Monday, October 21, 2013

Cool Math Ideas for Kids - Board Games that Teach Math Skills



Many parents tend to treat math as a painful subject that’s difficult to grasp and consequently lack the confidence to impart solid math skills to their kids. Some resort to tutors or free printable math worksheets to help their child polish his faltering math, while others expect the math teacher to take on this responsibility. Usually, none of these attitudes seem to work and kids have nothing but a lifelong fear of math to look forward to. If this scenario isn’t new to you, have a look at these cool math games that might just possibly bail you and your child out of this sticky situation. 

Benefits of Playing Cool Math Games

  • They can be enjoyed alone or with company.
  • They are easy to learn and can be picked up at any age.
  • They teach vital math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, estimation and probability, among others.
  • Help your child get a head start with his early math skills.
  • They are guaranteed to get your child fired up about this ‘boring’ subject.
  • They help build and strengthen family relationships and create positive childhood memories.

Cool Math Games to make Test Scores Soar

           1.    Chutes and Ladders

This is one of the first board games that parents buy for their preschooler and research backs up their choice to the hilt. Playing the game on a regular basishelps your child master counting, addition, spatial awareness, prediction, and number recognition up to 100. This much-loved board game also introduces your child to basic gaming skills such as manipulating pieces on a board – and he also learns about motor control in the process.His understanding of numbers and numerical ability will definitely improve after a while. In fact, this cool math board game is one of the best investments you could make for your child.

         2.    Monopoly

Most of us played this classic game as children, but few of us know that it also helps boost kids’ math skills. Players get a certain amount of money to invest in properties and pay their expenses and the one that makes the wisest budget wins. He also learns to calculate property tax in relation to his assets and understand important concepts such as return on investment and mortgage values. These everyday math applications are sure to come in handy when he’s an adult. While the concept of probability plays a major role in the game (through the act of rolling the dice), a player who thinks and plans his investments strategically stands a greater chance of winning this cool math game.