Sharing is caring!
If your child is in preschool or will be transitioning to kindergarten soon you may be wondering how to help them increase math proficiency without burning them out on schoolwork. Math games are the way to go! I’ve put together a list of the best preschool math games and the best kindergarten math games to use with your students.
Games are a wonderful way for children to learn without pressure. Sometimes, they are even learning without realizing they are learning. This is especially valuable for children with an aversion to school work! The best games are fun, engaging, and teach your students important information.
Games also increase learning retention because the information is tied to a hands-on activity the child enjoys. Almost all games are hands-on in some way, whether it is rolling dice, sorting cards, or moving game pieces on a board. Hands-on experiences increase learning exponentially because they help form connections between sets of information in the brain. The more your child can touch and feel math, the more they will understand and remember!
In addition to increasing math skill, games can help your child learn problem-solving skills, thinking skills, learning to lose well, conflict resolution, and more.
Games like the Number Run Game for Preschool are a great way to get your kids moving while doing math. Like hands-on activities, movement helps kids remember what they’ve learned. However, sometimes as moms we just want to sit and work with our kids. Pull out one of these math board games or math card games to get your child engaged in the learning process at the kitchen table.
Sequence Jr. A fairly simple game where the players remember patterns and form a strategy to win.
Zingo 1 2 3. A numbers bingo game for preschoolers by Think Fun.
Smart Scoops Math from Learning Resources. Kids get to think about ice cream while they also think about math. What could be better?
Brain Train for Preschool. Simple mental math challenges.
Feed My Pets by Learning Resources. Number Recognition, Sequencing & Counting Games.
Aggravation. An old-fashioned game with plenty of addition, subtraction, strategy, and a heaping helping of aggravation.
Simple Math Card Games to play with your kids from Coffee Cups and Crayons.
Learning gets just a little bit more serious in kindergarten, but not too serious. Games and play are still the best ways for kindergarten students to learn. Some of these games say ages 6 and up, but you should pay more attention to your child’s skill level and game play experience than you do the age ranges on the box. Some kids are ready for slightly more complicated games earlier than others.
Ocean Raiders by Logic Roots. Numbers sequencing and addition in the form of a really fun game!
Sum Swamp by Learning Resources. Kind of like CandyLand or Chutes and Ladders, but with a math element.
Tri-Facta by Learning Resources. Addition and Subtraction game.
Money Bags Coin Value Game from Learning Resources. All about money!
Math Dice Jr. Game from Think Fun. Practice adding and subtracting while your child is learning in stealth mode. He or she won’t know, but you will. An award-winning game!
Traditional Dominoes. So much math can be learned from this old-fashioned game!
Sequence. A slightly more difficult version for patterning, strategy, and fun.
Race to Infinity. A math board game for the whole family. This game will help kids master addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Clue Jr. — Logic and thinking skills in the game we remember from childhood. Specifically teaches exclusion logic, which is a skill needed for Algebra.
Monopoly Jr. — another great simplified version of the classic gets kids adding, subtracting and strategizing.
Triominoes. This game is all about matching numbers and basic strategy.
Pyramid Solitaire. This game is played with a regular deck of cards. Cards are placed in a pyramid and can be removed in pairs that add up to 13. How to play.