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We utilise a whole range of exciting resources designed to stimulate the children and give them a fun and memorable experience while learning through various maths activities. They are also superb games when played at home with the family.
The resources we use on a regular basis are described below and consist of an excellent range of number-related games.
The games are extremely popular and have literally been used thousands of times with children all over the UK, so they really do work! The prices quoted below do not include postage/delivery and packaging.
As probably the very best numeracy board game available in the world today, it can best be described as a mathematical version of Scrabble. The concept behind this excellent Malaysian game is very similar to the world-famous word game, but utilises numbers instead of letters. It has been used regularly since our programme began six years ago and also utilised in pre-SATs events and competitions!
Constant playing not only helps children improve their mathematical skills but also builds confidence in mastering basic numeracy. It can also result in players working up to 1500 mental calculations per game, without even realising they have done so.
Children will also develop strategic thinking skills at a very young age. Players automatically learn to evaluate every move/calculation to improve their scores or to prevent their opponents from making high scores. Most importantly, it gives the players hours of fun. It is suitable for anyone, as long as they can add, subtract, multiply and divide (the game can easily be adapted for younger, or less able, pupils by just using addition). We guarantee you'll be impressed with it’s simplicity and effectiveness.
For older and more experienced players, MathMagic Version 2 is also available at £22. This includes squares, cubes, square roots and cube roots as well as a few ‘joker’ tiles which gives the player a few added options.
This American game, for 2 to 4 players, is a great exercise of basic numeracy and strategy skills. Players roll both the dice, then add, subtract or multiply (and even divide) the numbers. This enables the player to decide on which one of the 21 numbered squares to place their counter.
The real fun starts when you strategically knock or ‘flip’ one of your opponents’ counters out of the game! This happens if a player wishes to occupy a square that is already occupied by another player! As the aim of the game is to get all four of your counters all in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally), rolling a ‘double’, and giving a player the option of landing on one of the corner squares, can also help. Like many great games, it can also be adapted for younger pupils by just adding and subtracting, with the aim of getting three counters in a row. Whichever way you play, and to improve chances of winning, the player also has to consider the probability of obtaining each number on the board. There is a lot more to this game than initially meets the eye.
This superb game starts with the players randomly covering all the numbers on the board with the coloured counters. The first player spins a number from 2 to 9 and chooses a counter to look under. If the number under the counter is exactly divisible by the number spun, the player keeps the counter and spins again.
If the number is not a multiple of the number spun, the player returns the counter and the next player takes a turn. The player who collects the most counters is the winner. The game can also be played in the opposite way with no numbers covered at the beginning of the game. After spinning, the player chooses any multiple of the number spun on which to place the counter. The other player then takes their turn, the overall aim being the first to have a continuous line of their own coloured counters from left to right, or top to bottom!
Whichever way you decide to play the game, it is great for testing multiplication and division skills from 1 to 100 and is very addictive!
This multi-level maths game from the UK balances the learning of times tables with having fun! The object of the game is simple; be the first to get three (or four) counters in a row on the game board. You have to answer a numeracy question correctly to be able to place a counter on the board, and more precisely, on the answer.
Each question card has three levels of difficulty, ranging from questions on the 2, 5 and 10 times table to more challenging questions on factors, multiples, square numbers, square roots, prime numbers, odds and evens, etc. This enables players of differing ages and abilities to play together and have an equal chance of winning!
A sister-game called Addendum, with cards focusing on addition, subtraction and fraction work, is available at £10.
We have recently started to use this new addition to our portfolio in our sessions and it is already a big hit with both teachers and children. Teachers will be wanting it for their numeracy lessons and mental maths warm-up sessions as the concept is similar to the number machines that are frequently seen in tests.
Within the game is a bag which contains numbers, covering the four operations. The game is best played as a form of bingo, where each player (or pair) has an equal number of cards to fill. The winning player is the first one to fill their cards with the relevant function. The function must satisfy all three examples on each card. For example, to move from 4 to 12, you could say you need the +8 disc, but it could also be the x3 disc. The other two examples on the card will determine which of the two discs is correct!
The game also covers two levels of ability, probably better categorised as lower Junior (using the red numbers) and upper Junior (blue numbers). This is a great way of improving knowledge of a difficult topic in a fun way.
The final number-based game in this section consists of 56 triangular tiles with three numbers on each tile ranging from 0 to 5. The game is played similar to normal dominoes, where it is the first player to get rid of all their tiles. The advantage of this game, like many others we stock, is that you can amend the rules for older children.
The proper rules state that the player adds the three numbers on the tile placed down to achieve a score. Another way is to multiply the matching numbers and add the third number. Also, if a player cannot move, you could impose a negative score on the player concerned. Teachers have employed these and many other amendments when playing the game, as it is very simple and very versatile. Whichever way you decide to play the game, the educational value for the children is definitely there.
+ Spectrangle: £20
You can learn to play this game in a minute or so, and can continue to play it for the rest of your life! Position your pieces, called trangs, so that the colours on the side correspond with the neighbouring trangs. It is a thoroughly enjoyable game of skill, with some luck too. Each of the double-sided triangular playing pieces contain a number from 1 to 6, together with a combination of red, yellow, green, blue and magenta to give 35 unique trangs, plus an all-white joker trang that can be placed next to any other trang on the special triangular playing board.
Some of the spaces on the board contain a bonus number which is multiplied by the trang value should a trang be placed there. If a trang is placed so it touches more than one side simultaneously, the trang value is multiplied by the number of sides touched to achieve the score (and also multiplied by the bonus number if placed on the appropriate part of the board). The game ends when all trangs have been used up. A superb game for all ages/ablities. Playing in teams is also an option.
+ Nubble: £20
This is an educational family board game that encourages discussion and group input. You play Nubble by firstly rolling the four dice, then by adding, subtracting, multiplying and/or dividing the numbers until they form a whole number between 1 and 100. Each of these numbers is situated within coloured point-scoring zones, adding an incentive to use those precious numerical skills and to brush up on your mental maths!
A fascinating game for the keen mathematician.
There are also times-table sheets included for those who may need help with any calculations. They can easily be hidden if you want to improve the skills of those playing though! Nubble has won several awards under the previous name of Number Quest, but has been recently amended and improved. There are also many different ways of playing and ending the game, depending on age, ability and time constraints.
It is one of four games in our portfolio that is used in the Mind Sports Olympiad – the others being Triolet, Abalone and Continuo.
+ Triolet: £24
This is a brilliant board game from France. Anyone who can count can play – the goal is to make 3 tiles in a row add up to 15! For all its apparent simplicity, the game calls for complex tactics and good strategy skills. It’s a little like Scrabble with numbers. As you draw tiles from a bag, players take it in turns placing them on the board. Place 1, 2 or 3 tiles - horizontal or vertical - making sure you touch one or more of the existing tiles on the board.
You score points for each of the groups of 2 or 3 tiles you create, including bonuses for making a row of 3 and landing on any premium square. For inexperienced players who may be new to the game, it may be advisable to place just one tile per go.
It’s a great family game, but can also be an ideal addition to a school’s maths or games club. The game’s official website claims that it can stimulate the brain while improving the mental maths skills of those involved without them even realising it! Every game is different and dictionaries aren’t required!
For further details of these resources, as well as other games and puzzles we stock, please ring or e-mail us. Also, remember to get in touch if you want us to e-mail our current Order Form to your computer.
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