When maths doesn’t make sense yet, make it something they can see.
More worksheets aren’t always the answer. Sometimes a child needs to count it, build it, move it or play it before an abstract idea starts to feel a little more concrete.
“But we just did this yesterday.”
You explain the sum. They look at the page. You explain it another way. The pencil barely moves, frustration starts creeping in and something that was meant to be ten minutes of maths practice suddenly feels much bigger than it should.
That doesn’t automatically mean a child dislikes maths.
Sometimes it simply means the way the concept is being presented hasn’t connected yet.
A written number is abstract. Ten beads that can be moved, ten little blocks that can be grouped, or a number that has to be found to win a game gives a child something else to work with.
See it
Number lines, beads and blocks can give a physical or visual reference for a concept that otherwise exists only on the page.
Move it
Counting, grouping, matching and exchanging pieces turns maths into something a child can actively do rather than only read.
Practise it differently
A game or hands-on activity provides another way to revisit the same skill without simply repeating the same worksheet.
Start with the maths they’re learning right now.
Choosing a maths resource becomes much easier once you stop asking “Which maths toy should I buy?” and ask a more useful question: “What are they trying to understand?”
Number recognition, counting, sequencing, quantities and early relationships between numbers.
Give children another way to practise operations by counting, moving, matching or solving.
Physically represent ones, tens, hundreds and thousands so the relationship between each place can be easier to see.
Connect maths to something children see in everyday life through coins, values, totals, change and other money concepts.
Explore parts of a whole, equivalence, shape, angles, measurement and spatial ideas using visual resources.
Give children opportunities to use maths rather than simply recall an answer.
One concept. A different way to practise it.
Browse maths resources for counting, operations, place value, money, fractions, geometry and problem-solving.
Five different ways to make maths more hands-on
These aren’t five versions of the same thing. Each suits a different kind of maths practice, so start with the area the child is working on now.
6 Mathematics Games by Junior Learning
If sitting down specifically to “do maths” creates resistance, putting the practice inside a game can change the feel of the activity.
This set covers number work and place value through a mixture of board games and hands-on components.
- Includes four board games
- Includes dominoes, spinner, counters and die
- Works with numbers across several ranges
- Includes place-value practice
Wooden MAB Blocks
Place value can be difficult to picture when it exists only as digits on a page.
MAB Blocks let children physically build and compare quantities using ones, tens, hundreds and a larger base block.
- 100 unit cubes
- 10 tens rods
- 10 hundreds flats
- 1 base block
- Useful across place value, operations, measurement and more
Edx Education Abacus
An abacus gives numbers a physical quantity. Instead of only seeing “8 + 5”, a child can move beads and watch the quantity change.
This version has ten rows of ten beads, with five red and five white beads in each row.
- 10 rows of 10 movable beads
- Useful for counting
- Useful for addition and subtraction
- Can stand upright or lie flat
50 Money Activities by Junior Learning
Money gives children a practical reason for maths. Counting, comparing values, calculating totals and working with change can connect number skills with situations they recognise outside the classroom.
This resource contains 50 double-sided activity cards covering a broad range of money-related concepts.
- 50 double-sided activity cards
- Coins, values and denominations
- Addition, subtraction and change
- Fractions, decimals and percentages are also included
50 Number Line Activities by Junior Learning
Number lines can help turn a sequence of written numbers into something children can follow visually.
These 50 double-sided cards explore number lines through a wide range of maths concepts rather than restricting the resource to simple counting.
- 50 double-sided activity cards
- Addition and subtraction
- Odd and even numbers
- Skip counting and multiplication
- Place value, fractions and decimals
Which one sounds most like what they need?
Choosing a maths game for your child
Should I choose by age or by the maths skill?
Use both, but start with the skill. Work out whether the child is practising counting, addition, place value, multiplication, money, fractions or another area, then check the individual product page for its age guidance.
Are maths games only for children who find maths difficult?
No. Hands-on resources can provide another way to practise a skill, revisit something already learned or explore a concept in more depth. The important part is choosing something appropriate for what the child is learning.
Do I need lots of different maths resources?
Not necessarily. Start with the concept that matters most right now. A well-chosen resource that gets used repeatedly is more useful than a cupboard full of activities that don’t match what the child needs.
Can these maths resources be used at school as well as at home?
Yes. The Teach Me Toys maths range includes resources suited to home learning as well as individual work, small groups, maths rotations and classroom teaching. Always check the individual product for its specific format and contents.
Maths doesn’t always need more explaining. Sometimes it needs a different way in.
Count it. Build it. Move it. Match it. Solve it. Find a maths resource that turns the concept they’re practising into something they can actually work with.
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