Math can be fun! You can turn learning into a game. Here are ten exciting math activities that Nigerian kids will love. These activities make math relatable and enjoyable. They help children develop essential math skills while having a blast.
Draw a family tree and indicate the ages, birth dates, or even the number of siblings of each family member. This can be useful in comprehending family relationships or even simple calculations like addition or subtraction.
Example: Suppose Grandma is 60 years old and you are 10 years old. How many years older is she?
Integrate mathematics into selected local Nigerian games like the Suwe (hopscotch). For instance, an adult can bend the rules of Suwe by making one’s child do a simple arithmetical computation before they move to the next box.
For example, before moving to box one, the parent can ask the child to answer the following problem: 3 + 2. For box two, one can ask: 7-4. In the next level, you can introduce multiplication and division.
In this manner, each successful hop is associated with solving a mathematical problem while integrating a game they enjoy.
Cooking offers a chance to turn an everyday task into a fun math lesson. Get your kid to measure ingredients, count items, and even double or cut a recipe in half. This hands-on math activity teaches them about fractions, measurements, and how to follow steps.
“We need 2 cups of flour to make puff-puff. Can you measure it for me?” Or ask questions like, “If we need 2 cups of flour but we have a ½ cup measuring cup how many times do we have to fill it?”
You can practice checking out at home with a mini-market wherein your child pretends as the seller/buyer while cups, plates and other kitchen utensils are the products. This educational game focuses on the basic operations of addition and subtraction in addition to first budgeting skills.
For example, “What number of oranges are there in this heap?”
Example: “Suppose we bought tomatoes for ₦300 and onions for ₦ 200, then what will be total?”
Gather common items like bottle caps, sticks, or cardboard pieces and ask your kid to make different shapes. This math activity helps kids grasp geometry in a practical way. They can discover shapes, symmetry, and even basic measuring.
A money management game to try is Monopoly. Another great way is to establish what you call a home store and let them use play money to shop and practice spending.
Examples: Establish a ‘home store’ using objects such as toy cars that sell for $5, a book that sells for $3, and snacks that sell for $1.
As they shop, they’ll decide whether to buy a toy or more snacks, teaching them to prioritize and make smart financial choices.
Move the learning outside or around your house with an outdoor math treasure hunt. Make a list of things for your kid to find, each linked to a math problem they need to work out.
For instance, “Find 3 stones” and add 2 more–how many do you have now?” This activity pushes your kid to use math skills in everyday life.
This activity encourages your child to apply math skills in the real world.
Use catchy songs and rhymes to teach math ideas. You can find lots of fun math songs online that make learning stick in kids’ minds. Singing these tunes helps kids remember math facts and how to do different operations.
Design a bingo game with numbers or math problems in each box. As you announce the problems, children solve them and check off the right answers on their cards.
Example, ‘One bingo card could have 16, 24, 8, 15, and 10.
You call out, What is 3*5?” The kids would find and mark 15 on their cards.
Come up with easy story problems using names or places kids know.
For example, “Tunde has 10 mangoes and gives 4 to Chioma. How many does he have left?”
This way of telling stories helps kids connect with math and shows how people use it every day.
These math exercises don’t just teach. By including things they see every day, you make math more fun and useful. So, whether you’re at home, shopping, or outside, you can turn normal moments into exciting math games. Give these a shot with your kids, and you’ll see them grow to love math. Register your kids with Kstudy Learning for more engaging, hands-on math lessons that make learning fun!