Blog — Games for Young Minds

Bad Calculators

Little kids love playing with calculators.

My toddler Dalia, for example, loves nothing more than grabbing my calculators, along with anything else with buttons, and mashing them to see what happens. Adorably, she refers to her collection of button-based toys as "my growmups," as in "Daddy, these is my growmups"

My older kids like plying with them too, though. My eight-year-old is always trying to figure out what each button does, while my five-year-old tries to type in massive numbers and then say them out loud, proudly and incorrectly.

I was reminded of this by Michael Pershan, who gave me two great recommendations: First, get a big calculator with fun buttons and keep it in the car. You never know what discoveries your kids might make on the way to school!

Secondly, grab a laptop and get them to play Bad Calculators.

Free Games, Digital Games, PuzzlesKent HainesJanuary 14, 2021Comment

Multiplication by Heart

Back in April, I sent out a newsletter about the Kickstarter campaign for Multiplication by Heart. This set of flash cards was developed by Dan Finkel, whom you'll remember as the creator of Tiny Polka Dot and Prime Climb.

You might wonder - flash cards sound like the opposite of a game. Why would Kent be promoting these things?

Two reasons: First of all, I trust Dan, and I know that he is already hard at work figuring out ways to make games from these beautiful cards. And secondly, I know that lots of parents out there are going to buy multiplication flash cards for their kids at some point, and I'd rather those flash cards be awesome.

Well, now you get to see exactly what I mean! Because Dan has partnered with the folks at Mathigon to create a free, online version of his Multiplication by Heart cards!

Digital Games, Free Games, Other ActivitiesKent HainesOctober 15, 2020Comment

playingcards.io

When I announced that the newsletter was back, I asked for people to send me requests. I heard from A LOT of folks who were interested in finding a way to play games without sharing materials, either at home, in virtual classrooms, or in-person.

So I've been hunting for resources ever since! And I wanted to share one with you this week: playingcards.io

Free Games, Digital Games, Other ActivitiesKent HainesOctober 8, 2020Comment

Solitaire Games for ANY Age!

Sometimes, your kids need some alone time. And sometimes, you need your kids to have some alone time.

Most of the games I've recommended so far have been multiplayer games, which are a great way to spark mathematical discussions and investigations between parents and adults.

But sometimes, you just need 30 minutes while you get through some emails. And below I have some great games for your kids to play solo while you compose email after email that starts "Sorry for the delay, things are a little hectic around here..."

Digital Games, Free GamesKent HainesApril 13, 2020Comment

Three Fantastic Multiplication Games

I've heard from a bunch of you, and one consistent theme is that parents want games that help kids practice multiplying, addition/subtraction, and fractions.

Message received! I'm working on the other two categories, but I'm ready to go with three fantastic recommendations for multiplication games.

One thing to note: I firmly believe that a game is most fun when it doesn't feel like math class. I don't want to play a game that feels like a worksheet, and neither do your kids. So if I recommend a game, it's because I firmly believe is a great activity that just happens to use math as a gateway to the fun. And these three recommendations, particularly the last one, totally fit that bill.

Board Games, Free Games, Digital GamesKent HainesMarch 17, 2020Comment

DreamBox Learning

Time for some fun math ideas for your quarantined children!

I'm going to aim for three newsletters a week, varying ideas so that you'll find interesting activities and games for your preschooler, 2nd grader, or 5th grader. I'm already collecting all sorts of art projects, card games, and other activities to use.

But let's get real: If we are going to get through these weeks, we are going to need some screen time. So wouldn't it be nice to have a math app that was actually great? One that could be played on a computer or an iPad while you make lunch?

Well, I've got a great recommendation: DreamBox Learning. In fact, the only reason I hadn't recommended it in the past is the hefty monthly subscription fee. But DreamBox has announced that they are creating a free 90-day trial for their program, which should take your kids all the way through the spring and into June. They're doing the right thing to help out families like ours.

But even better: The game is really good at helping kids learn math!

Free Games, Digital GamesKent HainesMarch 14, 2020 Comment

Dragonbox Numbers

I have a skeptical outlook on the value of screen time. It's probably not hurting my kids too much, but it's probably not helping either. And the math apps I've found have mostly been underwhelming. Mostly, these apps focus on repetitive practice of math facts, which doesn't exactly sound like a rich mathematical experience.

But Dragonbox Numbers is a different sort of math app. I was skeptical at first, but the game won me over with its well-designed activities that get kids thinking about the relationships between numbers, rather than simply drilling math facts.

Other Activities, Digital GamesKent HainesMarch 16, 2018Comment

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