10 Benefits of Using Math Games with Students

Math games are fun for kids to play, but did you know that they have many benefits for elementary students beyond just being fun? Here are 10 benefits your students will receive from playing math games in the classroom.

#1 Student Engagement

Let’s face it, math games are way more fun than a worksheet. Even if you use the same questions and put them on game cards instead of a worksheet, students will be way more interested in solving the math problems when they are in a game format. When kids are having fun, their engagement in learning drastically increases. When students are engaged in learning, they learn more, and what they learn sticks with them longer. Kids love games and math games can be a great motivator for even the most reluctant student.

#2 Math Games Provide Low Risk Competition

Math games provide a low-risk form of competition for students. The best math games combine skill and luck. The highest math student will not always win when there is an aspect of luck or chance involved in the game. This can be as simple as a “lose a turn” card or spaces on the game board that direct students to move ahead or back a given number of spaces. The math games I like to use with elementary students use game boards with spaces that direct students to move ahead or back and given number of spaces, and include question cards that vary in how many spaces students move ahead if they get the question correct.

Grab a FREE MATH GAME by CLICKING HERE to see how I combine skill and luck to make my math games fun and engaging for all students.

math game board and cards to practice multiplicative comparison

#3 Math Games Reduce the Fear of Making Mistakes

Another benefit of using math games with elementary students is that they help reduce students’ fears of making mistakes. Many students are hesitant to participate in whole-class activities because they fear making a mistake in front of their peers. Math games provide a small group or partner setting where making a mistake doesn’t feel like such a big risk, and the consequences of making a mistake are very low since it is just a game. When students build confidence in a small group or partner setting it is often transferred to the whole group setting over time.

#4 Build Math Talk and Communication Skills

Math games help promote math talk and communication amongst students. Students use math vocabulary and discuss solution strategies and justify their solutions as they play the game. Students who may be hesitant to speak up or ask questions in a whole class setting are much more likely to participate in math talk and communication when they are with a partner or in a small group.

math game board and cards to practice metric measurement conversions

#5 Build Social Emotional Skills

Social-emotional skills are practiced and strengthened while playing math games. Skills like taking turns, being patient, cooperating, following a shared set of rules, and winning and losing respectfully are all practiced with peers when playing math games.

#6 Reinforce and Strengthen Math Skills

Choosing a math game that focuses on a particular skill helps to reinforce and strengthen concepts students have been working on in class. Practicing skills is much more exciting in a game format than it is in a workbook or on a worksheet. Math games can be used as a practice opportunity that kids will want to participate in and even ask you for more of! Win!

math game board and cards to practice factors and multiples

#7 Student Independence

A huge benefit of math games is that once the rules and playing procedures are learned, they can be played independently of the teacher. When students are fully engaged in a game with their peers the teacher has the opportunity to observe students or pull small groups for instruction or extra practice. By using math games that have a similar format throughout the year you will be able to provide the rules and instructions the first time the game is played, instead of before every new game that is played, building student independence with each game. The math games I like to use all follow the same setup, rules, and format, but the question cards for each game focus on a different skill. Students can independently play the games without having to ask questions about how to play.

#8 Learning From and Teaching Peers

Math games allow students to learn from their peers. There is something special about students teaching and coaching each other and explaining their thinking to each other that provides huge learning benefits. Students can sometimes explain how to solve a problem in a way that is different than the student has heard before, and might be the explanation that makes the concept stick!

math game board and cards to practice long division with no remainders

#9 Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

Math games help build strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. Students learn to solve problems together, think strategically about what moves to make, and how to be successful in playing the game. Throughout a math game, students make a lot of strategic decisions as they problem solve and plan their next move.

#10 Math Games Build a Love of Math

Games help foster excitement about math and build a love of math in our students. Games are fun and engaging for students. The greatest learning happens when our students are having fun and are engaged in the learning process. Elementary students need to see that math is more than a series of problems in a workbook. Allowing them to get excited about math through games will help them to build a lifelong love of math.

math game board and cards to practice expanded form, standard form and word form of numbers

Do you use math games in your classroom? I encourage you to give math games a try and see how your students can benefit from playing math games in the classroom!

Read about how to fit math games into your classroom schedule HERE

Grab a FREE MATH GAME to try with your students by clicking the image below.