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Many parents don’t feel comfortable with mathematics, or they assume it takes special expertise to teach it. Remarks like “I never was any good at math” or “How could I teach math? I can’t even balance my checkbook!” are common. Whether or not you believe it, you most likely teach mathematics to your children at home on a daily basis! Have you ever: cut a sandwich into quarters, estimated how much it would cost to take the family to the movies, baked cupcakes, measured wood for cutting, noticed how high a building is, or even decided it’s time to shut the water off when the bathtub is full?

There are in fact many ways to do mathematics. People who devise their own strategies for finding answers to mathematical questions, far from being mathematically incompetent, are often excellent independent problem solvers. They are using mathematics creatively.

Keep in mind that an understanding of math and a sense that math is enjoyable will help children develop skills that they will need for success their entire lives.

Make your gift purchases count, consider purchasing toys that develop an interest in math.

Gift Ideas (Ages 4-8)
Blocks and building sets
Checkers
Model Kits
Geometric Tile Sets
Puzzles
Clocks and Watches

Board games that use counting (Candy Land, Hi Ho Cherry-O)
Basic Calculators

Gift Ideas (Ages 8+)
Motorized Contraction Sets
Legos
Gyroscopes
Maps and Globes
Board games that use strategy (Parcheesi, Battleship, Monopoly)
Card Games (Uno, Rummy, Hearts)
Origami Instructional Books and Paper
More Advanced Calculators