Math Without a Workbook

It can feel overwhelming to be responsible for your child’s education while schools are closed. Some of us especially struggle with math. (They keep changing the way it’s taught, gosh darn it!) But workbooks aren’t your only choice. They have their place, but you can teach your kids important math skills with fun projects and games. 

Hopefully some of these ideas will get you through the weeks ahead, without making your kids groan.

Road Trip!

Plan a theoretical road trip and calculate the distance between each stop, how long it would take you to get there going the speed limit and how often you’ll need to stop for gas. Maps add a great visual element. 

KenKen

A favorite of Steven’s, KenKen puzzles teach problem solving, math and logic. Find them at the store.

Plot a Bell Curve

Roll two dice, total the amount and plot a bell curve based on frequencies. 

Cooking

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Cooking is a great way to teach math! Make your kids double the recipe – so many fractions! Bonus: you get chemistry along for the ride, too.

Brain Teasers & Puzzles

Find lots of fun brain teasers and puzzles online at Illuminations and Nrich. We also have great tactile logic puzzles in the store. Take a look at Chicken Shuffle for the 5-year-old crowd, Katamino for 6+,  Genius Square for 6+ and Chocolate Fix for 8+.

Stock Market

Older kids can choose a stock to follow. There are some great lessons in economics and market forces happening right now. *sigh*

Smath

Like Scrabble but with numbers! You can find it in our stores.

Pretend Play

Your littles can learn tons of math through pretend play. Open a restaurant and count out the number of crackers each person gets. Play grocery store with a pretend cash register to practice making change.

Sorting

Preschoolers and kindergarteners learn a lot through sorting. Find things around the house (make it a game) and sort by color, number, type, use – whatever you can think of!

Board Games

Most board games require keeping score. Older kids can do the mental math, younger kids can write the scores down.

LEGO

Teach fractions with LEGO.

Share your ideas in the comments!