How can we help kids to love numbers and improve their skills in mathematics? How can we help them to get familiar with numbers? How can we make them realize that it is necessary to understand and use mathematics in real life?
Some years ago, when our big boy was about four years old, I was in a parents’ meeting when a nursery school teacher urged us to help kids understand and practice simple mathematics. Her suggestion was imprinted in my mind, and since then, we have tried many ways to help kids play with numbers, understand them and do simple mathematical operations.
Passing the years and seeing their love for numbers and mathematics, we can assume that a combination of simple training methods has helped them, so we present the ones we’ve used to help kids learn numbers, exercise and discover how essential mathematics is in real life.
Practical Math – Method of Practice 1: Table Setting
– Ask them to prepare the table for lunch. How many plates, spoons or forks do they have to put on the table for all the family members?
– Respectively, ask them to calculate how many people are gathered when two or more families get together for dinner and how many plates/glasses/chairs are needed.
Method of Practice 2: Play games
– Play games, such as UNO, where they have to calculate their score after every round and their total score at the end of the game. Games such as UNO or other card games are easy to carry with you and comfortable to play wherever you are!
– You could also play a variation of the typical game “hangman”, where kids earn different points for each letter. Every time a letter is found, the kid must calculate the points he gathers. At the end of the game, the kid must add all of them to calculate the final score. In this way, kids practice dictation and math at the same time in a funny way.
The great thing about this hangman game is that you need only a piece of paper and a pencil. The subject of the words or phrases can vary depending on the moment, where you are, the book you have read the previous night, the dictation from school or a memory you want to reminisce about. Although we’ve played hangman many times in so many places, kids still like it.
Picture: Kids practice addition or multiplication to calculate their score when they find the “A” letter.
Method of Practice 3: Explore the nature
– Practice simple mathematical operations in nature. Considering how much kids love exploring nature, you can go to the forest, the park or the beach and ask them to collect pine cones, leaves, pebbles, branches or other natural elements. Then you can ask them to count, make multiple combinations or divide them into two different baskets and share them with their friends. You can also play the magician and do magic filters with a specific quantity of each type of natural element.
Method of Practice 4: Chef & pastry chef time
– Ask kids to be your assistant during meal preparation or pastry making. Ask them to use the kitchen scale and prepare the appropriate quantity of each ingredient.
Method of Practice 5: Get familiar with money
– Counting and using money may be very helpful for kids to get familiar with numbers and calculations.
– If they go shopping, even for a loaf of bread, it’s essential for them to be competent to comprehend if they have enough money or if they are entitled to change.
– If they want to buy a new toy, we ask them to say if they can afford it with the money they have in their piggy bank.
Picture: Stack of coins and shopping list
Some of the above suggestions can urge kids to participate in family activities, be more responsible and enhance their imagination. They also help parents and kids spend quality time and create memories together (#make_memories). They are all ways and methods that have proved effective (#tried_and_true) in our family.
We hope you will try our suggestions to find what works better for you and your kids. If you do so, don’t forget to send us your feedback.
Do you have any extra ideas on how we can help kids to love numbers and mathematics?
Don’t hesitate to send us e-mails or messages on social media. We look forward to receiving your messages!
George & Vassiliki.
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