Mathematics is the science of numbers and shapes. It tends to deal with the logic, structure, order, and measurement of quantities. Mathematics is a vast subject that has a number of concepts and theories. Some of the common categories in which mathematics can be classified include algebra, arithmetics, probability theory, number theory, game theory, statistics, trigonometry, euclidean and non-euclidean geometries, set theory, etc. Mathematics is one of the most prominent skills that we begin to learn at a very early age. One can easily learn the basic concepts of mathematics at educational institutes or at home with the help of math fun games. The concepts of mathematics are quite helpful in a lot of daily life applications such as counting cash, counting objects, identifying shapes of the things present in the surroundings, estimating the time required to reach a particular location, and many more. This is the reason why having a good grip on mathematical concepts from a young age is always an asset.
Examples of Fun Math Games for Kids
There are a variety of fun games available in the market that help a child learn math concepts easily. Some of them are listed below:
1. Ludo
Ludo is a board game typically designed for two to four players. In ludo, each player is provided with four tokens and one common dice. The main objective of the game is to race the tokens from the home point to the endpoint. The player whose all the tokens finish the race first wins the game. Ludo helps a child learn the basic concepts of mathematics such as counting numbers, geometric shapes, addition, subtraction, etc.
2. Snake and Ladders
Snake and ladders is yet another planning and strategy board game that makes use of simple math concepts such as addition, subtraction, counting, etc. Usually, the snake and ladder board consists of a 10 x 10 grid. The sub-grids contained by the parent matrix of a snake and ladder game have numbers 1-100 written on their top. Each player is provided with a token and a common dice. The main aim of the game is to race to the end of the board in a proper sequence. The player who finishes the race first wins the game. Snakes and ladder game is typically designed for two to four players; however, more players can also play the game.
3. Abacus
Abacus is one of the most prominent fun math games that can help a child gain knowledge of basic mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, etc. with ease. It generally consists of a wooden frame that has a set of metallic rods attached to its inner side. Each rod contains beads that are free to move from one end to the other. The main idea of the game is to slide the beads from one end of the rod to the other according to the given equation and formulate the result.
4. Math Bingo
Math bingo is yet another game that a child can play to learn the fundamentals of mathematics. In a math bingo, the players create chits on which simple mathematical equations are written. These chits are then placed in a container. Each player is provided with a sheet and a marker. The sheets contain a grid that has solutions to all the questions stated in the chits in a unique format. When the host calls out the equation in front of all the players, the players compute the solution and strike it off the sheet. The first person to strike five numbers from his/her sheet along a straight vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line is supposed to call out ‘Bingo!’ loudly and is declared the winner of the game.
5. Tic Tac Toe
Tic tac toe is a game of combination and logic. It is a pen and paper game specifically designed for two players; however, certain digital or online modes of the game for multiple players are also available on the web or app store. Tic tac toe is also known as zeroes and crosses or Os and Xs. Each player playing tic tac toe has a goal to place three crosses or three zeroes on the 3 x 3 matrix along a straight horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line. The first person to achieve the goal is declared as the winner. Tic tac toe is an entertaining game that helps a child build his mathematics fundamentals in a fun and easy way.
6. Stand Up Sit Down
Stand up, sit down is yet another example of fun math games. The host of the game writes a number on the display board and verbally announces a relational property regarding that particular number. If the relational property is true, the players are required to stand up and if the relational property is false, the players are required to sit down. For instance, the host writes the number 10 on the board and announces, “Stand, if the number is greater than 7.” In such a case, the players are required to stand up in their respective places. The players who do not stand or stand up after some time tend to lose the game. This helps improve the immediate response-ability of the children and enhance their mathematical calibre.
7. Salute
Salute is a classic example of fun math games that young children can play with ease. To begin the game the players are required to form a bunch of cards on which the numbers are written randomly. The cards are then shuffled and each player randomly selects one card from the deck. The players are then supposed to hold the cards over their heads in such a way that only the opposite player is able to see the number written on their cards. The host of the game then announces the equation regarding the numbers written on the cards held by both players. The main aim of the players is to identify the number written on their cards by looking at the number written on the opponent’s card and by listening to the announcement made by the host. For instance, suppose the cards held by both the players are numbered 12 and 3 and the host makes an announcement, “The sum of both the numbers is equal to 15.” Then the player who is able to guess the correct number written on his/her card wins the game. This helps the children improve their calculation speed and develops the ability to respond at a relatively faster rate in them.
