Kids love playing games. Build on that interest with these free math games to help develop math skills for kids aged 4+.
Do your kids love playing games? Anytime I pull out a game, my kids get so excited to play. So I love when I find a way to incorporate games into my kids’ lessons.
Math skills are especially important to learn, but most kids, mine included, don’t love doing math problem after math problem everyday.
That’s why I am thrilled that I found free math games to use with my kids to work on math skill development. Even my preschooler can play most of these games, making them a perfect addition to our homeschool day.
This post is sponsored by Beast Academy. I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review. For more information, see my disclosure policy.
My kids love playing games. We often enjoy family game nights and have also started our school days with quick games to get the kids thinking. Games make perfect gifts and work on developing so many important skills.
Unfortunately, the cost of having a good variety of games can add up. That’s why the games found at Beast Academy Playground are so great. The whole family can enjoy free tabletop math games without breaking the bank.
Math Games for Kids
One of my favorite school subjects growing up was math. Unfortunately, not all of my kids have the same appreciation for math that I do. Sometimes I have to get creative in the ways we practice math skills.
Luckily I found Beast Academy Playground, which has lots of engaging math games. These games are offered for free by the creators of Beast Academy, which is a comic-based math program for kids 6-13. However, the free math games available in the Beast Academy Playground can be played by kids as young as 4+. This is perfect for my family because my five-year-old constantly wants to do what his big brothers are doing. Plus, my kids have enjoyed the games so much that they don’t mind practicing their math skills.
Types of Games Offered at Beast Academy Playground
- Number Games
- Abstract Games
- Physical Activities
- Curiosities
- Shape Games
- Arts & Crafts
One of the first games we chose to play was Cartographer. We’re studying American History this year, so we chose to color the map of the USA available on the page. Since we were trying to see if we could color the map with four colors and not have the same color touch, I played with my boys as well. All of us, from my five-year-old up to me, really enjoyed this game. We talked out the strategies of who should color in each state, which made this a great collaborative game. Also, we had to use quite a bit of critical thinking to play. It was nice to add in some geography to our math practice, too.
Another game we enjoyed was Tens Go Fish, a twist on regular Go Fish. My five-year-old is just starting to add, so I helped him with this one. He did end up winning big, though! In this game, you use the Ace through 9 cards. Each player gets five cards and the rest go in the middle. Players try to make ten using two cards, such as 6 and 4. Then after each turn, each player will choose enough cards from the draw pile, or pond, to always have five cards in hand. Play continues until all cards are played. The player with the most matches wins.
If your kids like this game, there’s a similar game called Fifteen they may also enjoy. With that game, you use cards A-9 from a single suit face up in the middle. Players take turns moving one card to their side. The goal is to make fifteen with three of the cards in hand. This game uses strategy as well because you want to keep your opponent from winning.
Check out the video below to see some of these games in action.
Preschool Math Games
Preschoolers develop so many skills in just a few short years. It’s important to help preschoolers develop these skills while also allowing lots of time for play.
It’s easy to do that when you combine their learning and play. The free, hands-on math games found in the Beast Academy Playground are perfect for teaching your preschooler beginning math skills. If you have older kids, these games are also great reinforcement of math skills for them! My preschooler loves getting to be one of the big guys and play games with his older siblings. I love that not only are they developing relationships through their play, but they are also working on their math skills at the same time.
Easily Incorporate Free Math Games into Your Homeschool Day
I’m all for creating a simplified homeschool day. When teaching three of my four children, there’s a lot going on. I don’t have a lot of free time to set up a bunch of activities. But the free math games available in the Beast Academy Playground make it easy to add fun games to our homeschool day.
These games that build problem-solving confidence are a great way to begin your homeschool day. Your kids will love starting their school day playing a game. You’ll love how little prep is involved. Once you go to Beast Academy Playground and bookmark the page, it’s as easy as 1-2-3!
- Choose which game you’d like to play.
- Watch the quick how-to video and/or read the instructions.
- Grab any needed materials and you’re ready to play!
You can begin your homeschool day with a game to get your kids’ minds ready to learn. Alternatively, you can end your day with a game to reward your kids for a job well-done. These free math games are also perfect for a brain break in the middle of your homeschool day or during Fun Fridays where more hands-on learning is done. These games are easy to set up and quick to play, so you’ll easily find time in your homeschool day to fit them in.
Math skills are important for children to learn and continue to practice. However, few kids enjoy worksheet after worksheet full of math problems. They’d rather be playing. Combining their learning with play makes a nice balance of practicing their math skills in a fun way. You’ll build problem-solving confidence when you make math time play time!