3 Actually Fun Games That Kids Can Play... and Learn Math!
Here are 3 games (that are actually fun to play) that will encourage your child’s math skills.
Included below with each game is a brief description and the math skills you KNOW they’ll be using as they play the game!
1) Sushi Go! by GameWright
Sushi Go! was one of my new favorite game finds this year and I’ve played it with kids from 8 years old up to variously aged adults. It is pretty easy to learn (explaining how to play is actually the harder than playing it - haha!) and the whole game can be played within 20-30 minutes (1 game = 3 rounds of card passing). The fun different aspect to this game is that you pass “your” hand of cards to the person next to you and have to make decisions as the cards are passed around the player on how you’ll gather points. (And aren’t the little sushi illustrations just adorable?)
What Math Concepts Will Your Kids Be Practicing:
Addition, Multiplication, Planning, Prioritizing, Organization, Memory, Mental Flexibility (adapting to changing scenarios)
Note: there is another version called “Sushi Go Party!” which is the bigger set of this one. I originally played that version first, and then later bought the card set. Sushi Go (the single card set) is easier to learn because there are a lot less choices of types of cards to play. The nice thing about the big set (Sushi Go Party!) is that is plays with more players, has a board and player counters for keeping track of your scores, and has more options for different types of play because it has more card types.
2) Super Farmer by Granna
Super Farmer is a dice rolling game that helps your farm animal population grow and grow! (The goal is to get one of each type of animal, so you have to trade in rabbits for sheep, sheep for pigs, etc. And watch out for rolling the wolf and the fox… but if you decide to buy a small dog or large dog, you’d be safe!). The playing pieces are made of strong cardboard and durable plastic, so this game will be ready to play over and over again. (And small fun fact: the original game (“The Animal Herding”) was created in 1943 by a Polish mathematican during World War II to support his family)
What Math Concepts Will Your Kids Be Practicing:
Addition, Division, Rounding, Ratios, Planning, Prioritizing, Organization, Memory, Mental Flexibility (adapting to changing scenarios)
3) Rack-O by Winning Moves Games
Rack-O is an easy to play game that has 2 different versions to play. The basics are that players take turn trading out their cards in order to get a “rack” of cards that are in sequential order. It was originally released by Milton Bradley in 1956, so has been around for awhile.
Normal play: you choose and place 10 cards in numerical sequence (the tabs on the cards create a visual to show to when they are in order)
More difficult play: you have to gather cards in a particular number set (ex. 1-5) for each slot. The visual will still be to have the tabs in a slanting line
What Math Concepts Will Your Kids Be Practicing:
Number Recognition, Number Sequencing, Planning, Prioritizing, Organization, Memory, Mental Flexibility (adapting to changing scenarios)
**note: the link above goes to a newer edition of Rack-O. Our old, very well loved edition is from the 90s and out of production, from what I can tell