Ways to Make Math Fun for Kids

Sometimes kids do not fully understand the concept of math and it becomes frustrating rather quickly. The idea of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing numbers can become confusing for some kids. Making math fun will encourage young children to want to practice, which will encourage learning. Just how can you make learning math fun and interesting for your kids? Read on to find out ways to make learning math fun for kids of all ages!

Grab some food! Gather a supply of cheerios, fruit loops, m & m's or raisins. Anything small enough that the child can easily add to and take away from is a good "counter". Write down a math problem, such as 2 + 5=___. Having your child take 2 "counters" and add 5 more is easier than seeing it on paper alone. Then, when your child solves the math problem, they can eat the counters!

Learning fractions can be fun with pizza, cake or pie. Gather the necessary ingredients to make a pizza with a variety of toppings. Let your little chef make a pizza by telling him that 1/2 of the pizza needs cheese and pepperoni, 1/4 of the pizza needs cheese only and 1/4 of the pizza needs cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms. Give your child other fractions if needed. This is also a good way to learn division. If you have a pizza that has 8 pieces and there are 4 people, how many pieces does each person get? Help your child figure out the problem by giving each person equal amounts of the pizza.

When sorting, choose everyday objects. You might choose to have your child sort the silverware while you put away the dishes. While mom or dad is folding laundry, let your child sort and match the socks. Young children can also sort laundry into piles by whites, lights, brights, towels, etc. Books can be sorted by size on the bookshelf.

When teaching your kids math, it is important to try to relate the learning to things that they might experience in everyday life. Make it fun and interesting and try to avoid any type of frustrating situations.