All About Math – Denise Gaskins' Let's Play Math

Math Game Monday: Concentration with Math Model Cards

Posted on March 30, 2026February 23, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

$Learn a new math game every week, for free$

This game lays a great foundation for your child’s understanding of multiplication and fractions.

Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s play some math!

Concentration with Math Model Cards

Math Concepts: multiplication or fraction models, visual/spatial memory.

Players: any number.

Equipment: one deck of math model cards.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Concentration with Math Model Cards

Thinking Thursday: Leo Tolstoy

Posted on March 26, 2026February 23, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Writing to Learn Math: What did the author mean? Put the thought in your own words. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own?

Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: Notice. Wonder. Create.

Continue reading Thinking Thursday: Leo Tolstoy

Playful Math 184: Carnival of Living Math

Posted on March 25, 2026March 19, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Welcome to the 184th edition of the Playful Math Education Blog Carnival — a smorgasbord of delectable tidbits of mathy fun. It’s like a free online magazine devoted to learning, teaching, and playing around with math from preschool to high school.

With all the links, a blog carnival can feel overwhelming. Bookmark this article, so you can take your time reading the posts.

“Living math” means bringing our children face-to-face with the big ideas of mathematics to help them develop their reasoning skills. When the ideas of math come to life for our children, their minds delight in seeing how numbers and shapes connect to each other and exploring these relationships.

Scattered between the playful math links below, you’ll find quotations from my new book Charlotte Mason’s Living Math, along with several paintings of children playing and learning which I considered for the book but ran out of room.

*“The lesson” by Rafael Frederico, 1895.*

By tradition, we start the carnival with a puzzle/activity in honor of our 184th edition. But if you’d rather jump straight to our featured blog posts, click here to see the Table of Contents.

Continue reading Playful Math 184: Carnival of Living Math

Math Game Monday: Dinosaur Race

Posted on March 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

$Learn a new math game every week, for free$

This game helps preschool children develop counting and number sense.

Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s play some math!

Dinosaur Race

Math Concepts: number symbols, counting beyond ten, number line.

Players: any number.

Equipment: subitizing cards, number line racetrack, small plastic dinosaur or other toy for each player.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Dinosaur Race

Thinking Thursday: Comparison Puzzles

Posted on March 19, 2026February 23, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Writing to Learn Math: Measurement is our way of connecting numbers to the things we find in the world, in daily life.

Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own?

Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: Notice. Wonder. Create.

Continue reading Thinking Thursday: Comparison Puzzles

Discover Math in Art

Posted on March 18, 2026March 2, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

I’ve written before about supplementing your children’s experience of math by playing games and reading good books.

But as I’m working on my new book, I wanted to add another valuable supplement that we often overlook. So here’s a preview excerpt from Charlotte Mason’s Living Math…

Continue reading Discover Math in Art

Math Game Monday: Prism Power

Posted on March 16, 2026February 23, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

$Learn a new math game every week, for free$

This game encourages players to reason about the relationships between length dimensions and volume in a 3-D shape.

Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s play some math!

Prism Power

Math Concepts: rectangular volume, cubic units.

Players: two or more.

Equipment: printed gameboard or plain paper, pencils or markers, one six-sided die, 40–50 cubic blocks per player.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Prism Power

Thinking Thursday: Math Debate

Posted on March 12, 2026February 23, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Writing to Learn Math: You can spark creative thought by removing any need to worry about spelling or punctuation rules.

Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own?

Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: Notice. Wonder. Create.

Continue reading Thinking Thursday: Math Debate

Math Game Monday: Square Nim

Posted on March 9, 2026February 23, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

$Learn a new math game every week, for free$

This simple strategy game challenges players to think ahead and visualize what their opponent might do.

Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s play some math!

Square Nim

Math Concepts: logic and strategy.

Players: only two.

Equipment: printed blank hundred chart or draw a 10×10 grid, pencil or pen.

Continue reading Math Game Monday: Square Nim

Thinking Thursday: Ancient Numbers

Posted on March 5, 2026January 25, 2026 by Denise Gaskins

Writing to Learn Math: Research prompts help students view math as a human endeavor.

Do you want your children to develop the ability to reason creatively and figure out things on their own?

Help kids practice slowing down and taking the time to fully comprehend a math topic or problem-solving situation with these classic tools of learning: Notice. Wonder. Create.

Continue reading Thinking Thursday: Ancient Numbers