These 80-plus math activities and number games help kids to think intuitively about math instead of just memorizing rules. The emphasis is on the underlying relationships between numbers and the process of manipulating them, not in coming up with the right answer every time. Kids get together and play games with odd and even numbers, prime and composite numbers, factors, divisors, and multiples of numbers, common and decimal fractions. Children learn the history of numbers-finger counting, number symbols in various cultures, and different ways of calculating. The book is full of riddles, puzzles, number tricks, and calculator games. Kids develop skills in estimation and computation as they become familiar with the characteristics and behavior of numbers. They will gain math confidence and be ready to take chances, find their own errors, and challenge their peers....

Math, history, art, and world cultures come together in this delightful book for kids, even for those who find traditional math lessons boring. More than 70 games, puzzles, and projects encourage kids to hone their math skills as they calculate, measure, and solve problems. The games span the globe, and many have been played for thousands of years, such as three-in-a-row games like Achi from Ghana or the forbidden game of Jirig from Mongolia. Also included are imaginative board games like Lambs and Tigers from India and the Little Goat Game from Sudan, or bead and string puzzles from China, and Möbius strip puzzles from Germany. Through compelling math play, children will gain confidence and have fun as they learn about the different ways people around the world measure, count, and use patterns and symmetry in their everyday lives....