How to get your children excited about maths
4th Apr 2024 Life
4 min read
Fables World founder Rebecca Ginger shares her top tips on how to make maths fun for kids at home
Would you prefer to sit in a classroom and listen to the theory of how to play football and be told to memorise all the rules of the game? Or would you prefer to play the game and learn the rules on the job?
Well, children are no different. They would prefer to play a game rather than sit and listen to a boring explanation of maths or be made to memorise facts.
"Playing games and laughing melts away both maths anxiety, and resistance to learning"
Furthermore, research has proven that playing games and laughing can melt away both maths anxiety, and resistance to learning information which children might find boring.
I’ve spent the last ten years finding ways to make maths more fun and enjoyable for children, and most importantly to make the information stick! It’s incredible how a child’s confidence can be transformed once they finally crack maths.
Below are four maths games using a deck of playing cards that will transform your child’s love of numbers. And might even improve your own mental arithmetic skills and give you a laugh at the same time!
Game 1: Adding up to 10!
Teachers only focus on adding up to ten for a couple of weeks at school, but often children find adding up to ten much harder to remember in their long-term memory than adults can possibly imagine.
If your child still uses fingers to count, head over to Fables World, which has an incredibly effective and long-lasting way of remembering addition and subtraction that will have your children rolling on the floor laughing.
- Take a pack of cards and deal out 16 cards face up in a square formation.
- Take it in turns for each player to pick up one, two or three cards that together add up to ten (e.g., 6+4, 2+3+5) If your cards correctly add up to ten, you keep them in your pile. If not you put the cards back on the table.
- Every time you pick up cards and put them in your pile, replace them with new cards from the pack.
- Number ten cards can be picked up without finding another card.
- The value of the Jack, Queen, King cards is 12 and the Ace is one.
- Jack, Queen, and King cards = 12 and can only be picked up with a 2, e.g., introducing taking away e.g., 12 - 2 = 10.
- The person with the most cards at the end wins.
Game 2: Addition Snap!
Ensure children are good at adding up to ten before attempting this.
- Split the deck of cards into two. Each player takes half the pack and holds it in their hands.
- On the count of 3, both players place a card face up on the table in front of them.
- The first player to add the two cards together and call out the correct answer wins the cards.
- The adult player has to count to five in their head (or more if children are struggling) before they are allowed to call out the answer.
- The winner is the player with the most cards in their pile at the end.
- The value of the Jack, Queen and King cards is 12 and the Ace is one.
Game 3: Subtracting Snap!
Subtracting numbers can be really challenging for lots of kids. If children struggle, ask them to walk down the street for ten paces. Then they have to walk backwards and count down their paces from ten to one. Research has demonstrated that counting backwards is very good for calming anxious children and can also work to reduce stress in adults!
- Split the deck of cards into two. Each player takes half the pack and holds it in their hands.
- On the count of three both players turn over a card face up.
- The first person to subtract the lower card from the higher card wins the two cards and puts them in their pile. (e.g., 7-2 = 5, 9-8 = 3)
- The adult player has to count to five (or more) before they are allowed to answer.
- The winner is the player with the most cards in their pile at the end.
- The value of the Jack, Queen and King cards is 12 and the Ace is one.
Game 4: Times Table Snap
If children struggle with the multiplications, first join Fables World which teaches multiplication and division in one month—yes, it’s possible! They use funny cartoons and games to teach so learning is effortless and fun. Then try this game at home.
- Split the deck of cards into two. Each player takes half the pack and holds it in their hands.
- On the count of three, both players place a card in front of them face up.
- The first player to multiply the two cards together (e.g., 2x5 = 10, 8 x 9 = 56) and shout the answer out wins the two cards.
- The adult player has to count to five in their head (or more) before they are allowed to answer.
- The winner is the player with the most cards in their pile at the end.
- The value of the Jack, Queen and King cards is 12 and the Ace is one.
For more fun tips on how to make maths fun for all ages or to send your children on a cartoon maths adventure, that will guarantee maths success please visit Fables World.
Fables World has the fastest success rate in the UK of teaching children to learn maths, using fun games, silly cartoons and jokes and is based on scientific research. Fables World was founded by mum of three Rebecca Ginger to help her on children master maths where classroom teaching failed.
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