Great math games and resources that promote number sense, perseverance, and problem-solving.
Looking for activities to keep young minds active and engaged? This list of math-related games, websites, and resources are worthwhile apps that help build mathematic skills in a variety of ways. These are not the run-of-the-mill drill activities that many of us grew up performing. Rather, these promote number sense, perseverance, and problem-solving – the skills our children need to be successful in math and in life.
This is a resource page that was built for St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes parents and faculty teaching Kindergarten through fifth grade with ideas for games, online applications, websites, books, activities, and parent resources. Each column across the page scrolls down.
Greg Tang is the NY Times best-selling author of eight math picture books from Scholastic. Greg works hard to make math an enjoyable experience for kids everywhere. Organized math challenges are also available for grades 1 – 8.
A math playground to give kids a workout for their brains. Lots of math-related activities such as logic puzzles, videos, games, and stories. Very mobile-friendly on all devices.
Given a set of numbers depicted in different ways, decide which number doesn’t belong and justify your answer with mathematical reasoning.
Math App Suggestions
- Dreambox – This is a program that places students where they are and advances them accordingly. Right now, they are offering FREE 90-day trials for students until April 30, 2020.
- Motion Math Fractions – on the number line
- Motion Math Zoom – number line estimation
- Motion Math Wings – multiplication
- Motion Math Hungry Fish – addition and subtraction
- Pearl Diver HD – fraction number line practice
- Lobster Diver – fraction number line practice
- Nine Gaps – develops great number sense
- Chicken Math – find sums quickly before the fox eats the eggs
- Operation Math Free – secret agent fun theme to get your child to practice math facts
- Number League – superheroes catch the number villains- combine different numbers -$3.99
- Kaakooma – Greg Tang – you can try it for free online. Suduko-type sum game
- Number Pyramid – number bond type practice for addition and subtraction
- Jungle Coins – practice counting money
- Jungle Time – practice telling time
- Jungle Fractions – fraction practice
- Candy Factory- fractions – this gets very difficult
- Let’s Tans – tangrams
- Symmetry Shuffle – www.mathdoodles.com
Math-inspired gift ideas
This is a handy list to inspire birthday party and holiday gift ideas for elementary-aged kids…especially for kids who have everything. These are educational games that make learning math fun and won’t break the bank! It doesn’t get much better than that. Scroll below to see board games, card games, dice games, and stocking stuffer ideas. I asked my 10-year-old what her favorites were from this list and she said: The Genius Square, Math Dice Chase, Zingo, Blink, Cat Crimes Logic, and Sum Swamp.
As you go through these resources, be open to inspiration and make your own activities for your kids. Math really is everywhere and you and your children can think up your own games using things around the house — a set of dice (here is a dice game I created), dominoes, playing cards, and loose change. Think of all the sorting activities you could have your kids do. Simple activities like counting and sorting paperclips, silverware, or items in a junk drawer can lead to real learning with just a little guidance. Kids start to see the benefit of grouping or counting by twos, threes, fives, tens, etc. Early division skills can be taught by asking young ones to make sets of office supplies for each member of the family or room in the house.
Build on their knowledge by asking them how many sets they can create using an equal number of each item they sort. Or have them problem-solve and figure out how many rolls of paper towels your family uses in a month and how much that costs. Or have them estimate the number of items in a jar or cherry blossom petals on a tree (counting petals on each flower), the number of flowers on a twig, the number of twigs on a big branch, etc. You get the idea. Have fun with it!