10 Fun Ways to Help Kids Love Math

Are you still looking for ideas on how to get your child excited about math in elementary school?

Would you like to know how to practice math with your child in a targeted way, but aren’t sure which board or dice game is really the right one for your child? Maybe it’s because there are so many great games out there that you’re completely overwhelmed by the choices? Whatever the reason holding you back, here I’ll show you over 10 games that aren’t just fun for your child. At a glance, you’ll be able to tell if a game is right for your child and exactly what skills it helps practice.

10+ Games to Make Math More Fun in Elementary School

To make sure you find the right game for your child, I’ve sorted the games by topic. After all, it makes a difference whether your child is already in 4th grade and wants to reinforce their multiplication tables, or whether they’re still in preschool and want to start building an understanding of quantities. Math in elementary school can be a lot of fun—feel free to try out one or two of these games and see how your child reacts.

Understanding Quantities—Creative and Fun

A solid understanding of quantities helps your child do better in math at school. To develop a sense of quantities, subsets, and numbers, the following games are ideal—and both can be played starting in preschool.

• HalliGalli: 2–6 players, 15 minutes, for children as young as preschool age. Develops an understanding of quantities and reaction time. The first player to spot 5 matching fruits on the cards played rings the bell and gets the cards. Available in many different versions (Junior, Extreme), so it never gets boring
• Kuh&Co: 2–4 players, 10–15 minutes, for children as young as preschool age. Using fun animal dice, players place the correct number of dice on the corresponding spaces, which helps develop concentration and an understanding of quantities.

Practicing Number Decomposition with Simple Ideas

The following games are suitable for preschoolers and up. The children will probably still be counting on their fingers at that age, but that’s perfectly fine.

• Dice: The “Number Decomposition 7” Trick: You don’t need to buy a game for this. All you need are a few dice, and you can use them to amaze someone. When I show students this “trick,” I always talk about something magical or about magic. That immediately gets the students really excited. I show them how to look right through the die and see at a glance exactly which die face is directly underneath another one. For example, if you see a 6 on top, I know right away that there’s a 1 underneath it. Because—and here’s where it gets exciting—the opposite sides always add up to 7.  Feel free to check out my short video in my Facebook group
• Shut the Box: A great dice game for 2–4 players (depending on the version). The goal of the game is to flip up as many tiles as possible. Of course, a bit of luck with the dice is also part of the fun.
• I Sea 10: This game consists of 100 round tiles; one side features sea creatures, and the other side has a number from 1 to 9. You lay the tiles face up and flip them over one by one. The first player to find a pair that adds up to 10 calls out, “I see 10!” However, if a player finds a shark, they unfortunately have to give up all their tiles. This keeps things exciting right up to the end.

Early Math within the Number Range of 10

Do you have a child in first grade and want to get them excited about math? Then I recommend the following games—so that math becomes your child’s favorite subject in elementary school.

• Pig 10: 2–8 players, 15+ minutes, for first grade and up; basic arithmetic skills within the number range of 10 are required. This game consists of cards with the numbers 1–10, and the cards are laid out so that the total does not exceed 10. It’s very playful, and players reinforce their understanding of addition and subtraction without even realizing it.
• Biberbande: 2–6 players, 10–20 minutes, for first grade and up. The game consists of cards with the numbers 0–9; the goal is to score as few points as possible. Sometimes calculations up to 20 or 30 are required. However, the game can also be played as early as preschool to practice numbers; parents can then help with the calculations.

Mental Math Within the Range of 100

These games are recommended for students in second grade and up; some of them are a bit trickier (like Just4fun) and require a high level of mental math. Others, on the other hand, provide a relaxed and casual way to practice addition and subtraction within the range of 100.

• 6 Takes: 2–10 players, 30 minutes, for students starting in second grade. This game focuses on the number range up to 100, which can be learned in a playful way. The cards are placed in ascending order. Sometimes a card can be placed in two different spots. Example: Is the 28 closer to the 22 or to the 16? In this case, the 28 goes with the 22, since it’s closer to the 22 than to the 16. A great game for gaining confidence with numbers up to 100.
• Pig Dice: 2 or more players, 10–15 minutes; you can set the game length yourself and determine a preliminary score after just a few rounds. The player with the most points wins. Both pigs roll the dice, and depending on luck, the pigs land on their bellies, backs, or noses—each position is worth a different number of points, and there’s plenty of fun to be had on top of that.