Making maths fun for your child can change how they learn and build a lasting love for the subject. Maths doesn’t have to be a dreaded subject! Whether you’re supporting your child at school, home educating, or helping a child who’s struggling with maths, there are plenty of fun, engaging ways to make learning this subject a positive experience. When children enjoy maths, they develop confidence and a love for learning that will serve them well throughout their education and beyond.

Here’s how you can help your child embrace the world of maths—whether they’re excelling, need a little extra support, or simply need to see how fun it can be.

Why Making Maths Fun for Your Child Matters

Many children see maths as a challenge, which can sometimes lead to frustration and a lack of interest. Whether your child is at school, being home-schooled, or struggling with certain concepts, making maths enjoyable can change their perspective. When children are having fun while learning, they become more engaged, more curious, and more confident in their abilities.

Maths is a vital life skill, and finding ways to make it enjoyable helps children see its value. Fun activities make complex topics more accessible and help build positive associations with learning.

1. Use Games to Make Maths Fun for Your Child More Enjoyable

One of the best ways to make maths enjoyable is through games. Children love games, and the best part is, many games naturally incorporate maths skills.

• Board Games: Classic games like Monopoly, Yahtzee, or even Snakes and Ladders are great for practising counting, addition, and basic arithmetic.
• Card Games: Games like Snap or Go Fish help children recognise numbers and improve their counting skills in a fun, low-pressure way.
• Maths Apps: There are plenty of educational apps like Times Tables Rock Stars, Kahoot or Blooket that turn maths into an interactive game, making practice feel like play.

Games are perfect for helping children, whether they’re doing well or need extra support, develop their maths skills while having fun. Making maths fun for your child is not just about games but also about real-world applications.

2. Incorporate Maths into Everyday Activities

Maths doesn’t just happen in the classroom—it’s part of everyday life! Use real-life situations to show your child how maths applies to the world around them. This helps children see the relevance of maths and makes learning feel more natural.

• Cooking and Baking: Measuring ingredients is an easy way to practise fractions, addition, and even division. You can also talk about the importance of time when cooking, helping your child grasp time-related concepts.
• Shopping: Take your child grocery shopping and ask them to help you count money, calculate costs, or figure out change. This provides real-world context to their maths lessons.
• Outdoor Fun: Measure how far your child can jump, count the number of steps you take on a walk, or estimate the height of a tree. This brings maths into everyday exploration.

By connecting maths to their daily life, children will see how important and useful the subject is.

3. Hands-On Learning Tools

Make maths fun for your child with real-world applications and interactive tools you can use at home! With interactive tools, you can make maths fun for your child even at home. Visual tools and hands-on activities can make maths concepts more accessible, especially for children who are struggling with certain topics.

• Building Blocks: Use building toys like LEGO to help your child understand shapes, numbers, and even basic geometry.
• Flashcards: Flashcards are a simple but effective way to reinforce maths facts, whether you’re practising addition, subtraction, or multiplication.
• Interactive Whiteboards: For home-educating parents, using an interactive whiteboard can be a great way to bring lessons to life with dynamic visuals that encourage participation.

One excellent example is The LessonSpace—a platform I use in my own tutoring sessions. It allows tutors and students to collaborate in real-time, making learning more engaging with shared digital whiteboards, interactive activities, and easy communication.

These tools not only make maths more engaging but also give children a concrete way to understand abstract concepts.

4. Create a Maths Scavenger Hunt

A maths scavenger hunt is an exciting way to get your child moving while reinforcing their learning. Whether you’re in the garden, around the house, or even on a walk, a scavenger hunt turns maths into a fun, interactive game.

• Find five items that are round (like coins or plates).
• Measure how far you can jump or how tall you are compared to a doorframe.
• Count the number of red cars you see on your walk.

This activity helps children practice counting, shapes, measurements, and other maths concepts in an enjoyable and active way.

5. Celebrate Progress and Build Confidence

Whether your child is excelling or finding maths a bit tricky, celebrating every small success is key. Praise their efforts and acknowledge improvements, no matter how big or small. A positive mindset goes a long way in boosting their confidence. For more tips on encouraging a growth mindset, check out our post on Building Confidence in Maths.

Remember that mistakes are a part of learning—encourage your child to see challenges as opportunities for growth. This attitude will help them build resilience and a love for learning, even when faced with difficult problems.

Need Extra Support? Consider Maths Tutoring

If your child needs additional help or you’re looking for personalised ways to make maths more fun, maths tutoring can provide tailored lessons to suit their needs. A tutor can use games, interactive tools, and practical activities to make maths both fun and effective, whether your child is excelling, needs support, or is struggling with specific concepts.

Visit our maths tutoring page to find out more about how tutoring can help your child develop a love for maths.

Final Thoughts

Making maths fun is about turning learning into an enjoyable experience. By incorporating games, hands-on activities, real-life learning, and positive reinforcement, you can help your child build a stronger relationship with maths—whether they’re in school, home-educated, or struggling with certain concepts.

Remember, maths is a skill that can be mastered with patience, practice, and, of course, fun!