I’m no math expert, but I think the kids need to have at least a rudimentary idea about how numbers work. We do so much pre-reading, reading, art and nature study, but I haven’t thought too much about math.
Of course, a lot of the stuff we already do is pre-math and the boys can count and add a bit. Like everything else we learn, math needs to be fun and kid-driven. Here’s how we are playing with math.
** Building with Lego. Science, technology, engineering and math– you get the whole STEM set with Lego.
** Playing memory. We have a fancy barnyard version, but the premise is the same as the card version.
** Shut the Box. It’s fun to say and it’s fun to play. Players take turn rolling the dice and knocking down any combination of numbers that add up to the total on the dice.
** Dominoes. I don’t really know how to play this game, but Finn and I take turns matching the numbers on the end of the pieces. He gets to count and identify patterns.
What games do you play to learn math?
We play bookshop. We use masking tape to make price stickers and stick them to the books. (kids are in charge of pricing) and no book is higher than 10.
Then we take turns buying and selling books, using pennies as currency. Later I introduce nickles and dimes.
Great idea. We did something like that, too, but I forgot to mention it. we dump out the change jar and I have them give me certain amounts of money. More fun to have a store, though!
Other people mentioned cooking, sewing, gardening or anything that requires measuring.