50 Ways to Help Children Learn Math in a Fun Way

Math is a difficult subject to tackle for many children; however, it’s a necessary one to learn. Because it’s a subject where new concepts continually build on old ones, it’s essential to find a way to help students who are struggling grasp each idea before moving onto the next. If you have a student who is having a hard time grasping different math concepts, these 50 articles and their various methods may be able to help – and your child may end up having some fun, too!

Songs

In the same way that the alphabet song has helped countless kids learn their letters, there are a plethora of math songs that can help kids learn their numbers and different math concepts. These 10 blogs have math songs your kids will love singing.

• Teach the kids a song about place values with the help of Math Story. You’ll also find tons of other math-related songs here.
• Help your kids learn how to add and subtract fractions. Harcourt School has a song to help kids remember how to work with fractions.
• Learn to figure out volume in a 3D shape using the song from Have Fun Teaching. The site has several math songs, including the song called the Volume Song.
• Young learners can use this subtraction song to learn simple ideas. Starfall shares a song and funny video that helps kids understand subtraction.
• Songs can also help kids grasp more complicated concepts. Play this song about the Pythagorean Theorem from Sing About Science.
• Use this rap song to help kids find the perimeter of a shape. Intelli-Tunes sells all sorts of math songs in MP3 format, including this one about shape perimeters.
• Play this song about the quadratic formula to help older kids remember it. Calculus Help provides several songs that help students learn upper level math concepts.
• Help kids learn how to multiply numbers with songs from Flocabulary. Each number has its own song.
• Mrs. Schlueck’s Website has song lyrics set to familiar songs to help with skip counting and measurements. Try teaching these songs to your kids.
• Kids start dealing with negative numbers in Algebra, which can quickly get confusing. Play them this quick song from Teaching Channel and they may get the problems right.

Outdoor Activities

Kinesthetic learners need to move around as they learn to learn effectively. Unsure of how to incorporate movement into math? These 10 articles show you how to get your kids actively involved in solving math problems.

• Work on addition and subtraction by cutting up some inexpensive pool noodles and slipping them onto some rope tied in your backyard. The kids can slide the noodle chunks back and forth to add and subtract, as explained on Happy Hooligans.
• Test your theories on volume using various containers and a pitcher of water. This method is explained on Crayon Freckles.
• There are many fun ways to work on counting and number recognition with little ones, including filling up numbered balloons with water and having fun outside. And Next Comes explains the process she used.
• Get out the sidewalk chalk and form a board on the ground to practice math facts with the kids. Enchanted Homeschooling Mom shares how she changed the board for different levels of math.
• Take a basketball out to the court and have the kids shoot some hoops. eHow explains how to use basketball to teach kids about fractions and percentages.
• You can create a math snail using chalk and the directions on The Homeschool Den. Your child can learn to identify, add, subtract and multiply numbers using this technique.
• To make math more fun, try to tie in math questions with outdoor activities. I Can Teach My Child creates cards with math problems. When the child answers the question on the card he has to find the number written outside and then ‘capture’ it with a hula hoop and spray it with a spray bottle until the number disappears.
• Kids use number lines and grids in various math applications, so increase the fun by drawing a huge axis outside and let the kids be the points. Math and Movement explain how to use this exercise for math learning.
• Skip the paper and pencil and instead use outdoor chalk to solve math problems. Runde’s Room shares how her class made acute and obtuse angles outside.
• Sometimes all that’s needed to understand a difficult problem is a change in perspective. Geometry Playground encourages kids to get outside and walk around to understand shapes and more.

Games

Playing games turns study time into fun time for kids. To spice up problem solving, use the ideas in these 10 entries; they’re full of games your kids and their friends can play together.

• Addition Bingo. Wash Math describes the rules of this game, which entails kids making a Bingo board with random numbers written on the grid. Then the teacher reads off flash card problems that the kids have to answer. If they have the solution’s number on their board, they get to mark it off.
• Four Strikes and You’re Out. This teacher created game works well with pairs or groups. Read the details for how to play on Math Solutions.
• Game Show. Inside Mathematics explains how to play this game and what the kids will learn as they play.
• The Game of Pig. Scholastic has a few ideas for math practice, including this game of Pig.
• Number Neighborhood. NCTM explains games that practice higher level math concepts for kids in grades 6 through 8.
• Jump Rope Math. By using a simple jump rope, index cards and clothes pins your kids can practice any level of math. Follow the directions on CLOCC.
• Snake. This game can be played with a group using dice. Take a look at Guided Math to find the directions.
• What’s My Number? Help the kids practice mental math by playing this game. Directions for how to play can be found on Teaching Ideas.
• Saved by the Bell. Just like a game show, each team steps up to their bell and prepares to be the first to sound the bell when they have the right answer to the question asked. More details about set up and rules can be found on Education World.
• Adder Ladders. Learn with Math Games has a printable game board that kids can use to learn addition and subtraction.

Printables

Sometimes the best way to learn is by completing printable worksheets. Get your kids solving problems by printing out the sheets found on these 10 sites.

• Checker Math Game. Learn with Math Games has printable worksheets for several different math games, including checkers.
• Try a Reverse Cryptogram. Kid Zone has a printable puzzle that will help your child think outside the box when it comes to math.
• Monkey Trouble. There is a cost for the printable on this site, which was designed by Teachers Pay Teachers to help kindergarteners and first graders.
• Converting fractions flap book. 4mulafun has a printable that helps kids turn fractions into decimals or percentages.
• Heads and Tails Game. Math Wire explains how to collect the data of penny flips and then use them to play the game on the printable snake board.
• Learning the hundreds. Primary Junction has several free printables to help your child practice and learn his hundreds.
• Fun picture addition worksheets. Young children can make more sense out addition and subtraction when pictures are used instead of just numbers. Print the picture worksheets from Have Fun Teaching to help younger students practice their addition and subtraction.
• Practice spatial relationships. School Express offers thousands of printable math worksheets for kids to use.
• Use this worksheet to work on estimating. Teach-Nology offers free downloadable worksheets for students at various math levels.
• Try an interesting math puzzle. Wuzzles and Puzzles have printable puzzle sheets that your student can utilize.

Online Games

If you’re still struggling for ways to engage your kids in math, you may want to try out some of these online math games. Take a look at these 10 sites for different math games for your kids to play.

• Number Drop. Kids Numbers has a bunch of math games for kids, including this one where they have to solve math problems before time runs out.
• Work on estimating angles by playing the online game called Alien Angles. This game and many more can be found on Math Playground.
• If your kids like fish and bubbles, you may want them to try this bubble math game. Sheppard Software features a game with addition and subtraction problems where the players have to pop the right answer.
• Even young children can enjoy playing online with games like the Curious George game. PBS Kids explains this fruit counting game that gives your child a chance to practice counting under the pressure of time.   
• Play in the math arcade when you go to Fun Brain. Games like Bumble Numbers, where you fly a bee to capture numbers and drop them into the correct flower equation, can help kids learn simple addition and subtraction
• Games on Mr. Nussbaum work on various levels of math. Your kids can play games like Defeat the Math Monster to work on multiplication facts. 
• Let the kids practice their multiplication by playing Crazy Cone. Multiplication has a bunch of games that help kids of various skill levels practice math in a fun way.
• Encourage your kids to practice spacial recognition. Count the 3D Blocks helps kids understand dimensions and can be found on Math is Fun.
• Hyper Blast is a great game for practicing math facts. Math Blaster has several different games to help kids of different proficiency levels.
• Get practice on memory and math in the same game. Let the kids play Math Memory Division from A Plus Math to practice memorization skills.