by Sara Mcgrath

Created on: November 28, 2009

Math is everywhere, and it can be fun, especially on children's websites. These interactive, multimedia math games and activities give learners of all kinds a fun way to gain a strong foundation of basic math skills.

Children have individual learning styles ranging from primarily visual to necessarily tactile. Young children, especially, may require direct interaction with what they are learning about in order to successfully grasp foundational concepts, such as basic mathematics. The following children's educational websites provide interactive, multimedia math games and activities that engage learners of all types and help establish a solid foundation of basic skills.

Online Math Games

Cyberchase FunBrain Math Arcade KS1 Bitesize Games SmartyCard Totlol BrainPOP DimensionM

Cyberchase at PBSKids.org, an online companion to the award-winning children's educational television series, provides a variety of standards-based math games, quests, and adventures, designed for children ages eight and up. Parents and teachers can consult the Cyberchase teacher guide and site map and use the search feature to locate featured themes, printable activities, lesson plans, and video clips.

Math Arcade at FunBrain.com, part of Family Education Network, presents a series of 25 games for grade levels 1st through 8th. Parents and teachers can use the game finder search tool to locate math games categorized by grade level. One of the top games, Math Baseball, is available in versions for grades 2nd through 9th. Some games are available for download.

SmartyCard at SmartyCard.com, a "learn to earn" motivational program designed for children ages 7 to 12, allows children to play interactive games, earn points, and win actual prizes, such as books, DVDs, video games, toys, and subscriptions to virtual worlds. Both parents and children create accounts, so parents can monitor their children's progress. Parents purchase points and children unlock the points and earn rewards by completing the games and activities.

Math Movies

BrainPOP and Totlol present children with educational movies and related games and activities. Totlol, a kid-safe YouTube interface, allows children to view parent-moderated YouTube videos and collections of videos, including episodes of popular children's television such Cyberchase, Sesame Street, and Schoolhouse Rock. BrainPOP, Jr., for grade levels K through 3rd, and the original BrainPOP animated online curriculum program, provide free animated movies on math topics, such as graphing, division, geometry, and metric vs. imperial measuring systems.

Money Games for Financial Literacy

Children watch adults using money and quickly grasp its importance. They want to learn about this powerful stuff and how to acquire it and use it themselves. Money may at first seem like a heavy topic, but it can be approached in a fun way through online games and printable activities.

Track your dollars with Where's George?
Visit the U.S. Mint kids' site at H.I.P. Pocket Change.
Learn the secrets of making money at NOVA's Anatomy of a Bill.
Play math games at Cyberchase.
Sneak Peek: Warren Buffet cartoon to teach kids about money.

Have fun!

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