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Teaching math is more than just workbooks or worksheets or even the curriculum we use in our homeschool. The right tools can make teaching math more fun, more interesting, and can make it easier for your kids to understand mathematical concepts. You can teach your kids many math concepts without ever opening up a workbook or using a curriculum! There are many tools that can be used in place of or alongside of math curriculum.
This post is going to recommend a bunch of teaching tools that we’ve used in our homeschool over the years. You definitely don’t need all of them, though! These tools are just suggestions. Please don’t go out and buy everything on this list (and if you do want to buy, see if you can find them used or borrow from a friend)! There may be some suggestions here that will be helpful to you, though, and you can come back to this list when you need to change it up.
Board games:
Board games are one of the best ways to teach math concepts in a fun way – and often times, kids don’t even realize they’re learning! I’ve listed some of our favorite games, but nearly any game practices concepts like patterns, sequencing, counting, skip counting, addition, money, etc. (Not to mention all the other skills like taking turns, problem solving, critical thinking, good sportsmanship, etc.) Look at the games in your closet – if they use math concepts, they’re teaching your child something! We often use games in the place of formal lessons. In fact, there are some concepts (like money) that my boys have learned almost completely through games!
Preschool/Early elementary
- Snug as a Bug in a Rug
- Count Your Chickens
- Hi Ho Cherry-o
- Shelby’s Snack Shack
- Card games like Uno or SkipBo (these are great for all ages!)
Elementary
- Sum Swamp
- Money Bags
- Multiplication Swat
- Monopoly (or any other game that involves money)
Handheld Games:
Math Slam
Multiplication Slam
Mulitiplication Master
These math games might also be helpful, and they use supplies you probably already have. (VIPs, remember to use your shop credit for the month if you haven’t already!)
When kids are young, it’s important for them to have hands on objects to help them learn to count, add, etc. There are some tools that I’ve purchased and used over and over, but there are also some items that cost little to nothing. You don’t always have to go out and buy something special to use for math. Pull out supplies you already have!
Supplies you may have on-hand:
- Dominoes
- Dice
- Legos/Duplo blocks
- Deck of cards (my kids play games like war, Go Fish, speed, etc. for math practice)
- Tape measure
- Baskets, trays, or bowls for sorting
Simple objects to use for manipulatives (counting, sorting, adding, etc.):
- acorns or pinecones
- rocks
- pinecones
- sticks or popsicle sticks
- Cotton balls or pom poms
Math tools that can be very helpful that we use often:
- Pattern blocks
- Math link cubes
- Hundreds number board
- Money set
- Cuisinaire rods
- Montessori style counting sticks
- Wooden math number blocks
- Clock
Books:
Books are an amazing tool to add to your math content – and I don’t mean workbooks!
Usborne books
These are some of my favorites, with all of their resource/non-fiction books. We have many of their math books, and they’re a super fun way to learn math concepts. They have fun pictures and flaps to lift, which makes them really interactive. These are some of our faves:
Lift-the-flap Multiplying and Dividing
Lift-the-flap Math Shapes
Lift-the-flap Fractions and Decimals
Lift-the-Flap Times Tables
Illustrated Elementary Math Dictionary
Picture books!
There are so many lovely stories that incorporate math concepts. Here are a few that we have in our library:
Pigs go to Market
If You Made a Million
Place Value
Money Math
All About Time
Count to 100 (this is also a fun interactive search and find book!)
100 Bugs! A counting book
Chicka Chicka 123
Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar
The Right Number of Elephants
Ten Tall Giraffes
Math Start Books:
There are many books in this series, but here are just a couple on our shelf):
The Best Vacation Ever
Give Me Half
Books for older kids:
How Many Elephants in a Blue Whale?
One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math!
Other resource books:
Do Not Open This Math Book
The Times Machine
Online games:
I’m not big on online games, but I do think they have their place. Online math games can be a great way to change things up or reach your kids in a different way. Here are a few we have used:
- Homer – this is great for kids 4-8ish; you can get a free 30 day trial HERE.
- Prodigy Math
- ABC Mouse
- ABCya
More CYH content you might like:
Teaching math when you don’t love it
