Maths doesn’t have to be scary – with a little planning and creativity, it can be lots of fun!
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: October 17, 2023
Maths doesn’t have to be scary – with a little planning and creativity, it can be lots of fun!
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: October 17, 2023
Maths doesn’t have to be scary – with a little planning and creativity, it can be lots of fun!
Author
Taylor Hartley
Expert Reviewer
Jill Padfield
Published: October 17, 2023
Key takeaways
The collective groans of a class as a teacher unveils a new maths topic is known all too well across fiction and reality. However, with a little ingenuity and open-mindedness, you can swap out dread for enthusiasm and make learning maths fun! In this guide, we’ll explore six tips and tricks to help you get started. Let’s go!
Not everyone takes to maths immediately. Some people think better with words or images than with numbers, and these different ways of thinking can hinder new students. Maths also deals with a special sort of abstract thought that can be an obstacle since kids develop at different speeds.
The idea that a number can represent physical quantities, and then expanding that out to larger and larger numbers, can take some getting used to. Toss in adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, and these abstract concepts become unavoidable (and headache inducing!).
Between 60-90% of learners experience dyscalculia, which can lead to further obstacles when it comes to learning about maths.
For these reasons and more, it’s okay to not like maths at first. But if you want to make maths fun, you should see if you can discover the reason for the frustration or boredom that may be standing in the way.
When you find ways to make maths fun, your child or pupils will be more able to easily overcome obstacles that make progressing to challenging topics seem impossible. Making mathematics fun can also help inspire a greater love for learning and encourage curiosity about maths and other topics, too.
As kids start to associate fun with solving problems and learning new areas, future maths lessons and problems will feel less like a chore and more of an opportunity to have some fun and grow as a person!
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Making maths fun is easier said than done, but, fortunately, there are plenty of options to bring joy and excitement to maths!
Incorporating interactive maths games and real-world problems can spark curiosity, turning abstract concepts into tangible challenges.
By blending creativity with foundational skills, both educators and parents can transform the subject into a fun, exciting adventure.
Many games require basic maths skills, so if you’re working with basic arithmetic, pull out some of those game night staples and start learning!
Remember, you’re not on your own with the formidable task of making maths fun! There are numerous digital resources available to help make practicing key skills exciting and highly interactive.
One of the best ways to make maths engaging is to see the real-world application of those skills firsthand. Take the maths you’re learning and use it to make life a little easier!
Along with activities that make maths fun, a fresh mindset is also invaluable. If you can go from thinking about mathematics as a chore to something worthwhile and meaningful for you personally, you’ll find the subject fun and rewarding in no time!
Learning is a life-long journey, and there will always be new challenges to overcome. That means that you’ll always end up making mistakes or getting confused… But instead of getting frustrated at new topics, reflect on how much you’ve learned.
Remember, you were likely once confused by the topics you now consider second nature, and you’ll master these new topics as well!
Schools have good reason for teaching so much maths; if you look around, you’ll quickly see how much maths goes into things you interact with on a daily basis.
It plays into measuring ingredients for a recipe, budgeting out your pocket money and figuring out how many minutes you have left before bedtime. Take every chance you get to apply maths to your daily routine, and you’ll soon find how easy the subject comes!
You should also look to the future. Maths is a major component of many careers, from engineering to personal training. Knowing that the maths you’re learning today will help you accomplish your career goals will make those lessons more meaningful and enjoyable. Check out our real world maths guide for even more relatable mathematics!
Take time to celebrate your hard work and effort. This can be something as simple as chomping down on those M&Ms you were using to learn addition or taking a break after getting a few questions correct!
Learn to associate your maths journey with the pleasant feelings you get from these celebrations and rewards.
It’s really important to associate maths with positive feelings, as this connection will improve retention, inspire curiosity and make future maths lessons much more enjoyable!
Use a combination of incentives, games and real-life applications to make maths more fun to learn. Reward your child’s (or your own!) hard work, check out games like DoodleMaths and point out how maths can be used in daily activities.
Maths puzzles like Sudoku are a great way to practice addition. You can also apply math questions to other games, such as Jeopardy or a Monopoly. You can also try DoodleMaths, the award-winning maths app, for free!
Make an effort to notice and call out moments where you use maths in daily activities. You can also look at future jobs and research how mathematics factors into those careers.
Parents, sign up for a DoodleMaths subscription and see your child become a maths wizard!
Lesson credits
Taylor Hartley
Taylor Hartley is an author and an English teacher. When she's not writing, you can find her on the rowing machine or lost in a good novel.
Jill Padfield
Jill Padfield has 7 years of experience teaching mathematics. She is currently working as a Business Analyst, working to improve services for Veterans while earning a masters degree in business administration.
Taylor Hartley
Taylor Hartley is an author and an English teacher. When she's not writing, you can find her on the rowing machine or lost in a good novel.
Jill Padfield
Jill Padfield has 7 years of experience teaching mathematics. She is currently working as a Business Analyst, working to improve services for Veterans while earning a masters degree in business administration.
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