Wouldn’t it be great to create a lending library filled with math games as well?  You could begin with a small collection of simple board games like “Chutes and Ladders” and “Candyland” and expand the collection as needed.  It might be nice to attach a clipboard to the box so families could jot down notes about their game experience, or so they can suggest modifications or extensions to game play.  I would also create small bags of extra “pieces” such as dice, chips, spinners and markers just in case these go missing.  You might want to include decks of cards with directions for playing “Memory” or “War.”  A few sets of “Uno” might also be fun.

As you introduce these games to the children, you can make them available in the lending library.  That way, the children can go home and teach their families about the game, the rules, and how to play. Some families may not know these games, or know that they are good choices for young children.  They may think that games such as these require reading or more sophisticated skills than they do.  Presenting them as available options may open them up to family game play and another fun way to support their child(ren)’s development.

Now that the summer is here, so are the garage sales.  Make sure to check out the garage sales in your neighborhoods as they are often filled with old board games, dice, decks of cards, dominoes, adding machines and other fun math materials.  The entire list above can probably be put together for twenty dollars, especially if you get lucky at those garage sales or your local Dollar Store.

This is an interesting choice for young children who have already established a solid concept of one-to-one correspondence.  Successful play requires that children can determine the number rolled on the die, and then ability to count that many squares, in the right direction.  This is further complicated by reversing rows of numbers – one reading left to right – and the next reading right to left.

You might find that this is either intuitive, children move from right to left counting from 1-10 and then move to the next row and reverse operations from 11-20.  But you might also find that it is counter-intuitive.  Readers want to count from left to right and then go back to the left immediately and continue moving from left to right.

This alone, is a complicated experience for young children.  Now they have to figure out how to deal with the possibility of falling behind when they might have been ahead.  These are some of life’s hard lessons.

This game is a classic and is a great choice for children who are counting.  It is exciting for them to get to 100.