It’s never too early to teach young children math skills. Childhood educators believe that when children grasp math skills early, they will have an easier time succeeding as they move forward through their academics. At Crème de la Crème, we begin teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to our preschool students and beyond so they can foster a love for the STEM sciences to help round out their education and possibly pursue a career in the sciences. One of the best ways to encourage students to enjoy math and the sciences is to teach these academics in a fun and interactive way as we do with our STEM program.

The Importance of STEM for Young Children

Young boy playing with shapes and blocks in classroom

STEM helps teach kids problem-solving and critical thinking skills they can use for their whole life. Teaching math in school can be fun when teachers use a variety of games utilizing techniques such as sorting objects by colors, recognizing patterns, and interacting with familiar storybook or media characters in a numbers-focused game. Kids learn best when taught in a joyful and fun manner, and that’s how we approach education in all our programs, including STEM.

Fun Math Games To Play in School

While math may feel intimidating or daunting for many people, making it fun can help create interest in the concepts so they will want to continue engaging in the games and grasping mathematical skills. Bring the following fun math games into the classroom to help foster creativity and confidence in math and the STEM fields. Fun math games for young kids from preschool to kindergarten include:

Count the Contents in a Basket

To play this game, take a basket or box and fill it with a variety of different shaped objects such as shells, rocks, or Lego pieces. Ask the children to sort the objects into shapes, colors, or sizes, and organize them according to the specifics. This is a good game for counting but also helps increase spatial awareness and color and shape observation.

Snakes and Ladders

This classic board game is good for enhancing counting skills and is ideal for preschoolers and kindergartners. There is a board, four pieces, and one dice, and up to four players can play by following these directions.

  • Lay the board game flat.
  • Have each player roll the dice, and the one with the highest number goes first.
  • The player puts the piece in the No. 1 slot, rolls the dice, and moves the piece that many places to the right.
  • If the player lands on the head of a snake, they have to slide the piece down the snake to the numbered spot at the bottom of the snake.
  • If the player lands at the bottom of the ladder, they immediately climb to the top advancing them toward the top number of 100.
  • To get to the winning number of 100, the player must roll the exact number of moves to reach that slot, and if they roll higher, they have to wait their turn to roll and move.

Line up Dominoes

Dominoes are a type of tile that has numbered dots on each one. Adults play this game using advanced addition math skills, but young kids can use the various configurations of dots on the domino tiles to visually see different ways to make up a number. Domino tiles split in the middle can make up a number with different dots for each selected number. For example, dominoes representing the No. 5 can show five dots on one side and zero on the other, or three dots on one side and two on the other. These tiles are terrific for showing kids the numerous ways a number of objects can make a number. To play line up dominoes:

  • Take 10 pieces of paper and write the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 on each piece. Line them up in a row.
  • Have each player pull a domino and line the numbers of dots formed on both sides of the domino tile to the corresponding written number.
  • As they move up the numbers, each piece of paper should have several dominoes with the number variations associated with it lined next to the paper.

Tag the Number

This interactive math game lets kids get up and move around during the game, helping them get out of their seats and burn some energy.

  • Line up pieces of paper with a number written on them onto a corkboard or write the numbers on a whiteboard.
  • Have the child roll a dice, and once the number comes up, have them run to the number and point it out.
  • For a variation, tape the numbers around the room in a random order so the kids have to look for the corresponding number, even out of ordered context.

The Curious Critter

This online game helps kids associate the number of items verbally heard with the real amount they need. In this game, the player listens to the adorable critter who is looking around the online room for items to add to its collection. Kids can relate the items called for by the curious critter to what they realistically can find.

This is a small suggestion of fun math games to play with young kids. Depending on the youngster’s learning style, math games can be played with just a couple of players, several on a board game, the whole class with jump up and tag games, or one-on-one with select online games.

Schedule a Tour of Your Local Crème de la Crème Learning Center Today

Our team at Crème de la Crème is dedicated to providing a whole-child approach to your youngster’s education, from the arts to STEM. We provide a safe and nurturing environment for your child to learn and socially interact. Schedule a tour today of the closest Crème de la Crème learning center to see our state-of-the-art security system, indoor and outdoor play center, and our fun and comfortable interactive classrooms. Whether you’re interested in our preschool or kindergarten program, we look forward to welcoming you and your kiddo into our Crème de la Crème family.

Image by Paige Cody is licensed with Unsplash License