Fun Games to Improve Your Child’s Mental Math Skills

ElevatEd
Math
July 17, 2024

Imagine your child quickly giving answers to large calculation problems without even writing a single number on paper. Sounds great, right? Are you looking for different ways to keep your child engaged in math? Do you want your child to excel in mental math? Don’t worry, we've got you covered.

Math is not just a skill; it is an everyday necessity. Math is a fundamental aspect of daily life. Learning math from books can be boring, especially for children. In this article, we have curated a list of games that can help your child stay engaged in math and improve mental math.

What Is a Mental Math Game?

To understand what a mental math game is, we have to understand the meaning of mental math. Mental math refers to the process of calculating in one’s mind rather than on pen and paper or a calculator. Developing mental math skills is crucial for building fluency in math, which will be a fundamental block for your child’s future math journey at a higher level. Games that are useful for learning mental math can be termed mental math games.

Some Amazing Mental Math Games for Your Child

What better way to improve mental math skills than by engaging in different fun math games? There are various games for improving mental math abilities. Let's take a look at some of them.

Reading Minds with Cards: This is a very fun and engaging game suitable for two players. There will be a dealer who will handle the game, and each player will receive one card with a random number on it. Players are not allowed to look at their cards but can look at the opponent’s card number. The dealer will announce the multiplication of both numbers and whoever guesses their card number first becomes the winner. The same game can be played for addition and subtraction as well.

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Shopping War: Whenever you take your children shopping, involve them in improving mental math by asking them to keep track of the shopping bills and calculate the total amount. If they quickly add the total before the cashier does, they win. This will help them improve their interest in math by engaging in daily activities.
Multiplication War: This game is suitable for a group of children. You can make a pile of cards with random numbers written on them. Ask one player to shuffle the cards, and everyone picks two cards randomly. Ask them to multiply the two card numbers in their minds, and whoever has the largest multiplication solution is the winner.
Number Jeopardy: This is another fun game to improve your child’s mental math skills. Each child will receive a random number, and they will have to find different ways to arrive at that number. For example, if a child gets 9, they can get it by adding 6 and 3, 4 and 5. They can also get 9 by multiplying 3 and 3. The winner is the one with the maximum ideas in the shortest time interval.

Now that you have some amazing mental math game ideas, can you name some other fun mental math games? Don’t forget to visit the 98thPercentile website to learn more about fun learning ways.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1. How do you learn mental math?

A: To learn mental math, you can develop the habit of connecting daily activities with math and also try to solve calculations without a calculator as much as possible.

Q.2: What is mental math?

A: Mental math is the process of solving math calculations in one’s mind.

Q3. How can I use mental math to my advantage in daily life?

A: You can use mental math to your advantage in daily life by quickly computing measurements, budgets, discounts, and tips. Additionally, it can enhance decision-making skills and save time in various circumstances.

Q4. Is mental math limited to simple arithmetic?

A: No, complex methods like mental division, mental multiplication of large numbers, and even mental computation of fractions and percentages can all be part of mental math.

Q5. How does mental math help in competitive exams?

A: Developing mental math skills can help you perform rapid calculations to meet time limits in competitive exams.

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