Play with Numbers: Math Zone

Whether you're studying long division, fractions, or algebra, math can be a challenging subject. Even if you're not completely sure how good your math skills are, with a little bit of practice, you can always make them better. From sitting at your kitchen table to playing on the playground, there are plenty of ways you can learn math that make it fun. The Internet has a wide range of resources like games and quizzes that are designed to help you sharpen your math skills. Over time, you're sure to get better at math with practice.

Number Skills

• Median: Find the Missing Number: This quiz will help you learn about medians, and you can unlock new levels as you go.
• Connect 4 Factors: Designed to resemble the game Connect Four, this online game will help you learn about factors.
• Fraction Fling: This fun game will teach you more about fractions, and a mixed fraction option is also available.
• Demolition Division: Brush up on your division skills with this fun, interactive game.
• Addition and Subtraction Skills Webquest: Use this webquest to help you improve your addition and subtraction skills.
• Dinosaur Train Bridge Builder : Play this fun game to help you learn about adding up numbers to make larger amounts.
• Napier's Bones: Try this awesome technique that helps to make multiplying large numbers easy.

Shape and Space Skills

• Symmetry Matching Game: This easy game shows you how to match shapes in perfect symmetry.
• Acute, Obtuse, or Right Angle: Use this interactive quiz to determine the types of angles used in geometry.
• Shape Surveyor: Discover how to calculate the perimeters of shapes with this game that allows you to choose your difficulty level.
• Tangrams: Geometry Game: Develop your geometry and critical thinking skills with this fun tangram game.
• Shapes in the Bag (PDF): This simple activity involves placing different shapes in a bag to see if you can guess what they are without looking.
• What Is Tessellation? Watch these fun videos to learn more about tessellation, which is when shapes fit together without gaps or overlaps.

Data and Probability

• Probability: Discover more about what probability is and how it works with this activity.
• Blackjack: Try your hand at the card game blackjack and learn how probability comes into play on this page.
• Probability and Games (PDF): This document is packed with games and examples designed to teach probability and how it works.
• Playing Craps: This page explains the game of craps and how probability plays a role. You can try to play the game yourself to see how the odds of winning play out in real life.
• Comparing My State: Use this lesson plan to discover how data is collected and used to compare information between the different states.
• Data Flyer: This interactive page shows you how to plot ordered pairs so you can find trends in your data.

Measurement Skills

• The Ruler Game: This interactive, simple game teaches you how to read a ruler. Choose your preferred increment levels to learn new ruler-reading skills.
• Sal's Sub Shop: Practice your metric and standard measurements with fractions with this fun game that uses a sub roll as a ruler.
• Conversion Quiz: This quiz helps you learn how to convert units of measurement for distance, volume, mass, and more.
• Temperature Conversion: Try your hand at this activity that helps you convert temperature readings from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
• Reading a Tape Measure: Enter your increments, measurement, and more to see how to read a tape measure.

Math Investigations

• Data in the Media (PDF): Use this document to explore how data in the media communicates important information to you and your family. It contains some easy things you can do at home as a family.
• Data and Statistics: This is an interactive lesson plan you can use to learn more about data and statistics with a fun foul-shooting game.
• Landmarks in the Thousands (PDF): Learn about numbers in the hundreds and thousands with these activities you can try at home.
• What's Going On in This Graph? The New York Times has an ongoing feature that has students investigate and learn more about graphs, how the data is collected, and what it means.
• Math Words and Ideas: Learn more about mapping out data using line plots with this video.

Written by: Ben Thompson