Card Games for Children

What we learn with pleasure, we never forget.

Alfred Mercier

One of our core beliefs as math teachers is that games teach mathematical thinking. A game is a dynamic problem. After each move, the player must adjust his thinking to achieve his goal. At times they can improve arithmetical ability too. Alot of games require counting. I personally learned to add quickly by playing Cribbage with my parents.

Games are an easy and fun way to improve your child's mathematical ability in addition to being just plain fun. Children will not realize that they are practising math and frankly won't care as long as they are having fun. If you are a parent, this is an easy way to spend some quality time with your child without spending much money.

This is the first in a series of blog entries here on simple games for both parents and math teachers. We are including games that require few materials, the kinds that can be found at home or are available cheaply at locations such as dollar stores.

Today I am going to concentrate on card games.

1. We live in Ontario so here is a plug for a local organization. The Ontario Association of Mathematics Educators designed a document for teachers called "Using Playing Cards in the Classroom" and is in convenient PDF form to save on your computer or to print out.

2. Here is a link to many useful card games for practising basic number facts from the schools in Granby, Connecticut.

3. Here is a link from a site called Crewton Ramone's House of Cards.  It has some useful videos and some good quotes about play.

4. Here is a fantastic collection of card games to teach different math skills from a group called The Positive Engagement Project.  The book is called Acing Math One Deck at a Time.