Classic Yahtzee is designed for kids aged 8 and up, however there is a Yahtzee Jr version aimed at kids that could be easier for younger players to grasp. It’s a game of strategic thinking that can be very addictive.

Dominoes

There are a few different games that you can play using dominoes. The most basic games typically involve matching ends of dominoes to score points. Consequently, there is some addition involved, as well as number recognition. Playing dominoes requires a lot of forward thinking and can be a fun game for all ages. This post lists a few different dominoes variants that could also be worth trying to learn.

Darts

Dart is not just about aim; math skills are vital to this game! In Classic Darts, players start at 301 or 501 and must aim at strategic parts of the dart board in order to subtract points and get their score down to 0. There are also double and triple rings that introduce multiplication into the game. Not all parents will feel comfortable letting their kids play with steel tipped darts (the risk of injury is slim, but they are still sharp and pointy). Fortunately, there are kids’ dart boards you can buy that use velcro – they can be a safe way to introduce kids to darts.

Conclusion

Math games don’t have to be dull. By playing some of these classic games, you can test kids’ math abilities without them even realizing that they’re practising math. Of course, there are many other games that can incorporate math – almost any game with multiple dice involves some addition, while any game that requires players to keep a score also uses math skills. There are also video games which can involve a degree of math, but in many cases this is likely to be automated for the player, so it may not always be the best way to teach kids.

*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.