Math Journal: The 1-2-3 Puzzle

colorful numbers 1, 2, 3

Math Journaling Adventures series by Denise GaskinsThere’s still time to check out my Math Journaling Adventures project and discover how playful writing activities will help your students learn mathematics. Preorder your books today!

Meanwhile, here’s a math puzzle to share with your kids…

Write down any whole number. It can be a single-digit number, or as big as you like. For example:

64,861,287,124,425,928

Now, count up the number of even digits (including zeros), the number of odd digits, and the total number of digits your number contains. Write those counted numbers down in order, like this:

64,861,287,124,425,928
even 12, odd 5, total 17

Continue reading Math Journal: The 1-2-3 Puzzle

Only Two Days Left for Math Journaling Adventures

Math Journaling Adventures series by Denise Gaskins
  • If you’re a parent trying to help your child learn math…
  • Or a teacher looking for creative ideas for your classroom…
  • Or a homeschooling parent hoping to enrich your student’s understanding…

Then you’ll love the Math Journaling Adventures series because these logbooks guide your children to explore mathematics at a deeper level, building a strong foundation to support future learning.

It’s a fun way to enrich any math curriculum, and great for unschoolers, too.

But you have to ACT FAST: The Kickstarter campaign ends in 2 days!

Order Your Copy Today ❯

Continue reading Only Two Days Left for Math Journaling Adventures

Math Journal: Three Quick Number Games

photo of family playing a dice game

Math Journaling Adventures Kickstarter projectHere are three quick math games you can fit in whenever you have a few minutes’ free time. Have fun playing math with your kids!

And if you enjoy these games, check out my Math Journaling Adventures project to discover how similar playful writing activities can help your students learn mathematics. Preorder your books today!

Continue reading Math Journal: Three Quick Number Games

Memories: The Oral Story Problem Game

photo of sheep in a field

Homeschool Memories…

Perhaps you’ve heard me mention the oral story problem game. It was one of my favorite ways to get my children thinking about math, back in our early days of homeschooling. We played in the car on the way to soccer practice, or while we washed dishes, or sitting in the lobby waiting for a doctor’s appointment.

The rules are simple: I’ll make up a math problem for you to solve. And then you make up one for me.

The kids always loved trying to stump me.

This problem from Henry Ernest Dudeney’s Amusements in Mathematics reminded me of those days. This is exactly the way my eldest loved to torture me…

Continue reading Memories: The Oral Story Problem Game

Puzzle: Henry Dudeney’s Pebble Game

photo of girl playing with pebbles on the beach

English mathematician and puzzle-meister Henry Ernest Dudeney once wrote:

“It may be said generally that a game is a contest of skill for two or more persons, into which we enter either for amusement or to win a prize. A puzzle is something to be done or solved by the individual.

    “The example that I give here is apparently a game, but, as in every case one player may win if he only play correctly, it is in reality a puzzle. The interest, therefore, lies in attempting to discover the leading method of play.”

    Below is the puzzle game as Dudeney explained it.

    Play it for fun at first, then see if you can solve the puzzle.

    Continue reading Puzzle: Henry Dudeney’s Pebble Game

    Math Games for the Holidays

    Snowman Drive math party game

    Are you looking for fun ways to keep your children busy (and learning!) through the holidays? Here are two printable activity guides you might enjoy:

    Snowman Drive

    Snowman Drive math game book(My newest game activity.)

    Players roll the dice and build their creative snowman (or snowbeast). Will you make a fearless pirate or a dapper aristocrat — or a high-scoring snow spider?

    A Snowman Drive is a family-friendly party that can also serve as a fundraiser for your church, homeschool group, or organization. The Drive consists of several rounds of the Snowman Game played on a single worksheet, with prizes for the top-scoring players and overall champion.

    This activity book includes game instructions and gameboard pages for single-family or group play.

    For ages 5 and up.

    * * *
    Download a PDF preview file.
    * * *
    FORMAT: 13-page printable PDF file with your choice of 8.5″×11″ (letter size) or A4 pages.

    Buy Now

    Christmas Tree Math Games

    Christmas Tree Math Games book(Number play on a triangular hundred chart.)

