Two Year Anniversary

Two years ago, I sent out my first newsletter from Games for Young Minds.

At the time, I had a double-digit subscriber list, a list of ten games I wanted to recommend, and a vague sense that parents needed advice for how to help their kids engage with math at home.

Since then, I've recommended over 100 games, developed or adapted a few of my own, and even started a video channel to share some of my all-time favorite games. I've also learned a whole lot about games, math, and parenting along the way.

Today I'd love to share four big things I've learned since starting Games for Young Minds.

The Fun is the Most Important Part

I've definitely made this mistake before: I can suck the fun out of a game if I push my kids in a mathematical direction they're not interested in.

If my kids aren't having fun while we play games, I'm doing something wrong. I never want play time to feel like homework; they'll get enough of that in school. 

When I read books to my kids, I don't routinely blather on about the role of the protagonist in narrative fiction. So I also don't need to turn every game into a conversation about the different ways to conceptualize subtraction.

Sometimes my kids don't want to explain to me how they got their answer to 31 - 15, and sometimes I just need to let that go. After all, we're having fun, which is the most important part.

Math is about More than Numbers

Numbers are an important part of math, but they are not the only important part.

Of course, I knew this intellectually, since I had seen my students struggle to apply their numerical knowledge to solve geometric and pattern-based problems for years in the classroom. 

But since I started this newsletter, I've come to learn so much about the importance of things like spatial reasoning, pattern recognition, and sorting by attributes. Thanks to books like Taking Shape and Big Ideas of Early Mathematics (affiliate link), I have now come to see those concepts as equally important to numeracy.

I do recommend lots of games that help kids practice counting, multiplication, fractions, and all sorts of other numerical concepts. But I also share lots of games that focus on logical deduction, justifying an argument, or spatial visualization. These, too, are math games.

Leave a Game Out on the Table

This is the most practical tip on the list: If you have a mathematical game or puzzle that is fun to play with, leave it out on the breakfast table.

Playing games is a great way to spend an afternoon, but sometimes kids just want to play. No structure, no taking turns, no winning and losing. Sometimes, kids just want to mess around with a toy.

Some of my favorite games, like Blokus, Otrio, and Qwirkle, are just as much fun to play with even if you're not following the rules.

Other games, like Shut the Box or Brain Cheeser (affiliate link), can be played solo and give your kid something to think about while they chow down on Cheerios.

Also, I can justify our cluttered kitchen by claiming that every half-completed game is just a learning opportunity, and we wouldn't want to deprive our kids of learning opportunities, right? 

I'm not messy, I'm doing it for the children. When you think about it, I'm basically a hero.

Not All Kids Love Games, and That's OK

So it turns out that my oldest child just flat-out loves games. This is great news for me, since I always have someone to test out a new game with me.

But my older daughter isn't always up for a game. She's has a few favorites, but she doesn't have the insatiable desire for games that my son, or his father, has.

This is great, too! She has all sorts of other interests, such as art, which give me a chance to find mathematical moments in the other parts of life.

Games are great because they naturally bring mathematical ideas to the fore. But they aren't the only way to have a great mathematical conversation with your kids. My daughter and I have talked about math while making patterns with beads, while building structures using Magna-Tiles, and while doing jigsaw puzzles (which she absolutely loves).

I don't think she'll ever love games as much as my son, but I still think she'll love math, especially as she continues to see the ways it appears in her other interests.

My youngest daughter mostly seems to enjoy screaming, so we'll see where she lands once she can speak full sentences.

Thanks for Reading

Two years down, many more to go! If you've enjoyed these weekly recommendations, please consider supporting my Patreon. It's a way for you to make a small donation to support the site so I can pay for Mailchimp, Squarespace, and the other associated fees that come along with running a newsletter and making videos.

Another way you can contribute is simply to shoot me an email and let me know what you've gained from these weekly missives. I always love hearing from readers about new games they've tried, or great moments they had with their kids while playing games.

And if you think of a friend, a family member, or a teacher who would benefit from getting these newsletters, send them my way! 

Thanks a lot, everyone. Next week, back to my regular game recommendations.