Blog — Games for Young Minds

Rekenrek

This week I was helping my daughter play DreamBox Learning on the iPad. By the way - I love to capture these little moments of math conversation on Instagram, so feel free to follow along and check out my story!

Anyway, she was having a bit of trouble with one particular type of problem, so I pulled out my favorite tool for helping young kids build their number sense - the rekenrek (affiliate link).

I realized that, while I use the rekenrek all the time in our house, I've never actually highlighted it in a newsletter. And now that parents everywhere are helping their kids with math at home, what better time to get a versatile support tool?

Board Games, Other ActivitiesKent HainesMay 7, 2020Comment

Beast Academy - My New Favorite Math Puzzle Workbook

Way back in The Before Time (2017), I started this newsletter because I had lots of my friends asking my advice on ways to help their kids with math.

Put simply, I wasn't impressed with most of the stuff I had seen out there. And I still contend that 95% of the math workbooks that you can order online are dull, dreary affairs, both for the kids and for the parents who have to cajole the kids to complete them.

I wanted to find interesting, playful math activities that kids wouldn't mind exploring on their own. I wasn't opposed to workbooks per se, just the dozens of workbooks I had seen so far.

Well, I finally found a math workbook that I can honestly say I love: the Beast Academy puzzle book.

Kent HainesApril 21, 2020 Comment

Solitaire Games for ANY Age!

Sometimes, your kids need some alone time. And sometimes, you need your kids to have some alone time.

Most of the games I've recommended so far have been multiplayer games, which are a great way to spark mathematical discussions and investigations between parents and adults.

But sometimes, you just need 30 minutes while you get through some emails. And below I have some great games for your kids to play solo while you compose email after email that starts "Sorry for the delay, things are a little hectic around here..."

Digital Games, Free GamesKent HainesApril 13, 2020Comment

Up and Down - A Jumping Game

I am extremely proud to be sharing today's newsletter, because it came directly from you!

One of my readers, Vila McHenry, emailed me this week to share a brand-new game that she and her son invented with the Tiny Polka Dot cards.

As Vila mentioned, her son is 5 years old, and was having a bit of trouble remembering how to count backwards from 10 to 0. So she invented this game to help him practice that skill in a fun, and physical, way.

The game is called Up and Down, and I can't wait to try it out with my own 5-year-old this weekend!

Free GamesKent HainesApril 10, 2020Comment

The Fold-and-Cut Challenge

When parents think about math, they tend to focus on numbers and operations. But there are so many other important aspects of mathematical thinking that need your attention as well. Geometric reasoning, spatial visualization, pattern recognition, sorting by attributes.

Fortunately, many of these domains of math are extremely fun to play with! Take today's game for example: The Fold-and-Cut Challenge!

This is actually a pair of games, one for young kids and one for upper-elementary and older. In either case, your kids will do some fantastic spatial reasoning.

Free Games, Other ActivitiesKent HainesApril 1, 2020Comment

6 Free Addition and Subtraction Games!

Ok, so first the bad news:

Child care here at the Haines household is going to get more complicated for the next week or two. Meanwhile, online teaching at my university is really in full swing. So I don't know that I'll be able to get a newsletter out as often this week.

So I better make this a good one! Below you'll find a bunch of really fun addition and subtraction games for different age bands. I broke them into grade levels, but those designations are somewhat arbitrary. So if the game sounds fun, try it with your kids!

Puzzles, Free GamesKent HainesMarch 31, 2020 Comment

Sierpinski Triangles

As I write this, the governor of Alabama has just canceled school for the remainder of the school year.

Looks like I'm going to be spending a lot more time acting as my kids' teacher! At least I'm in the same boat as many of you.

I can already see myself in two weeks, half-mad from being stuck in my house, retreating to the bedroom for a one-person parent teacher conference.

Me: Thank you for taking the time, and I brought some boxes of Kleenex for the class. And I know you're busy, but I just feel like Joel isn't being challenged enough.

Me: I appreciate that, and I want you to know that I am trying to meet the needs of all my students. As you know, I currently am running a multi-age classroom with your son, a 5-year-old, and a toddler.

Me: Yes, I wanted to speak to you about that as well. Our toddler has been throwing her food on the floor. Can't you do something about that at school? You're her teacher.

Me: ...

SCENE

Ok, so maybe I am going a bit stir-crazy already! But I know one thing that reliably calms me down: math art.

Kent HainesMarch 27, 2020Comment

Math for Love Lessons

In just a minute I'm going to share an amazing set of lessons from Math for Love. But first, a bit of a rant.

This has been a weird and, for many of us, terrible week or two. Please don't focus on all the ways in which you are "falling short" in helping your kids with homeschooling. There are things that schools can do that you simply don't have the time, experience, and supplies to achieve.

BUT ALSO

There is so much you can do at home that a school simply cannot do. You can give your kids tons of individual attention. You can turn lectures into conversations. You can follow their interests and take a wild left turn into anything they want to learn about!

And most importantly, you can have fun spending time with your kids. In fact, that's the most important thing any of us can be doing right now. We might be cooped up with our kids for a long time, and it's going to be easier if those kids still like seeing us in the morning. Even if that means that the (hastily assembled) packet of worksheets from your kids' school doesn't get finished on time.

Ok, rant over. If you remain unconvinced, I have good news - I'm about to share a bunch of lessons that you can try out with your kids.

But I reserve the right to rant again next week...

Other Activities, Free Games, PuzzlesKent HainesMarch 27, 2020Comment

Tiny Polka Dot - Games for Every Grade Level!

Ok, so you've bought or made your Tiny Polka Dot cards from yesterday's newsletter, and you're ready to play a game. Let's do it!

Below you will find a game recommendation for every grade level. But don't feel constrained by my recommendation - try out any game that sounds fun! And you can find a ton of other ideas at the Tiny Polka Dot site.

Free Games, Board GamesKent HainesMarch 25, 2020Comment

Tiny Polka Dot - Make Your Own Cards!

As I mentioned yesterday, this week is Math for Love week here at Games for Young Minds

Yesterday, I shared Prime Climb, one of my favorite board games for older elementary kids (and teenagers and adults, too!). Today, I'm going to share a different game that is ideally suited for early childhood and young elementary kid:

Tiny Polka Dot.

Free Games, Board Games, Other ActivitiesKent HainesMarch 24, 2020Comment

Prime Climb - Plus a Free Activity!

Welcome back! Hope you enjoyed the weekend. I made a vegetable garden with my kids and tried to read as little news as possible.

This week is Math for Love week here at the newsletter, and man do I have some great stuff to share.

Math for Love is the brainchild of Dan Finkel, where he develops math games, shares lesson plans, and creates fantastic logic puzzles. I'll be sharing some of each category this week, starting with the game that first drew my interest:

Prime Climb

Kent HainesMarch 22, 2020Comment

How Many?

Alright, y'all. One more day and then it's the weekend.

Yes, the weekend will technically be pretty similar. No playdates, no visits, but at least you won't be "working from home" right? No, you'll just be trying to get through all the work email that piled up while you were dealing with the real emergencies.

Ok, so your weekend won't be that different. Mine neither. But we'll get through it together.

Perhaps with a game!

Books, Free Games, Other ActivitiesKent HainesMarch 20, 2020Comment

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