    Christmas Tree Math Games features 4 easy-to-learn games and 6 additional activities for primary and middle-grade students. All you need is a set of dice and a few colorful markers.

    Math games build mental flexibility and strategic reasoning in players of all ages. And even people who hated math in school can enjoy the friendly challenge of a game.

    These are NOT the typical memory-and-speed-based math games you’ve probably seen online, but true battles of wit and skill (plus a bit of luck).

    Perfect ice-breakers for family gatherings, classroom warmups, or for launching a group game night. You’ll be surprised how much fun thinking hard can be!

    Christmas Tree Math Games includes instructions and tips for the teacher, math game pages for handouts or learning centers, plus a variety of dot-grid journaling paper.

    For ages 6 and up.

    * * *
    Download a PDF preview file.
    * * *
    FORMAT: 30-page printable PDF file with your choice of 8.5″×11″ (letter size) or A4 pages.

    Buy Now

     
    * * *

    Are you looking for more creative ways to play math with your kids? Check out all my books, printable activities, and cool mathy merch at Denise Gaskins’ Playful Math Store. Or join my email newsletter.

    This blog is reader-supported. If you’d like to help fund the blog on an on-going basis, then please join me on Patreon for mathy inspiration, tips, and an ever-growing archive of printable activities.

    “Math Games for the Holidays” copyright © 2024 by Denise Gaskins. Image at the top of the post copyright © prarinya / Depositphotos.

    Gratis Games and Playful Math News

    Get your free copy today!
    Do you want to help your children learn math?

    Teach them to play.

    Grab a free copy of my Let’s Play Math Sampler: 10 Family-Favorite Games for Learning Math Through Play, which contains short excerpts from my most popular titles. It’s a great way to get started with playful math. 😍

    As a bonus, I’ll add you to my Playful Math News email subscription and send you monthly tips and activity ideas for playing math with your kids.

    From time to time, I’ll even throw in a free sample of whatever I’ve been working on — an early draft of something that will eventually show up in one of my books or printable activity guides.

    For example, check out this fun freebie I sent last April:

    Don’t miss out on all this mathy goodness. Sign up today!

    Get the Games Book Now

    Math Games Kickstarter: It Keeps Getting Better

    Friends playing math games

    Did you know that, with our recent stretch goals, the Tabletop Math Games Kickstarter now features more than 90 amazing ways to play math with your kids?

    And every pledge pushes us closer to the next new bonus, which means more new games and playful math goodies for every backer.

    Don’t miss out on the excitement. Order your copy today:

    Visit the Math Games Kickstarter ❱

    How Are These Books Different?

    I love how the challenge of a well-fought math game pushes players of all ages to think more creatively and build fluency.

    So my Tabletop Math Games Collection is designed to make it easier than ever for busy families and over-stressed teachers to play with math.

    All you need are common household supplies like cards, dice, and scratch paper. Children can open a Tabletop Math Games Collection book to any page and start playing right away, and the digital files make great classroom handouts or learning center games.

    Continue reading Math Games Kickstarter: It Keeps Getting Better

    Why Thinking Thursday?

    Thinking Thursday math journal prompt

    There’s a new math journaling prompt this week.

    Have your kids tried it yet?

    This week’s prompt features one of my favorite quotations to get kids thinking (and writing) about the value of mistakes in learning. Or you might prefer last week’s prompt, featuring a classic math brainteaser and encouraging students to create their own related puzzles.

    Or, if you’re reading this post later and missed those, there’s another great new prompt this week for you to explore.

    Check it out:

    Visit Thinking Thursday

    Continue reading Why Thinking Thursday?

    What’s So Special About Math Games?

    Family playing math game with dominoes

    To everyone who has supported my Tabletop Math Games Collection Kickstarter project: thank you ever so much! We’ve blown past our funding target and made it into Stretch Goal territory.

    Now every pledge just makes the project better, earning new games and bonuses for every backer at the $5 level and above.

    If you haven’t backed the project yet, check out what you’re missing:

    Visit the Kickstarter ❯

    Math games build mental flexibility and strategic reasoning in players of all ages. And even people who hated math in school can enjoy the friendly challenge of a game.

    I love how the challenge of a well-fought math game pushes players of all ages to think more creatively and build fluency.

    Continue reading What’s So Special About Math Games?