• Board games can be used to teach children about math.wooden board game image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com
  
  Playing educational math board games is a great way to introduce and reinforce math skills, whether in counting whole numbers or working with fractions. They can be commercial games such as Monopoly or computer print-outs that can be laminated. These math games require the player/learner to use strategy and skills to win the game.
  
  

Commercial Games

• There are a several commercial board games that can be used to teach math. For example, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, a classic counting game, can provide a transition to addition and subtraction. Children learn to add cherries to their bucket and take away cherries that the bird eats. Monopoly involves counting places based on the outcome of the dice, decision making, probability, and adding and subtracting money. Players also learn the value of risk-taking versus staying safe. Sorry, Trouble and Parcheesi also involve counting, probability and risk-taking skills. Battleship can be educational as students learn about the horizontal and vertical axes, a desired skill in geometry.
  
  

Computer-Designed Board Games

• The Dr. Mike's Math Game for Kids website features a specially designed board, cards and playing pieces. It is usually played with one game board, number cards and operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) cards. The goal is to use given operations to reach numbers vertically or horizontally to the zero at one of the four corners of the game board. Dr. Mike's Math Games for Kids also features fraction dominoes. There are 49 dominoes in the set. One side of the domino has a fraction, such as one-half, and the other has a picture of a shaded circle. The winner uses all of his dominoes.
  
  

Adapted Games

• A set of nine problems or true-false questions can be set up on a Tic-Tac-Toe board for a review at the end of a math class. Students can work on a board with the problems in pairs, or as a whole class, regardless of math content. For example, nine addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problems can be placed on the board. One student or team will pick a problem and if it is solved correctly, the team gets the the "X" or "O." Bingo is another board game that can be used to help teach math. Learners can use the playing card to find the product of multiplication, such as 7x9=63, or the quotient of a division problem, such as 63/7=9. Teachers can also use free game board templates through educational websites such as Donna Young's Game Board Templates. Most templates come as two sheets, which can be printed on card stock and laminated. The criteria for moving from start to finish is determined by the game-maker and the math content.