Today, I am excited to share some free homeschool math games for children ages 4+.
As a school psychologist, lifelong gamer, and unexpected homeschool mom to three children, I have witnessed the power of play-based learning and gameschooling countless times over the years, across age ranges, and in various settings.
You don’t need to have a background in education to understand the value of play and interest-led learning.
Play-based learning is interest-based learning. When a child or teen is interested in a certain topic, they naturally retain more information about the subject. It just makes sense!
Free Homeschool Math Games Your Family Will Love
**Disclosure: I was compensated for my time to write this review. I was not required to write a positive review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share resources that I would use with my own family and those that I believe other homeschool families will enjoy. Our family has been using Beast Academy and/or Art of Problem Solving consistently since 2014.
Why Play Is So Valuable In Learning
Play is incredibly valuable when it comes to learning. And there’s this little poem that I love to share whenever the topic comes up.
It goes like this:
I tried to teach my child with books.
He gave me only puzzled looks.
I tried to teach my child with words.
They passed him by often unheard.
Despairingly, I turned aside.
“How shall I teach this child?” I cried.
Into my hand, he put the key
“Come,” he said, “play with me.”
– Unknown
I’m often asked how to homeschool little ones and I always emphasize the importance of play. Play is the language of childhood. It is through play that children learn how to navigate their world.
We live in a go-go-go society. We’re pressured to “start early” and we worry about the future when we want to enjoy the moment.
Here’s something I know for sure: almost any game you play, especially in the early years, incorporates math skills. And you don’t need an overflowing game closet to get started. You can start with materials you have at home or even just a simple deck of cards.
And Beast Academy Playground makes math play in the early years even easier!
Homeschool Math Games Your Family Will Love
For those unfamiliar, Beast Academy is an advanced comic-based math program for students ages 8-13. Our family has been using Beast Academy since 2014. All three of my kiddos started with Beast Academy workbooks before moving on to Beast Academy Online. My oldest eventually aged out and moved on to Art of Problem Solving courses. (Beast Academy is part of Art of Problem Solving.)
Beast Academy now offers Beast Academy Playground, a resource filled with oodles of tabletop math games and activities for the entire family. Beast Academy Playground was created by the global leaders in K-12 advanced math education.
This resource didn’t exist when my kids were teeny-tinies, but I have zero doubt in my mind that my “budding beasts” would have devoured it.
Luckily, my kids haven’t outgrown the fun of Beast Academy Playground. They are 13, almost 12, and 10-years-old and they have been having an absolute blast exploring these free resources!
When you visit Beast Academy Playground, you can search for free games and activities. The site includes a search function that allows you to filter your search by age and type of activity.
As you can see below, there are oodles of activities available. The site is easy to explore, with a growing collection of activities, crafts, and more. New content is added weekly.
Build Confidence And Problem Solving Skills In Your Homeschool
Math is one of my favorite subjects to gameschool! Playing games offers your children a chance to practice and build skills in a no-pressure, non-judgmental way. If the game doesn’t go the way you wanted it to, you can start over and try again. There are no red pen marks, no critique, no homework. Children are free to try, to fail, to dust themselves off, and to try again. All the while, they are having fun because they are playing.
My 10-year-old with his Sierpinski fold-out.
Incorporating these free homeschool math games into your routine can help to grow your children’s math skills and confidence!
Beast Academy Playground offers tons of free tabletop math games and activities the whole family can enjoy. Check out this playlist featuring some of the free offerings from Beast Academy Playground. How much fun is this?!
Beast Academy Makes Homeschool Math Time, Play Time
Play and gameschooling are integral parts of our family’s homeschool routine.
With Beast Academy Playground, you can pour yourself a cup of coffee and sit back and smile, watching your child lost in play. Best part? These free homeschool math games and activities will help set your child up for future math success!
Subscribe to Beast Academy Playground for free and have fun today!
