Board games are the favorite indoor games of every student. So, bringing them into the classroom could be an innovative yet thrilling experience for them.
Math board games also promote critical and analytical thinking and increase effective brain functioning. They assist in the practice of cognitive skills, similar to perfecting decision-making and problem-solving, and help develop strategic thinking.
With the help of board games, educators allow the students to enjoy and built their academic achievements. Other benefits of math board games for the classroom include developing communication, instilling teamwork and sportsmanship, helping students learn that each move has a consequence, so planning is a pivotal and an essential step.
10 Popular Math Board Games:
1. Chess
Chess is one of the oldest Math board game ideas for school. It involves analytical thinking and each move should have logic and precision.
One needs to be extremely careful and confident. A single careless move may change the entire game.
This game is not dependent on luck, so it cannot sway the game’s fate. Several research studies have proven a strong relationship between chess and math.
Involvement of logical thinking, accuracy, and short time practice with total concentration, thus proving that math and chess have a lot in common.
It is said that practicing chess, even for a short period, sharpens student’s minds, and it indirectly helps them deal with mathematical problems.
Practice more math problems here!
2. Monopoly
It is one of the oldest yet favorite board games for students as well as adults. It not only teaches students to add, subtract, multiply or divide but also teaches them probability and decision-making.
This game uses fake money to buy properties, leading to counting and number sequencing.
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The key to success in Monopoly is noticing that not all properties are created equal. This is where mathematics gets involved.
Knowing the sets that are probable to give better returns acts as a ticket to this board-game glory. It can be one of the most engaging math board games to play in the classroom.
3. Sum Swamp
It is a math board game with a fun and exciting approach to building math skills and fluency in students. This game helps young students improve their addition and subtraction skills as it revolves around addition and subtraction to get to the other side of the swamp.
It is one of the most engaging math board games for the classroom as it strengthens understanding of arithmetic operations.
In this game, students use dice to solve different addition and subtraction problems to move their marks forward.
The player who moves to the other side of the swamp wins. This game is best suitable for 2-4 players, making it ideal for the students to play in their short breaks in the classroom while they also build their skills.
Have a look at challenging Grade 6 Practice Problems!
4. Math Bingo
This game is usually played by students aged 6-8. In this game, students are supposed to solve math problems and mark a space corresponding to their cards’ answers.
After completing all the rows or columns, students shout loudly “BINGO” with full excitement. Then the teacher checks the answers to confirm that their solutions are correct. It can be among the most effective school board games for students.
Once approved, the kid with the maximum correct answer wins. This game aims for students to solve math problems quickly in a short period. Sometimes students are too slow and take a more extended period to solve one math problem, so this game is perfect for those students.
This game facilitates students to solve math problems like addition, subtraction, division, or multiplication at their fingertips.
5. Equate
This game is best described as a mathematical cousin of scrabble and among the most played math board games.
This game is played exactly like scrabble, but numbers are involved here instead of words. Players need to assemble the equations to earn points.
The equation here involves numbers, fractions, and arithmetic symbols. In this game, there are various stages; the beginner’s location is quite simple as it involves fundamental mathematical problems.
While increasing the stages, the standards become high, involving deep calculations, which can become a brain-burning session.
6. Proof! Math Game
This game has won the Teacher’s Choice Gold award. This game is an excellent choice to build exceptional quality and outstanding performance for the students in the classroom.
This game is perfect for 6-9 years students. It is an addicting mental math game.
There are 100 cards of mathematical equations. Players need to solve that equation as fast as possible and “SHOUT” the answer immediately when they are done to get a lockout and prevent someone else from jumping in. This game helps develop the speed to calculate math problems accurately. This game is fun and exciting for the students.
7. Smithath
This game is one of the most famous math games for the classroom. It is just like a crossword puzzle. The only difference is that students use numbers instead of words to form equations, as in the crossword puzzle. Players use symbols and number tiles in the game to develop equations.
It is best suitable for age groups 6-8 and is played by 2-4 students. Students use tiles on their hands with the tiles on the board to form new equations.
Improve your math by playing quiz here!
8. Qwirkle
It is a game involving shapes and color tiles. In this game, students are required to recognize patterns and shapes.
Where is math involved? Each step has simple additional practice to move further. In this game, math is a staircase of complexity. With each level, the complexity increases.
9. Prime Climb
This game is a hybrid of both ludo and snakes and ladder. This game teaches prime numbers and allows students to practice addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication skills competitively.
Unlike other board games in which movements are done by adding the dice values, here in Prime, players climb and move forward or backward by adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
Download the Free worksheet for more practice here!
10. Pizza Fraction Fun Game
The game’s name suggests a Pizza fraction fun game; here, the magical pizza that the students mostly love is used to help children learn fractions.
Not only does it help in learning fractions but also adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing the fractions. This game makes boring math both fun and delicious. The difficulty level can be customized based on the kid’s needs.
If increasing the standards of the game for the students to make them solve complex questions, then it will surely boost their confidence, and it could also be challenging in a fun way.
Benefits of Playing Board Games In The Classroom
Involvement of active participation of students in the classroom develops their study habits. It will also allow the new players to learn from more experienced players.
For example, Math board games introduce students to various mathematical skills, enabling them to learn and practice them daily.
Thus, math board games are generally used to generate skills, improve their attitude towards the subject and enhance the students’ performance. These board games ideas for school are beneficial because of the following reasons.
- Reduce the number of times instructors talk by emphasizing student interactions.
- Promote healthy rivalry among classmates to build lasting relationships.
- Helps in the development of students’ spelling and vocabulary via structured activities.
- Reinforce lessons with study and practice.
- Encourage the students to overcome challenges.
- Give students plenty of opportunities to talk as they cooperate to solve the puzzle.
- Give students a break from the usual lesson framework.
- Encouraging students to have fun will make them feel less stressed.
- Promote original and strategic thinking
Also read: 25 Classroom Games to Boost Teacher Effectiveness and Student Learning
Takeaway
Bringing math board games into the classroom is fun and entertaining for the students it helps eradicates boredom from school, thus making the class pleasant and successful. New ideas and concepts introduced through board games help create new pathways in young minds.
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