Free Math Play Resources
Is your concept of math class all about worksheets and reciting multiplication tables? I hope not! Math is all around us, and this section includes ideas for games, crafts, manipulative play, and other exciting applications of mathematical thinking.
Free Resources for Early Childhood Math Play
In preschool and kindergarten, math SHOULD be about play! So many essential mathematical topics are best taught to young children through games and hands-on activities. Skip the flash cards and bring out the blocks!
The Froebel curriculum is the greatest early childhood curriculum nobody's ever heard of. I'm totally serious. It's maybe a little disingenuous to put it on this list, because you need materials, and those materials don't come cheap (although you can find directions to make them, and you can find them on some direct-from-China sites). But if you read one book about early childhood education, it needs to be Norman Brosterman's Inventing Kindergarten.
The nice thing is that all of the guides to using the Froebel Gifts are very, very old, and thus in the public domain. Frances Post Norstrand's Royal Gifts is my favorite, but Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora Archibald Smiths' The Republic of Childhood also offers a solid introduction.
Free Resources for School Age Math Play
Math is everywhere, and just because kids grow older doesn't mean they don't need hands-on, t active, mathematical experiences. Below are some resources that help make math fun.
Math Circles are designed to make math social. Activities are designed to be done cooperatively, and to integrate a variety of math and logic skills. They can still be a lot of fun for kids working solo or with a parent, although a solo kid might need more support.