8. Yes/No Math Game
Mathematics is a vast subject that has a number of attributes such as digits, operators, shapes, graphs, and many more. This characteristic of the subject is typically used in the yes/no math game. The yes/no math game is a card game that either result in a win or lose, i.e., there exists no chance of a tie or a draw. The cards used in a yes/no math game consist of shapes, numbers, or operators randomly scribbled on their faces. One of the players picks up a card randomly and holds it over his/her head. The task is to identify the shape, number, or the operator scribbled on the card with indirect hints provided by the opponent. For instance, if a triangle is drawn on the card. The player begins to guess with the hints such as “Am I a figure?”, “Am I a number?”, “Am I even?”, “Am I odd?”, etc. If the player manages to guess the mathematical attribute present on the top of the card, he/she wins the game.
9. Round the Block
Round the block is a simple fun math game that is typically designed for a group of players. Here, the host assigns a set of mathematical questions to one of the players. The player passes a ball to his/her adjacent player upon hearing the question and begins to recite the answer. The ball gets circulated from the first player to the second player, from the second player to the third player, and so on. The first player is supposed to deliver the answers to all the questions as fast as possible. The main objective of the game is to deliver all the answers before the ball reaches his/her position. If the player is unable to perform the task in time, he/she tends to lose the game. Round the ball fun math game helps a child groom his/her ability to respond spontaneously and helps them revise the fundamentals of mathematics.
10. Bouncing Sums
Bouncing sums is one of the most common fun math games that one can play easily at home, at school playground, or at a beach. Here, numbers are randomly scribbled on the curved surface of a beachball. The player who initiates the game bounces the ball and loudly announces the number that is present under his/her right thumb. The next player who catches the ball, adds the previous number and the number present under his/her right thumb together, announces the result loudly, and throws the ball towards the next player. The next player repeats the same process. The game goes on till any one of the players misses to catch the ball. This helps children improve their motor skills, calculation speed, and hand to eye coordination.
11. Simple Math Equations
To play the simple math equations game, form a star-shaped pattern on a piece of cardboard and attach equations to the tips of the star. Now, write the answers to the equations on cloth clips. Ask the child to match the equations to their respective solutions and attach the cloth clips on the star figure accordingly. This fun math game can be created at home with ease and certainly helps a child learn and practice some of the easy math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc. The difficulty level of the game can be varied according to the age and the knowledge of the player.
12. Tetris
Tetris is one of the most common fun math video games that is best suited for younger children. Tetris was invented by a Russian-American software engineer and video game developer Alexey Pajitnov in 1984. It typically makes use of combination theory and the fundamentals of probability. Tetris contains a variety of blocks constructed in different shapes and sizes. These blocks can be rotated in four directions with the help of the controllers available on the device. The shape of the blocks is designed in such a way that they fit each other perfectly when aligned in a particular order. The main objective of the game is to attach the blocks to each other in the best possible manner and eliminate the rows or columns as fast as possible. A score keeps on building according to the player’s performance.
13. Shape Box
A shape box is yet another example of math fun games that a child can play for the purpose of entertainment as well as to learn the fundamentals of mathematics. A shape box typically consists of an empty box that is covered with a lid. The lid of the box consists of a number of geometric shapes carved on its surface. A set of different mathematical figures such as a rectangle, cube, cuboid, triangle, cone, etc. is provided with the box. The main objective of the game is to match the shape of the mathematical figures with each other and slide the objects through the groovings made on the surface of the lid. This help the child learn about new mathematical figures and shapes, match the similar shapes to each other, improve his/her motor skills, and enhance their hand to eye coordination.
