10 best number board games for math literacy

Last Updated on October 2, 2024 by Editorial Team

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Kids absorb a lot from their environments. Their inherent tool for learning is imitation. And after imitation, comes the games. Their curious minds want to learn by touch, seeing, and acting. That is why books boggle them and they demonstrate anxieties pertaining to learning numbers through books. Sometimes, anxieties are not farced acts, but the result of learning difficulties^[1].

Whenever I see kids playing, the smiles and satisfaction on their faces tell a lot about the interest they have in games. So, why not make these the learning tools and get an option to deal with math anxiety too? If you are still not convinced, here is what researchers say about board games and their role in easing the learning process:

• Board games promote collaborative learning – Hunsucker, Andrew. (2016)^[2].
• Board games for learning numbers enhance inquiry skills – Campbell University, NC
• Board games offer tools that are both educational and interactive. These also offer a good pretext for learning problem-solving strategies and provide an interpersonal understanding^[3]

Using the right board games and a sensible approach can make a difference in the learning curve of a number-learning beginner. Take a look at these board games for learning numbers that have become a favorite of both the kids and their mentors.

10 board games for early number literacy

1. Zingo

Could there be anything more interesting than a resource that teaches everything about numbers? Zingo offers that wholesome solution for making children number literate. The children can learn to identify numbers, be comfortable with operations like addition, subtraction, and others, and also grasp counting skills.

Has your kid ever struggled with number sense? Or do you think that number sense is a big feat to conquer for your kid? If there are any such difficulties you have realized, you can take the help of the Zingo game. This award-winning game can make learning numbers a cakewalk for your child.

Fascinating elements of this game like a numbered drawer, a chart, and flashcards for matching make it very easy to draw the kids toward learning. You can even make the whole game more challenging by bringing in a timer so as to allow them to recall the learning number concept quickly. So, this game does not stop at providing a good introduction but enables deeper engagement.

2. Cozybomb Wooden Number Puzzles

Many kids suffer from number learning difficulties, even beginners need practice to internalize the number learning that comprises shape identification, sound of numbers, order of numbers, and so on. Cozybomb Wooden Number Puzzles is one such number-learning game that offers a perfect resource to practice and master the basics of number identification and sorting.

So, when you find that your kid finds it exceptionally testing to identify, voice out, or write the numbers, don’t feel perplexed about how to tackle this. Instead, make learning more fun through the gamification of ideas. This ease of gamification is available in this wooden puzzle game. Interestingly, the game allows your kid to count and also lets him learn tangibly how the value changes when the number is increased or decreased.

With Cozybomb Wooden Number Puzzles, users can learn about ascending and descending order, basic operations like adding and subtracting, and so on. Thus, you will find that the overall number sense is exceptionally improved after using this game on a regular basis.

3. Coogam Numbers and Letters Flash Cards

Coogam Number and Alphabets FlashCards can be the right teaching tool when you want practical learning to take the lead. If you have a student in your class with a different learning curve, their preschool time can be made more fun with the help of these number and letter flashcards. These cards carry the number and tell about the corresponding value. So, you can arrange them in multiple ways and teach several aspects of learning numbers to the child.

Some of the interesting activities you can do with these flashcards are:

1. Make a number series by asking the child to fill the slots left blank with the correct number
2. Ask the kid to arrange the numbers in ascending and descending order
3. Ask the kid to count the items given in the flashcards and associate them with the number given.

Thus, this board game can be the joy-filled go-to that you can use to make the learning time more enjoyable by encouraging kids to participate, strategize, apply the number-building concepts, and see the results. Since the kids will be doing a lot many things on their own, they will get the satisfaction of learning the numbers all by themselves!

4. CozyBomB Homeschool Kindergarten Balance Board Game

Visualizing is the essence of mastering numbers and this game offers an exceptional way to do so. Why struggle with cardinal numbers when you can see them in a more relatable form? This ease of knowing numbers with concrete objects and flashcards is what the balance board game offers. You pick the numbers and the corresponding number of frogs and the balance will give you a visual presentation of the mathematical symbols denoting some value.

For example, place ‘3’ or ‘4’ on one side and show what it means by placing the corresponding number of frogs on the other. The satisfaction of doing the math operation all on their own is going to give children a big boost in their confidence. They can learn to count, know relations, add, subtract, and find endless ways to apply the concepts by solving the challenge cards.

So, ditch the numbers and let the students grasp the message denoted by these cute little frogs in order to effectively build math skills.

5. Joqutoys Uppercase Letter and Number Learning Board Game

Imagine if numbers and operations could pop out from books and turn into tangible objects! This board game for learning numbers turns that fantasy of yours into reality. Colorful numbers allow easy number recognition concept building.

You can drive the early learners’ interest in grasping math calculations like addition and subtraction. Children with difficulties pertaining to number writing difficulties can get a fair introduction to the operations using this board game. Using this board game, you can:

• Do number talks to talk about problem-solving strategies,
• Tell them about early math calculations or operations or
• Conduct a number sequencing activities;

This board game offers you a delightful learning tool and makes your children’s arithmetic study hour way less challenging.

