This book is a follow-up to my 1998 volume Math Games and Activities from Around the World, also published by Chicago Review Press. You may ask: Why encourage children to play games when there is so much math to be learned? That is exactly why! In the course of engaging in these fun activities, children utilize many important skills. They calculate, measure, and solve problems. They hone their abilities in geometry and in the recognition of patterns. Most of all, they learn to think critically.
Children who are uninterested in or bored by traditional math lessons are willing to persevere to find solutions to problems posed in a challenging game format. The activities are open-ended; kids can engage with them as far as their interests and abilities carry them. Several different versions of some games and activities are presented so that children can gain wide experience with the relevant concepts. Furthermore, children learn about some aspects of mathematics that are not included in the school curriculum, such as networks (graph theory) and fractals.
These games and activities are appropriate for children aged nine and up, although some will appeal to younger children and others may challenge adults. Many of the projects are suited to collaboration between adults and children, or for cooperative groups of students. Each game and activity concludes with suggestions for further thought and research.
Activities may be chosen to fit into the math curriculum or to relate to topics in language arts, social studies, science, or fine arts. Refer to the chart (page 158) for the mathematical and nonmathematical content of each activity. Readers may find answers to some problems on pages 153 to 154. Reproducible pages of square and triangular (isometric) graph paper appear on pages 150 and 151.
According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics document, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, published in 2000: “Mathematics is one of the greatest cultural and intellectual achievements of humankind, and citizens should develop an appreciation and understanding of that great achievement, including its aesthetic and recreational aspects” (page 4).
Through these games and activities, children learn to appreciate the history and culture of many societies. This book integrates math, history, art, literature, and world cultures to make math exciting for all children.
This book presents more games and activities from around the world, a follow-up to my Math Games and Activities from Around the World. Here you will find more versions of three-in-a-row games and Mankala, old games going back hundreds and thousands of years to Africa, as well as less familiar games from many lands. Children in Mongolia, in the Far East of Asia, play games similar to Tic-Tac-Toe on several kinds of boards. Kids in other parts of Asia pretend that tigers eat lambs in their board games.
Other activities deal with your own environment and beliefs. How can you save water and precious materials? Do you think that some numbers are more lucky than others? You will find out why magic squares are magic. You will learn to make beautiful designs and copy some of the lovely patterns in quilts and other objects, and perhaps read books about these designs.
All these games and activities use math. Some of the math is different from math you learn in school, ideas like fractals in Native American baskets and networks from West Africa and India. Read the hints and suggestions, and don’t give up. Perhaps you will want to discuss the problems with your friends or a grown-up. A few of the activities have answers in the back of the book. Most are self-checking. You can decide whether your answer makes sense. If it doesn’t, you will have the satisfaction of finding the reason, even if it takes a while.
Most of the board games are for two players or teams. You can also work out strategy by playing the games by yourself. Pretend that you are two people and play both sides of the board. Of course, everyone likes to win. But if one player is always the winner, the other player is always the loser and may give up. Help your opponent to learn better strategies, and the game will become more interesting for you. Winning isn’t everything!
I hope you and your friends have fun with this book!