One of the best ways to teach children foundational skills is by playing board games. Board games allow children to develop all kinds of skills—academic, social, interpersonal and more. They can encourage a child’s math, literacy and money skills too.
The best thing is that children of all ages can play board games. Not to mention, board games are a great way for children to bond with family and peers!
Why You Should Play Board Games with Your Child
Foundational learning skills are necessary at any age, but especially in early childhood. They set children up for success later on. A solid foundation especially helps children master challenging skills like math and money. Playing board games is an effective way to sneak in some of those learning building blocks while the family is having fun. After all, academic learning isn’t just limited to the work done within the walls of a classroom!
Board games can expand on skills like:
- Counting and number sense
- Identifying numbers
- Adding and subtracting (numbers and money)
- Greater than, less than, equal to
- Interpersonal skills (taking turns, following rules, fairness, etc.)
- Critical thinking skills
Board games allow children to learn in a flexible, comfortable environment. Most of the time, they don’t even realize they’re learning valuable life skills. Games with family and friends create an environment that is low-stress, informal and even portable.
What to look for in a board game for kids:
- Easy-to-use pieces, setup and parts. It’s OK if kids get frustrated sometimes, but you want a balanced frustration level. You want games to challenge kids but not be so hard that they get frustrated and give up. This also creates a level of independence as they grow.
- Opportunities for extension. As a parent, you want games that can extend your child’s learning. If the games don’t provide specific extensions, you should always feel free to add additional questions or discussion topics.
- Appropriate age level. If your family has multiple children with a large age range, finding the right game that fits everyone’s abilities can be difficult. You want a game that isn’t too easy for the oldest child, but not too hard for the youngest. This may take some time to figure out!
- Can be played repeatedly. A good game begs to be played again and again. Children want engaging and interactive games that challenge them. And so do parents!
Benefits of Board Games That Encourage Math and Money Skills
Toddler Years
As a toddler, a child begins to recognize numbers, letters and colors. These are valuable skills in both academic and daily life. Incorporating these skills into games is an informal and fun way to strengthen them.
Preschool Years
As children get to the preschool years, be more intentional in teaching them number sense—but that doesn’t mean it has to be rigid or boring. Board games allow children to improve their number recognition even more. They also teach counting, money and basic math operations, and expand number comprehension.
Early Elementary/Elementary Years
In elementary school, children learn math and money skills in the classroom. To grow those skills, parents can and should strengthen them at home. Children become more confident learners by playing board games because board games tangibly reinforce difficult skills. Some of these skills are addition/subtraction, money identification and spatial recognition. Practicing skills in a fun and engaging way extends a child's learning and creates confidence.
Eight Games That Teach Kids Math and Money Skills
Monopoly/Super Mario Monopoly
Recommended age: Typically 8+ (may vary with the many versions available)
What it teaches: Monopoly encourages basic money management skills to children. Children can even play the banker and distribute the money too. Monopoly also reinforces basic number sense, such as counting.
Recommended age: 3+
What it teaches: Sneaky Snacky Squirrel is great for younger children who cannot read. It teaches many foundational math skills, like one-to-one identification, summation, matching and counting.
Recommended age: 5+
What it teaches: Trouble helps kids slow down counting. It helps them to identify numbers, use a die and gain a sense of number sequences.
Recommended age: 7+
What it teaches: Money Bags ties in practical “chores” with earning money. It allows children to associate working hard with a reward. This game also encourages critical thinking skills. Children can even exchange smaller amounts of money for larger coins.
Recommended age: 5+
What it teaches: Sum Swamp reinforces math fluency. Children must add and subtract the numbers they roll to move spaces. This is a great board game that strengthens basic mathematical operations.
Recommended age: 3+
What it teaches: Monkey Balance promotes counting, number identification, simple addition and the fundamentals of weight. This game helps with quantity concepts and encourages very early critical thinking skills.
Recommended age: 6+
What it teaches: Math Island enforces counting, number identification and addition/subtraction skills.
Recommended ages: 3+
What it teaches: Hi Ho! Cherry-O offers very young children the chance to practice counting skills. This game teaches counting-to-10 skills.
Kailyn Rhinehart writes from Warrensburg, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two small children.