Uncommonly Creative Math for Girls
What I love most about these Halloween math activities is 1) that they DON’T feel “mathy” and 2) they give your child even MORE ways to enjoy Halloween! All you need is a pumpkin–or, even better, two pumpkins of different sizes. Some of the activities use uncarved pumpkins, while others you can do after they’re carved. I got a big pumpkin and a tiny one, and just for fun, I
Learning to make tens is, hands down, the most important addition skill your child will learn in the early grades. Here’s the deal: your girl has one hundred and twenty-one addition facts to memorize—a gargantuan task to a second grader (who will then have to move on to 121 subtraction facts, then 144 multiplication facts…!! Ah, but what if learning math facts didn’t have to be an endless to-do list
Math circles are vibrant, playful math groups that help girls fall in love with math through patterns and discovery, fun projects, hands-on explorations, and games. We believe girls connect with math the most when they are having fun and experiencing math in real-life contexts. Previous math circle girls have explored math with actual kittens (I’m a kitten foster mom), or by creating and selling chocolates from their own imaginary chocolate shop.
Clumsy Thief is a cartoony, wildly addictive addition game for kids ages 7-11. I’ll be straight up with you: Clumsy Thief can get loud. You may also have to deal with weeks of kids begging, “PLEASE can we play Clumsy Thief? Pleeeeeaaaase??” Which, you know, there are worse things than your kid begging to play a math game. But I can pretty much guarantee you that your kid will come
Here’s a real-life subtracting money game that kids play with actual cash! Which means, of course, that even though there’s a ton of math learning going on, this game doesn’t feel math-y at all. Kids love playing because they get to dig their fingers into actual money (mwa-ha-ha!) and get paid by their opponent. What’s not to like? Meanwhile, you’ll be smugly watching your child get better at counting and subtracting
Caroline Diarte Edwards
Stacey Low
Janelle Thompson
Ephi Lu
Heather Carvill
Kimberley Cashin
Marjel Sheuer
Stephanie Tuxen Bisgaard