14. Stack the Rings Toy
A stack the ring toy consists of a set of coloured rings that vary in size and a stand. The prime aim of the game is to arrange the loops or the rings onto the stand in ascending or descending order. A child can learn about the shapes of different objects, the size of the objects, and the order in which they can be arranged, thereby enhancing the basic mathematical skills possessed by an individual. The simplicity of the game makes it suitable for children of all age groups especially for younger children that are typically below 3 years of age.
15. Water Ring Toss
Water ring toss is a math fun game that consists of a display screen and two buttons attached to a cuboid-shaped box. The display of the water ring toss game generally contains two or more vertical stands and multiple coloured rings embedded in a viscous fluid. The buttons present on the device tend to vary the pressure inside the device on being pressed. This causes the rings to change position. The main aim of the game is to suspend all the rings into the stands. The user may learn about certain mathematical concepts while playing water ring toss games such as probability, logic, etc.
16. Ring Toss
A ring toss game is quite similar to a water ring toss game. The only difference between the two is that a water ring toss is a handheld device game, while one can easily play the ring toss game in real life. Ring toss consists of a tall pole attached to a circular disk that is placed on a rigid surface such as a table or ground. A set of rings is provided with the game set. The main aim of the game is to suspend as many rings as possible onto the pole. While the user throws the rings towards the pole, he/she tends to make use of certain mathematical concepts such as distance calculation, probability estimation, etc.
17. Magnetic Shapes Puzzle
A magnetic shape puzzle is an ideal math fun game that a child can play for entertainment as well as educational purposes. It consists of a set of magnetic geometric shape cutouts. The player is required to stick the pieces on a metallic surface and create different patterns. This particular game helps a child learn about the basic geometric shapes present in nature, the characteristics of different figures, and their combination.
18. Balance Toys
A number of balance toys are available in the market designed for toddlers to learn the math concepts such as addition, subtraction, counting, etc. and physics concepts such as weight, equilibrium, force, etc. Such toys typically consist of a beam balance attached with plates on both ends. The player randomly places the numbers on one end and tries to balance the weight of the objects by placing weights on the opposite plate. The number of weighted objects that are required to be placed on one side of the plate is equal to the sum of the numbers present on the other plate.
19. Sliding Blocks puzzle
Sliding block puzzle is a matching puzzle game that tends to help a child learn about different geometric shapes and objects. The main aim of the game is to slide the blocks through the puzzle frame and align the similar shapes together. If the player is able to sort the objects in the desired order he/she is declared as the winner.
20. Sliding Number Blocks Puzzle
Sliding number block puzzle is yet another math fun game that helps a child build his/her fundamentals in the subject. It typically consists of a wooden frame that has a set of blocks arranged in perfect order. Each block contained by the puzzle is numbered and is free to move within the block in the vertical as well as in the horizontal direction. The prime objective of the game is to align the number blocks in order by sliding the blocks.
21. Ball-in-a-Maze Puzzle
A ball-in-a-maze puzzle is one of the best examples of fun math games for kids. Generally, such games are made up of materials like wood, steel, or plastic. The main aim of the game is to move the steel balls through the maze pattern from the start position to the end position. The game requires stability, focus, and concentration. The implementation of logic theory subcategory of mathematics can be easily seen in such games.
22. Sorting Toys
There are a number of sorting toys available in the market for children of all age groups. Such toys generally consist of a tray that has differently shaped grooves carved on its surface. The player is required to match the game pieces to the shape of the groove and attach them together, thereby helping the child to learn about the properties, appearance, and characteristics of various geometric shapes. Such games are also helpful in building motor skills and improving the focus of the child.
23. Numerical Hopscotch Play Mat
Numerical hopscotch is one of the best math fun games that can help a child learn counting, addition, order of numbers, and various other related mathematical concepts. One can easily draw numerical hopscotch on the floor with the help of chalk or colour pens. Also, a variety of numerical hopscotch play mats are available in the market. The rules of playing the numerical hopscotch game are quite simple. The player is supposed to hop from one block to the next block without letting his/her feet touch the boundary of the blocks. If the player reaches the end block without breaking the rules, he/she wins the game.
