50 Ways to Make Math Fun for Kids

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Teaching math can be hard, and many kids just simply hate it. Try these 50 ways to make math fun at home for your kids.

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Many kids despise math. But that’s because the math they do means sitting still and memorizing number facts (which has its place for sure, but it’s not all there is to math).

If kids realize how much math is used in the world with real life fun applications, they’d love the subject.

So how do we make math fun? We make math fun with engaging, interactive, and relevant activities.

Why Try to Make Math Fun for Kids?

Understanding numbers and shapes is the foundation to understanding how the world works.

Many successful careers are in math-based industries such as:

• Cyber Technology
• Engineering
• Aero Space
• Finance

Because of the global growth in these industries, it’s important to create interest and success in the subject of math.

If it’s so important to teach math, we need to make sure kids want to learn math. That’s why we want to make math fun for kids.

50 Ways to Make Math Fun for Kids

If you’re ready to make math fun for all ages, check out this list of 50 Ways to Make Math Fun.

10 Ways to Make Math Fun for Kindergarteners: Focus on Introducing Numbers and Shapes

1.  Connect the Dots: Use Connect the Dots sheets as a game to practice counting. Kindergarteners can visually see and connect numbers in correct order. You can increase difficulty with skip counting by 2’s, 5’s or 10’s.

2.  Paint by Number: Have your child color in each section by number. You can start by coloring the even numbers one color and the odd numbers another. Then you can increase difficulty by using addition or subtraction problems, like these worksheets.

3.  Tangrams: Manipulate and build shapes by moving tangram pieces around. You can put magnet backs on cut outs of shapes and let your child’s imagination go wild, right on the fridge door.

4.  Playdoh: Practice color sorting through kinesthetic and sensory play. Practice building shapes or rolling balls and counting them.

5. Food Counting: Use healthy snacks to practice counting or grouping. Blueberries, pretzels, or cereal are fun objects to use for little ones who love to eat.

6. Bead Sorting: Sort a large package of beads by color, size, or shape. String beads by repeating pattern to make jewelry.

7. Shape Scavenger Hunt: Make a list of shapes to identify and find around the house. If the weather is nice, find shapes outside while on a walk.

8. Shape Hide & Seek: Cut out two of each shape. Keep one as a key and hide one around the room for your child to find and match.

9. Math Dance and Song: Find songs about colors or numbers to memorize. Make up a dance to make the activity unforgettable.  

10. Money Play: Use fake or real money to practice counting. Learn about and memorize the different coins and bills while doing skip counting for 5’s, 10’s, and 25’s.

10 Ways to Make Math Fun for Elementary Children: Focus on Number Manipulation

11.  Paint By Number Multiply: Solve the multiplication problem to fill in each section and create a picture. For some examples of Paint By Number sheets, click here.  

12.  Baking with Math: Use real world examples to learn units of measurement like Teaspoons, Cups, Liters, or Gallons. Have your child fill an object with liquid or sand, then pour the contents into different sized containers.

13.  Cutting Pizza Pies: Draw or construct pizza pies with construction paper or cardboard to learn about fractions. Make real pizzas for even more fun learning math.

14.  Music with Math: Use songs to memorize multiplication or division facts. Have your elementary child perform their multiplication facts in front of an audience.

15. Chart The Weather: Write down the daily low and high of each day. Make a growth chart or bar graph to show the different temperatures in each season.

16. Weigh It: Get a balance and practice weighing different objects. Write down the weights of several objects in ascending or descending order.

17. Measure It: Use a ruler or tape measure to note the length and width of different objects. Practice different units of measurement like Imperial or Metric systems.

18. Dice Games: Use dice to practice probability and tally marks. Use multiple dice to get different numbers and practice addition. 

19. Make a Store: Have children design a store selling something of value to them. Use play money to practice adding and subtracting for payment and change.

20. Number Line Tag: Have children line up with different numbers. Call out multiples or number families to be “It” and play tag with the other numbers.

