The 19 Best Math Board Games to Make Learning Fun At Home
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement. Thanks for visiting!
Math board games are excellent ways to boost learning at home.
If you'd to make math time a blast, games are fantastic activities to supercharge your learning fun.
My 5 boys and I just had to share this list of the 19 best math board games with you. Because math time really can be FUN!
Why Math Board Games Rock
Sometimes, you really have to get creative with helping your kids learn and practice math skills.
But, you might not always have the time or energy to find or put together activities that will be engaging and effective.
Luckily, there are some simple solutions to boost math time that are also great ways to connect and have fun with your kids.
MATH BOARD GAMES 🎉
Math board games can be perfect for fun and non-stressful ways to practice math without the added pressure of worksheets and tests.
These types of educational board games provide opportunities to practice:
- mental math skills
- problem-solving skills
- number recognition
- learning new math concepts
- critical thinking
- pattern recognition
- fine motor skills
- spatial reasoning
- a fun way to learn basic operations
- spend quality time with you!
Kids can be naturally competitive. And they often prefer to learn with fun strategies. That’s why I started using math board games as one of the main tactics in our homeschool. It's a great way to take a break in our school day or have something to look forward to once we cross the finish line 😉
You can find math board game ideas for almost all math areas. You can even enjoy math board games for high school!
Let’s take a look at the 19 best math games that your kids will love to play (and not even realize that they’re learning).
The 19 Best Math Board Games
Ready to add some super cool and fun math board games to your collection?
Here are 19 of the best math board games that my boys and I have enjoyed:
Sum Swamp is a fun board game for kids five and older who could use some practice adding and subtracting numbers.
The goal is to be the first to get to the opposite side of the swamp by rolling dice and adding or subtracting those numbers.
This game is competitive yet fun. Each turn, your child rolls the dice, figures out the total number of spaces to move, and sometimes gets stuck or has to go backward.
If you’ve never tried math board games before, Sum Swamp is the perfect beginner game.
Learning Resources - Sum Swamp - Additions And Subtraction Game
I Sea 10 is another board game by Learning Resources, but this one focuses only on addition.
You spread out the circular game pieces with the number side down and then take turns flipping over the pieces.
Players race to find number combinations that add up to 10. When a player finds a ten combination, they have to yell “I see 10” and collect those pieces.
At the end of the game, the player with the most pieces wins.
Another popular math game is Math Dice Jr. It’s ideal for ages six and up. The focus of this game is addition and subtraction.
Players roll a 12-sided die and five 6-sided dice.
The 12-sided die gives you your target number, and you have to find combinations on the 6-sided dice to add up to that number.
The first player to find a combination to add up to the target yells “Math Dice” and collects the dice, moving one space on the little board that’s included.
Oh, and don't worry if you aren’t playing with others at the same mathematical level. There's a way to play a cooperative version 😉
Think Fun - Math Dice Junior, Creative STEM Game with Dice, for Kids Age 6+
If you have older kids, this math board game will be a fantastic addition to your learn-at-home adventures.
Prime Climb is geared towards older kids, typically 10 years old and up. The objective of the game is to get both of your game pieces to the center circle.
Prime Climb has many rules and variations, but it uses addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
It also uses a color-coded board to help kids who have yet to master their math facts.
Adding Prime Climb to your board game collection is a great idea because you can use it for a wide range of ages and skills.
This game is meant for kids ages three and up, so it’s a fantastic math board game for preschoolers and young children.
Players race to get their ladybug from the starting position to the home position first.
Kids have to pull from a pile of cards that tells them how many spaces to move forward or backward. There are also hidden cards that make the game trickier and funny.
If you want a game that isn’t too complicated and works on basic math skills, The Ladybug Game is a great choice.
Moneybags is a fun game to help your children learn about the value of coins and dollar bills. When you play the game, the goal is to collect as much money as possible before the game ends.
The game uses a die and a spinner to move the players along the board. Each time the player lands on a space, it indicates how much money they earn.
It helps your child learn about each coin’s value and how to make change in the bank.
Mobi Math Whale is a Scrabble-like game that uses number tiles and equation tiles with the goal to create a “pod” as fast as possible. Players want to use all of their number tiles correctly to win.
If you have younger kids, you can remove the multiplication and division equation tiles, leaving only addition and subtraction tile options.
There is even a way for your child to play this game solo, so it’s the perfect way for your child to practice.
Without a doubt, one of the best math board games for kids is Rummikub.
It’s a number game that also focuses on strategy. The goal is for players to get rid of all 14 of their number tiles by creating sets or groups of numbers or colors.
Rummikub is for kids eight and up, so it’s not ideal for little kids only.
Players take turns, Rummy style, and the first player to use all of their tiles wins. It’s a fast-paced, easy-to-play game that is perfect for a group of different ages of kids to play together.
Rummikub in Retro Tin - The Original Rummy Tile Game by Pressman Red, 5
Here is a fun, cooperative counting game for kids who are 3 years old and up.