24. Geoboards
Mathematical geoboards serve to be yet another math fun game designed for kids that help them learn about the shape and properties of geometric figures as well as other complex mathematical concepts easily while playing. A math geoboard is typically made up of wood or plastic and has multiple nails embedded on its surface. The nails are arranged on the board in an ordered manner. The game is provided with a set of multicolour strings and rubber bands. The player is provided with a set of play cards on which images of various geometric figures are printed. The main task of the game is to form the exact geometric figure on the geoboard as shown in the playing card with the help of strings and elastic bands.
25. Math Blocks
A math blocks game is one of the best games suited for younger children who have just started learning maths. Typically, a math blocks game consists of ten cuboid-shaped wooden pieces that are generally numbered from 1 to 10. The size of each cuboid block is a few centimetres less than the other block. The size distribution of the blocks is done in such a way that they can be arranged in ascending or descending order when aligned according to the proper numeric order. Math blocks game is typically a counting toy, but it also enables the child to learn the concept of addition, subtraction, and order arrangements.
26. Fraction Fun Game
A fraction fun game is one of the best math fun games that help a child learn the concept of fractions in an enjoyable and easy manner. Such games typically consist of the paper representation or three-dimensional models of food items such as pizza or pie. The 2D or 3D food models are further divided into parts and are labelled with the exact fraction that they denote. Learning the concept of fractions theoretically can be quite confusing for a child, but a practical fun game helps him/her understand the concept and sustain its knowledge for a relatively longer duration.
27. Math Card Game
A number of math card games are available in the market that helps a child learn and practise basic math concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, etc. with ease. One of the best examples of such math card games includes the target math game. It typically consists of two sets of cards. The first set of cards consists of 116 white cards, out of which 110 are numbered 2 to 12 and the rest 6 cards are the wild cards that the player can use as per his/her convenience. The second set of cards includes 44 black cards, out of which 42 cards are numbered 0 through 84 and 2 cards are blank. The black cards are known as the target cards. The prime objective of the game is to form an equation with the help of white cards and appropriate operators in such a way that the solution of the equation is equal to the number present on the top of the target card. Such games help a child improve his/her calculation speed and enhance their decision making power.
28. Shifu Plugo Count
Shifu plugo count is a math fun game that is best suited for young children. It consists of an interactive display device and a console pad. In this particular game, a mathematical challenge gets displayed on the screen of the device according to the options selected by the player. The player is then required to solve the challenge by providing the correct answer to the question. This helps a child learn to solve basic math equations with ease, improves calculation speed, and enhance his/her ability to respond spontaneously to situations.
29. Multiplication By Heart
One can learn and practice multiplication by playing games such as multiplication by heart. It typically consists of three different decks of cards. Each game card consists of a pictorial representation of the multiplication of numbers on one face and consists of its solution on the other face. The players playing the game randomly select the card and attempt to deliver the correct solution. The player who manages to deliver maximum correct responses tends to win the game. A child can improve his/her multiplication skills with the help of this particular game.
30. Factor Game
A factor game is a two-person game. It typically consists of a grid that is randomly filled with numbers. The first player tends to pick a number and add it to his/her scoreboard. The second player then identifies all the possible factors of the number selected by the first player in the grid and add all the factors to his/her scoreboard. After the second player identifies all the factors of the given number, he/she selects another number and add it to his/her scoreboard. The first player then repeats the similar process of identifying the factors and adding them to his/her scoreboard. At the end of the game, both the players calculate the sum of the points earned by them. The player that has maximum points is declared the winner of the game.
31. Match the Tiles
A match the tiles game is yet another math fun game for kids. It typically consists of a set of tiles that are arranged in a particular shape. Each tile consists of a geometric shape or pattern imprinted on its base. The main objective of the game is to identify the location of similar shapes. Once the player is able to identify tiles that contain similar shapes consecutively, those tiles get eliminated from the board. The player who is able to locate all the similar tiles faster among all the players tends to win the game. This particular game enhances the memorizing power of a child and improves his/her knowledge of shapes and geometric figures. Various online and offline versions of the match the tiles game is available in the market.
