I’m often asked by friends how to help their children improve in maths. I’ve been meaning to compile a list and now seems like the right time.
Here are a few ideas: Many of them are very cheap or free and lots are suitable for all ages.
- Board games: These are great for learning about counting (snakes and ladders), probability (risk), even money (monopoly) not to mention all the fabulous social aspects of taking in turns, being a gracious looser/winner etc. Chances are you have some of these in the house already
- Sudoku, Kakuro or one of the many variants: all are fabulous for problem solving and some of them even help with arithmetic. There are countless available for free online. You can find extremely simple ones for young children who can’t even read yet and they go all the way up to mind-bogglingly difficult.
- Geometric art, a personal favourite of mine this is fantastic for spacial awareness and problem solving. All you need is a decent compass and a ruler and you can make some incredible creations. I’m a huge fan of this book by Eric Broug on Islamic art but there are again countless online tutorials which are absolutely free or you can just experiment yourself and see where it takes you. If you don’t have a compass try using isometric (print some off for free here) or squared paper. For other inspiration try googling Celtic art, rangoli patterns, Escher, fractals or Op Art. I’m also a big fan of creating my own art using geometry software such as The Geometer’s Sketchpad or Geogebra
- Spirograph: if you want to develop an appreciation of the beauty of maths, this is a great tool.
- Rubik’s cube, this is a fabulous brain trainer, particularly good for students who find it hard to sit still. It teaches you about problem solving and algorithms.
- Cooking: learning to cook or bake brings up so many mathematical problems including ratio and proportion, fractions and measures. It’s also a fantastic life skill.
- Hopscotch: get out your chalk and teach your kids to count with this classic game. Fab for little ones to learn to draw their numbers too.
- Knitting: any algorithm is maths so knitting definitely fits the bill. Experiment with different patterns.
- Puzzles: puzzles help with problem solving and spacial awareness.
- Construction toys: There are so many available these days! Lego, magnetix, knex etc are all brilliant ways to improve spacial awareness and problem solving skills.
- Coding: programming is a fantastic way to learn about logic and algorithms. There are lots of fab tools out there but I would definitely recommend starting with Scratch written by MIT. My kids found this book really useful to get them started.
- Chess: problem solving and logic abound in this game. There are loads of websites and apps where you can learn for free. My eldest daughter really liked using chesskid.com
- Hama beads or Peg boards: making patterns with Hama beads or using a peg board means you are not only helping your child’s fine motor skills but improving their maths.
- Bracelet making: Young children can learn about patterns by creating simple bead bracelets. For older children, try making string bracelets like these ones. They teach you about patterns and algorithms and all you need is some coloured thread and some cardboard.
- Speed Maths: Ok, so there’ll be no fooling your children that this isn’t maths but speed maths is a fantastic way to improve ability amongst all levels. Again there’s tons of stuff online but I love this book about Jakow Trachtenberg which is a fascinating history and maths lesson in one. Or you can try learning to use an abacus or soroban – check out this video for inspiration.
- Origami: learning an origami algorithm is a soothing way to improve maths and also helps with spacial awareness. It certainly doesn’t feel like maths but it gives you an innate knowledge of how shapes work together. Again there are endless tutorials online and all you need is some paper.
- Cards: it’s quite shocking teaching GCSE how many students aren’t familiar with a pack of cards. They are a fab way to teach probability and there are games suitable for all ages.
- Orienteering: it’s a dying skill but learning to use a map and compass is a great way to learn about proportion, angles, and problem solving. Plus it gets you outside. British Orienteering has free courses that you can download and do on your own time.
- Dancing: it’s those algorithms again! Great for the brain. Try and steer away from dad dancing or grunge for maximum maths impact. Here’s a great starting place.
- Music: it’s those patterns and algorithms again. Learning a musical instrument is a fantastic way to train your brain.
Thanks to my big brother, Chris Foulkes, for the gorgeous Op Art cover photo.
Bristol Playgrounds 