Do you know the words I dread more than anything?

"Can you help me with my math?"

These words used to make me nervous when my kids were younger. As they get older and the math skills they're taught are getting more advanced, they make me want to run away and hide.

One thing I've found out is that playing games with them to help them with their math skills really works. And not just any kind of math games...they have to be fun otherwise they just won't play them.

Different types of math games

Online math games can be great fun and there are many available free on the internet. Board games are also very useful, not least because they often make use of counters and pieces to manipulate, helping the concepts to sink in. You can of course buy boxed board games, but they can be quite expensive and can't usually be customized. I have found a large set of printable math games which are brilliant value for money - they can be printed out and used straight away. As part of the package there are also templates to enable you to cusomize and create your own games to target the specific areas where your child needs the most help.

You can make your own games to help your child with math. Choose a theme that you know your child will love - space, jungle, pets, pirates or a favorite TV show.

Find some pictures to illustrate your game (use the internet or children's comics). You can make a simple board game by taking a large sheet of card and and drawing squares on it. Choose from a grid style (like snakes and ladders), where players move across and up the rows from 1 to 100, or a racetrack style, with squares around the board so that players move round and round the track.

Number the squares and add arrows if necessary to show which way to go. Decorate your board game using the pictures you have found. You will need some counters and a dice. Now add a special symbol to some of the sqaures - a star or something fitting your theme. Make a set of question cards with math questions to suit your child's stage.

When a player lands on one of the marked squares, they have to take a card and answer the question. If they answer correctly they have another turn. If they answer incorrectly, they could move their counter back five spaces.

The kids in the video below are using a Promethean interactive whiteboard (very popular in schools). They have to tap groups of numbers which add up to 12 (I think)! For example, 6,4,2 or 3,1,8. It's a good way to practice speedy addition skills.

You can find some great free online maths games on the web. These games provide a fun way to practise facts such as multiplication or telling time over and over again without getting bored.

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