Board games - math?
Math worksheets are tough. Many kids cry over math, as do many parents. If only there was a better way? Guess What? There is!
Gameschooling!
Using board games to learn, practice and build skills in a no-pressure way will open up your math world and bring you joy. If the game does not go the way you want, you can always start over and try again. Not ready to buy? Try different board games at local board game cafes before buying.
In BC, Canada, Lower mainland area: Boardwalk Cafe (Abbotsford), Warcraft Games (Mission), The Raving Gamer Bistro (Langley) Rain City Games (New West and Vancouver) Bastion Games (Chilliwack)
Get rid of the math power struggles and create bonding between family members and friends. I’ve created a wonderful list of games to get you started with all the math concepts written down for you, so you can pick and choose what skills you want to work on.
If you're already a “Gameschooler,” feel free to add your favourite games and the math skills that apply to them. Have fun and keep gaming!
A starter math board list with suggested ages. If you want to add your favourite game and how it helped with math skills, please feel free to add it.
In general when ALL GAMES are played with others you will learn and develop:
Social emotional
Reflective Thinking
Turn taking
Social Skills (Listening, Speaking, Turn Taking)
Planning
Problem Solving
Decision Making
Logical Thinking
Healthy competition
How to Deal with Mistakes
Delayed Gratification
Emotional Intelligence
Cooperation
Resilience
Catan - ages 10+ or jr 7+
Resource management
Probability (where best place your settlements before game begins)
Negotiation
Trading
Values
Chance (dice)
Analysis (current environment on how it impacts your chances of winning)
Tracking and Planning (observing other players and how to interfere with their goals)
Sushi Go - ages 8+
pattern work
times tables
Addition
Grouping
Algebra
Fish Stix - ages 4+
Pattern work
Adding to 10
Grouping
Sorting
Organizational skills
Counting
strategy
Money Bags -ages 7+
Money math
Grouping
Adding
Subtracting
Estimating
Chance (dice)
Chess - ages 7+
Focus
Attention
Concentration
Predictability
Probability
Logical thinking
Planning
Foresight
Monopoly (note) theme games allows you to learn more
Bug-Opoly insect facts
Dino-Opoly dinosaur facts
Etc…
Monopoly - ages 8+, or monopoly jr 5+
Invest
Grow savings
Relestate concepts
Allowance / payday
Savings for setbacks
Decision making
Goal setting
Chance (dice)
(with monopoly jr, you can ‘act out’ the toll booths)
Pandemic - ages 8+
Geography
Cooperative skills
Coordinate with others
Strategy
Sorting
Pattern
Chance (cards)
Learning about scientists
Diseases and chance to research real diseases and vaccines and scientists who develop them
Mastermind - ages 6+
Computing
Psychology
Design
Hypothesis-testing
Interpretation of results
Critical thinking
coding
Robot Turtles - ages 4+
Coding
Rotation
Multi-step problem solving
Computational thinking
programming fundamentals
Listening
Follow direction
Strategy
Ticket to Ride - ages 8+
Geography
Judge
Predict
Probability
Strategy
Tracking
Planning
Chance (cards)
Analysis
Resource management
Patterns
Problem solving
Grouping
Adding
Times Tables
Laser Maze - ages 8+ or jr 6+
Coding
Rotation
Angles
Reflection
refraction
multi-step problem solving
Sum Swamp - ages 5+
mental math
recall
speed drills if wanted
turn taking
subtracting
addition
evens and odds
Chance (dice)
Minecraft Board Game - ages 10+
Resource management
Probability (where best place your build structures for max gain)
Negotiation
Strategy
Values and counting
Analysis (what action to do - how it impacts your chances of winning)
Tracking and Planning (choose mob, weapons, build or structure -see what is available or how to mess up other players)
Turn taking
Social Studies - resources
High Seas Adventure - ages 5+
Addition to 10
Counting
Symbols
Waiting and following directions
Symbols
Chance (dice)
Race Around the Clock - ages 7+
Time on clock readings
Problem solving
Time elapsed scenarios
Calendar skills
Chance (spinner)
Place Value Safari - ages 5+
Place value for 1’s, 10’s, 100’s
Make Change
Chance (dice)
Batman - ages - 8+
Collect evidence
Follow directions
Counting
Chance (dice)
Addition
Subtraction
Symbols
Organization
Clockwise and counterclockwise directions
Reading
Collecting and Sorting
Frog Pond Fractions - ages 5+
Basic fraction beginner skills
Reduce fraction to simplest form
Identify fractions
Equivalent fractions
Strategy thinking
Spatial recall
Group dynamics
Cognitive and development skills
Pickles to Penguins - ages 8+
This linking picture game thinks outside the box. (literally)
make connections between picture cards
Colour matching
Pattern likeness
Compare and contrast
Sorting
Building vocabulary with over 900 new words
Compound words
Colours, shapes and comparative values
Following directions and rules
Social Skills
Abstract thinking and explanations of through process
Strategic thinking
Share cards or information
Problem solve together
Cooperate to complete your mission
Chance
Probability
Analysis (current environment on how it impacts your chances of winning)
Tracking and Planning
Observation Skills
Feel free to add your favourites and the math concepts you learn from them.