10 Ways to Make Math Fun for Middle School Kids: Focus on Formulas

21.  Math Relay: Separate your children with each child holding a different section of a formula to memorize. Kids must pass the baton to the person with the matching next step of the same formula. Whichever group passes their baton to the person with the last step of the same formula wins.

22.  Math Equation Cards: Write different formulas and answers on the faces of a deck of cards. Have children group formulas together with the correct numbers and letters.

23.  Race to the Answer: Write an equation on a board for all to see and have multiple answers displayed around the room. Whoever races to the correct answer first gets the point.

24.  Math Game Show: Create a game show like Jeopardy with buzzers and questions. Whoever buzzes in with the correct answer first gets a set number of points.

25.  Create Math Stories: Have children write their own word problems that use the formulas being studied.

26.  Life Size Graphs: Use large butcher paper to make a giant grid or life-sized x and y axis. Use large objects or their own bodies as the plot points for equations on the grid for movement.  

27.  STEM Projects: Use STEM project kits or science experiments to practice hands-on math skills. Check out these STEM ideas by clicking here.

28.  Take a Poll: Ask a general question that the children can ask their friends, family members, and neighbors. Have them tally numbers and take a poll. Transfer the information into graphs that display their findings.

29.  Sports Team Bracket Probability: During major sports tournaments, make a bracket to guess which team will win. Talk about the probability of the team winning.

30.  Math Board Games: There are many games on the market that use math skills in a fun and engaging way.

10 Ways to Make Math Fun for High School Students: Focus on STEM Careers

31.  Statistics and Data: Learn how to input data into useful platforms like Excel or Google Spreadsheets.

32.  Robotics: Build and code a robot or drone to move according to your instructions.

33.  Banking and The Stock Market: Study the financial markets with current and live numbers from the DOW Jones and the Nasdaq.

34.  STEM Projects: Use STEM projects that are geared toward higher learners. For a list of STEM Projects for highschoolers, click here.

35.  Food Science Experiments: Use culinary studies to experiment with math skills and science concepts. Check out this list for ideas on food experiments.

36.  Physics Science Experiments: Study physic concepts with levers, motors, and energy using math formulas.

37.  Architecture and Civil Engineering: Make blueprints of a building or structure with correct proportions to stand with integrity and safety. Use legos or building blocks to make a model.

38.  Aerospace Engineering: Study the Aerospace industry by learning from a professional. Do a field trip to an aerospace museum.

39.  Electrical Engineering: Learn how to switch out a light fixture from a professional. Use apprentice style learning.

40.  Software Engineering: Get started with coding. Check out this list of Toys that Teach Coding.

10 More Ways to Make Math Fun for All or Mixed Ages: Focus on Real World Projects

41. Build a Garden Bed: Use measuring, perimeter, and area to build a garden bed.

42. Build a Fort: Use measuring and geometry to build a fort out of wood, pvc, and fabric.

43. Build a Boxcar: Use measuring and physics to build a boxcar that can be driven.

44. Build a Math Museum: Give each child a different presentation of a math concept to add to a family Math Museum. They can create their own display to showcase their math idea.

45. Build a Bird House: Use measuring and geometry to build a bird house out of plywood.

46. Build a Community Map: Practice perimeter and area by making a map of your community. Use grid paper to mark different buildings and homes on your map.

47. Math while on Vacation: You can practice math in the car, on the go, or on vacation like a cruise. Click here for ideas on how to teach while on vacation.

48. Math while Hiking: Use counting and statistics to record distance walked, speed taken, and altitude changed.

49. Math while Playing Sports: Use geometry to study angles and physics to study speed of force when making plays and shots. Draw on a court or field with washable spray paint to mark angles.

50. Math while Crocheting: Learn to sew and crochet by using math pattern skills. Click here for instructions to use crochet in your math lessons.

There you have it, 50 ways to make math fun for all ages. Have you tried any of these? Or have any you think should be added to the list? Tell us all about it in the comments below!