Math Playground

Curricular Area(s): Mathematics

Core Competencies: Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creative Thinking

Grade(s): Grades 1 through 6

Tool Access: https://www.mathplayground.com

Resource Description

This tool allows students to think logically, plan ahead by visualizing strategic moves, and builds spatial reasoning skills by utilizing online math logic games. These games allow for different problem solving skills, such as: computational thinking, trial and error, perseverance, testing different ideas, and analyzing different outcomes.  The connections to the math curriculum such as patterns, analytical thinking, numbers, etc…

You can connect and extend the games cross-curricularly by encouraging students to write about the games during a English Language Arts writer’s workshop.  Students can talk about what was easy, hard, and/or what they would have liked to see differently in the games.  This also acts as as assessment for teachers to gauge if their students are understand the concepts of the games.

Each game has a video link to support teachers get accustomed to the game before allowing their students to play it. The tool is certified under KidsSAFE (COPPA), so teachers can use the tool, and allow their students to use the tool at home without accidentally showing things that may not be kids appropriate.

This tool acts as a transformative learning guide because it allows for more communication and collaboration than a worksheet might.  It is not about doing problems on a paper, but working with someone to consolidate what they have learned on paper through games.