6. Numbers Bingo Game

Bingo is an award-winning and one of the most loved board games having its fan base comprising both teachers and parents. The educators swear by this game because of the sheer simplicity with which it offers learning to the students. This game comes with a number of cards or flashcards that offer a tasteful way of befriending the kids with the numbers.

You can give them challenges to locate numbers, show numbers in the form of the corresponding number of coins, and make the whole learning process super fun. What’s more, this board game for learning numbers gives kids a readymade resource for learning number name spellings. Bingo is a wholesome alternative to books for kindergartners and preschoolers. It can bring a number of skilled beginners to a better level of proficiency by enabling expertise in:

• Spelling learning
• Number and value identification
• Number sequencing
• Early math skills

If you are looking for alternatives that drive better and more sustained learning, you can take the help of Bingo to be your teaching partner.

7. Kitki Mind Your Numbers Math Game

Mind Your Numbers is a board game where families can come together and win lots of points with their math skills. Two people play this game at one time and try to get the higher value result by using two numbers and a mathematical sign. Learn to strategize, and win more by doing calculations fast, and master the early math skills.

There is no denying the fact that number learning can be stressful especially when the kids have learning difficulties such as dyscalculia. Board games like Mind Your Numbers take away the stress from the learning process, and make it super fun for home-schooled children. This game offers support for building:

• Logical reasoning
• Math computation skills
• Number identification and
• Learning the meaning and function of operation

Assist children in speeding up their computation skills by pitting them against the opponent in a time-pressed manner. In this process, the kids will not even realize that they are studying a match concept and will be more inclined to practice it more often.

8. Junior Learning What’s My Number Board Game

What is My Number Board Game for Number Learning is an engaging game that helps children grasp a variety of basic number skills. Numbers could be befriended through gamification – whoever thought about this approach? This board game takes into account the number of learning requirements of children and offers them a playful way of learning early math skills, such as:

• Counting
• Ordering and sequencing
• Understanding patterns
• Solving word problems using cues

This board game comes with puzzle flashcards where a hint about the number is given to the player. The player flips open the number cards on the board using the cues given to find the number. Using these cues, the player can learn to solve math problems like ‘what comes after or before’, missing number of the series, and so on. This game can be played at the beginner stage using problems relevant to this state and then keep on increasing the challenge by doing various activities or by following the instructions on the flashcard.

9. Junior Learning Ten Frame Towers Board Games

Does your student or kid find it difficult to read and perform operations on the numbers? Surprisingly, they are not alone. About 3-7% of the population suffer from math learning difficulties^[4]. Board games have been found to be very effective in making learning easier for such people. Ten frame board game has all that it takes to make learning about numbers simple and easy to absorb.

Your students are most likely to feel more fluent with numbers when they learn early math skills using these frames. They will be able to count, move frames, and create number bonds to arrive at the sum of numbers. Thus, your students will get to know how operations work and what they result in when they start practicing using this game. The best benefits include internalizing number values, math operations, and better motor skills, hand-eye coordination comes as icing on the cake.

10. Hasbro Hi-Ho! Cherry-O Board Game

One of the most favorite activities of little kids is picking their own fruit. Be it the apple picking season or the most loved strawberry picking season, kids always have a lot of fun. Bringing the joy of plucking fruits from trees into a game is the Hi Ho! Cherry-O board game. Ideal for kids 3 years of age and older, this board game is a fun way to practice early math skills. 

A spinner is provided in the box, which players must spin one by one and pluck as many pretend fruits from trees as reflected by the spinner. Fruits are then collected in a basket, and the player who gets their basket full before everyone else wins the game. The beauty of this game is that while filling up their buckets with pretend apples, cherries, and blueberries, kids unknowingly polish their early math skills, which include counting numbers and basic addition and subtraction operations. 

So, if you want kids to have some serious fun while working on their mathematical capabilities, you ought to try this game. Whether at school or at home, kids will love playing this game and will likely stay glued to it for a long time. Who doesn’t like to have a bucket full of favorite fruits after all?

Summing up,

We all complain that kids get distracted while studying. So, why not provide them with something that catches their attention and immerses them in the learning process as well? Since kids need something engaging to focus on the learning part, therefore, board games can provide that support to make the process super exciting.

With virtues like support for concept building, retaining and recalling the concepts learned, and giving practice on the application part too, the board games offer a tangible tool to beginners of number learning.

References

1. Grills-Taquechel, A. E., Fletcher, J. M., Vaughn, S. R., & Stuebing, K. K. (2012). Anxiety and Reading Difficulties in Early Elementary School: Evidence for Unidirectional- or Bi-Directional Relations? Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 43(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-011-0246-1
2. Hunsucker, Andrew. (2016). Board Games as a Platform For Collaborative Learning.
3. Chou, M. (2017). Board games play Matters: a rethinking on children’s aesthetic experience and interpersonal understanding. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Board-Games-Play-Matters%3A-A-Rethinking-on-Aesthetic-Chou/50eb27022328770251e3ae4abcda50d14f0f3329?p2df
4. Haberstroh, S., & Schulte-Körne, G. (2019). The Diagnosis and Treatment of Dyscalculia. Deutsches ÄRzteblatt International, 116(7), 107-114. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2019.0107

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,