All of the baby chicks have flown the coop, and it’s your job to help Mama Hen gather all of her babies and bring them back.
This game is fun and non-stressful since it’s not a competitive game.
It empowers young learners and helps give your child an easy way to practice counting while also cultivating decision-making and creative problem-solving.
Zoom is a multiplication card game for kids ages nine and up.
The players have to add values each round to build their scores. It looks similar to Uno with wild cards that change the scores either forward or backward.
If your child is struggling with multiplication facts, Zoom is a fun way to build those skills.
The goal is to be the first player to reach 500 points, and if you pull a ZOOM card, you get it faster. Pull a BOOM card, and your total goes backward.
Dragonwood takes place in a mythical forest with goblins, dragons, and more.
Players have to collect sets of cards by number or color, and play cards to earn dice.
Kids have to use their adding and subtracting skills to figure out their points and how to use their cards correctly.
Gamewright Dragonwood A Game of Dice & Daring Board Game Multi-colored, 5
Sleeping Queens is a card game for kids eight years old and up.
You can play with two to five players.
Players have to play a king to wake up a queen, but make sure you watch out for potions and dragons.
Kids use addition to add the cards together to refresh their hands and try to wake up the right queen to win the game.
Sleeping Queens Card Game, 79 Cards
Here’s another math game by Learning Resources that goes well with Sum Swamp.
Kids get to learn math skills with a prehistoric twist. The game teaches place value (ones, tens, hundreds, thousands), addition, and subtraction.
Dino Math Tracks is great for kids aged six years old and up.
Kids need to have some background in math, so it’s not ideal for a total beginner. However, once they have some math skills under their belt, this is a great game to play with your kids.
Sums in Space is perfect for kids ages five and older who need to practice their addition and subtraction skills.
Kids work with addition and subtraction from 0-9 while comparing numbers to see which is greater or less than. Sums in Space also works on learning evens and odds. There are also different ways to play the game.
If your kids want to be competitive, Sums in Space lets your kids compete and race to see who finishes first. They also can use the cooperative play mode that encourages your kids to work together towards a goal with three difficulty levels.
Qwixx is a fast-playing dice game for ages eight years old and up.
It’s a simple game to play, but kids have to make important decisions. The more numbers you cross off, the more points you score.
There is no downtime between each turn, so it’s fast, and kids have to pay attention. You’ll be on the edge of your seat and your kids will want to play repeatedly.
Gamewright Qwixx - A Fast Family Dice Game Multi-colored, 5
High Seas ADDventure is perfect for ages five and up. It provides a fun way for kids to build key math skills, like addition.
Players race around the board with the goal of being the first one to reach the island.
At the start of the game, each player gets five cards that face up for everyone to see and some that remain face down in a pile. On each turn, a child flips over the top card of the stack, and players race to figure out cards that add up to the newly flipped card. The first to say it out loud and grab the card gets to move closer to the island.
Kingdomino is a best-selling strategy game that is enjoyable for kids eight years old and up.
It’s similar to playing dominoes, but this is a card and tile placement game.
When you connect a new domino, you have to make sure at least one side matches a terrain type. Kids have to use their math skills to find matching options to be the first to build up their kingdom.
Blue Orange Games Kingdomino Award Winning Family Strategy Board Game, 4 players
Looking for one of the best games that teach math?
Zeus on the Loose is a fun card game for families to enjoy (and our family's #1 favorite math game!)
Zeus left Mount Olympus, and you have to play cards strategically to catch him. Players have to add numbers as you climb up the mountain and grab Zeus when you reach multiples of 10.
Not only does Zeus on the Loose encourage math skills, but it also helps with strategic thinking and logic. Kids and parents alike love this game.
Gamewright - Zeus on the Loose – A Card Game of Mythic Proportions
Looking for a more challenging math board game?
Equate looks like Scrabble but it’s for mathematicians instead.
You put down tiles on a board and complete equations. You can play vertically and horizontally.
This game uses addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It even includes more advanced ideas like mathematical operations.
Conceptual Math Media Equate: The Equation Thinking Game
Give Some of the Best Board Games for Math a Try!
There are tons of math board games ideas for your kids. With so many different games to chose from, it can be super helpful to get game recommendation from others to enjoy with your child, small groups, and even your whole family.
From counting games to multiplication board games, parents can find fun math games to help your child practice their math skills without boring worksheets or drills.
What did we miss for math fun with board and card games? Please add your favorite math board games in the comments area!
Great post! As a math educator, I'm always looking for fun and engaging ways to make learning math enjoyable for my students. I love the idea of using board games to make math more interactive and enjoyable. I'll definitely be trying out some of these games with my students. Thanks for sharing!
Smath is another excellent math game.
Ooh! Thank you! I'll have to check that one out 🙂
This is a great list! Thanks! Monopoly, Clumsy Thief, and Farkle are a few more of our favorite math games.
Oh yes - Monopoly!! I'll have to check out Clumsy Thief 😉 Thank you!!