Math is an important subject, if mastered early on, children will be more likely to have a successful learning experience in math class. Kids that hate math may do so because they find it boring, they might have a hard time understanding how to perform mathematical equations, or they might not understand or see how math is part of our everyday life.
It is no secret that kids learn best through play. Presenting math in a fun way may help them develop their math skills and hopefully nurture a love of math. It may also help reduce your child's math-related anxiety.
In this post, I have listed ten fun board games that can help your child develop and/or strengthen their math skills. These board games can be a great addition to a math teacher's classroom, great for homeschool math, or even just support your child's learning at home. They make for great gifts too!
Here are some of the best board games that help support math skills for kids in preschool through early elementary. Use the quick links to go directly toward the product page or keep scrolling to read more about each game.
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Addition and Subtraction Board Games
1. Sum Swamp
Multiplication and Division Board Game
4. Pet Me
Matching Board Game
5. Jahtzee Jr.
Counting and number recognition Board Games
6. Monopoly Jr.
7. Gas Out
8. Zingo
10. Counting Campers
Ages 5+
Number of players: 2- 4
Players will add and subtract their way around the board, avoiding hilarious pitfalls around the swamp. Some players might be lucky enough to take the crocodile shortcut. Sooner or later everyone gets caught in the Endless Loop, making things more interesting where they will land on special squares with even or odd number spaces.
Ages 5+
Number of Players: 4
Monopoly Jr. has been the best board game we have gotten for our family with little kids. Although the recommended age is 5+, we have managed to all play including our four-year-old. There is a lot of counting in this game. Players must roll the dice and move the number of spaces the dice show. They must also count money in order to pay rent or purchase a property.
Ages 4+
Number of Players: 2-6
Winner of an Oppenheim Gold Award and one of ThinkFun's most popular and bestselling games!
Zingo 1-2-3 helps children develop counting, addition, number sense, and word recognition skills. It is designed to develop critical thinking skills through fun and fast-paced play.
Ages 3+
Number of Players: 2-4
Award-Winning Counting Game!
Help Mother Hen collect her chicks and bring them back to the chicken coop. Players will spin and count to collect the chicks. The goal is to work together, everyone wins! Count Your Chickens is all about counting.
Ages 5+
Number of Players: 4
In Sums in Space, players must use their math skills to help the space explorers make their way back home. They will be adding and subtracting numbers from 0-9, identifying even and odd numbers, and analyzing greater than and less than. Players will also have a chance to develop their cooperative play by working together to get all the astronauts back on the ship in time.
Ages 5 +
Number of Players: 2 - 4
Award-Winning STEM Toy!
Roll the dice to move along the path towards a pet station. Players will be collecting certain amounts of different food for each animal. The player will need to distribute an equal amount of food among the animals. Once the player feeds the animals, he or she gets to adopt the animal. The first player to adopt 4 pets wins.
Ages 4 - 8
Number of Players: 2 - 4
Counting Campers is a fun and educational counting game. Players move their pawns forward or backward on the board along their individual hiking trail by drawing a ‘plus’ or ‘minus’ card. Follow the winding path through the muddy swamp, across the fishing pond, over the old bridge, and more, to get back to the campsite. The first camper to get back to camp wins!
Ages 4 - 6
Number of Players: 4
The adorable pug, Shelby, has buried her bones in the sand and she needs your help to collect her bones. Players will take turns using the Shelby squeezer to pick up the bones and place them in their dog bowl. Watch out, spin a sneaky seagull, and you will lose some bones. Or you might miss your turn getting sidetracked chewing a flip flop. The player who digs up the most bones wins!
Ages 5+
Number of Players: 2-6
Although the recommended age from the manufacturer is 5+, my 3-year-old had so much fun playing along. I added it as a fun math game for preschoolers because there is simple counting involved. In the game, players take turns picking up a card from the deck. The player must press the Guster the Gas Cloud the number of times their card says. Be careful, don't let Guster fart on your turn!
Ages 4+
Number of Players: 2 - 4
Amazon Exclusive!
Matching games help children develop early math skills. No reading is required for this game. Players roll the dice and match up some of their favorite Spidey characters, such as Spiderman, Miles Morales, and Ghost Spider. The more amazing friends they match, the higher their score.