Addition Activities for Kids

How Do I Make Addition Practice Fun for My Child?

You can help your child bridge the gap between schoolwork and the real world by doing fun activities at home that incorporate math concepts like addition. For example, you might play games that require your child to add or find ways to sneak some math practice into family outings. You also might consider using addition to teach your son or daughter a practical skill, such as how to handle money. Keep reading for more specific ideas.

Fun Addition Activities for Kids by Area of Focus

Fun and Games

When practicing addition outside of school, your child may be more interested if your incorporate it into activities or interests that he or she enjoys. For instance, if your family is visiting the zoo, and your son is a particular fan of snakes, you might have him calculate the total number of reptiles in an exhibit. Using a fun context like this may help your child see math in a positive light.

You also could turn a beloved game into a math review. For example, you can transform bingo into addition practice by calling out problems instead of single numbers. So, rather than calling 'B-4', you might use 'B-3 + 1'. Your child has to solve the math problem to claim the space on his or her bingo card.

Alternatively, you could have your child create his or her own board game, and play it during family game night. A simple game could involve a cardboard game board and note cards with addition problems on them. Instead of rolling a die, a player would pick a card and solve the problem. He or she would then move the same number of places as the answer.

Practical Skills

Your child's interest and skill in addition also might grow if you give him or her some responsibility. For example, you might put your son in charge of the grocery budget. Tell him how much you want to spend, and give him paper and a pencil to keep track of the cost of the items going into the cart.

Similarly, you could pay your daughter an allowance based on the minutes' worth of chores she completes. Have her keep track of the minutes and then add them up at the end of the week to compute her allowance.