Best Numeracy Games for Kids That Build Confidence
Key Takeaways
- Keen to help your children become confident, curious and playful little maths adventurers… before they even start school?
- The best numeracy games for kids turn everyday play sessions into rich and meaningful moments that build confidence and skills… whilst having fun!
- Discover 10 of the best kids’ numeracy games from the experts at Shichida Australia, Australia’s #1 Brain Training Class for Kids.
As parents, we know that strong numeracy skills are essential, even if memories of our own school lessons bring us out in a cold sweat!
But children can often feel nervous when faced with a math challenge, and these problems only compound if left unchecked.
At Shichida, we’re here to reassure you that every child is born to love numbers. This blog explains why numeracy is a skill that builds with practice… the earlier, the better!
Why kids are born to love numbers
By building numeracy skills for kids into fun games and activities, we create happy experiences, helping our kids grow in confidence, feel good about themselves, and empowered to explore the fascinating world of maths.
These early wins can build a fantastic base of curiosity, helping young minds engage and explore the world around them with a sense of freedom and competence.
Rather than shying away from the fear of ‘wrong’ answers, children build their emotional resilience, knowing they CAN learn!
Photo by Shichida: Sorting is a pre-math skill that helps babies understand classification and grouping, which later ties into number sense concepts like sets and data handling.
Why confidence in numeracy matters
As a parent yourself, how do you feel about maths? Excited and motivated, or a little bit awkward and unsure? Too many of us grew up with a fear of maths, but we know how to do better for the next generation!
We frame numeracy games for kids as a fun pastime, but actually, they are hugely powerful routes to:
- Reduce maths anxiety
- Boost classroom participation
- Create independent problem-solving, with creativity and curiosity
- Reinforce that all-important growth mindset that will take our children forward in life
- Build that strong foundation for all future learning at the earliest possible stage
- Nurture the beautiful parent / carer-child bond that underpins all childhood development.
Play-based learning is profoundly effective in early childhood. Even very young children grow confident with numbers if they get lots of encouragement, positive reinforcement, and celebrations for every small win.
That excited high-five you share when they solve a counting problem? That provides positive reinforcement for your little one, reinforcing their own abilities to learn and succeed!
10 of the Best Numeracy Games for Kids
The best numeracy games for children don’t have to be complicated! Here are some ideas to get you started. These kids’ numeracy games are great for a rainy afternoon, when you want some together time.
Indoor numeracy games for kids
| 1 | Number Bingo | • Create or download bingo card printables with numbers, dots or sums to solve. • Number Bingo helps to reinforce number and pattern recognition, listening skills (a relatable parenting challenge!) and focus. • It’s fun with siblings too! |
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| 2 | Domino Maths | • Use dominoes to add dots together or create fun number patterns. • Domino Maths is fun and relaxed, but this little low-key activity helps with subitising (identifying number groups upon sight), addition, and pattern recognition. • It’s also a great game for when you want to dial back the energy after a noisy play session! |
| 3 | Counting Card Games | • Grab some number cards (or make your own) and put a spin on classic games like Snap or Go Fish. • These simple kids' numeracy games build counting, matching, and memory skills. |
Top Tip: Check out our free resources too for great maths downloads!
Outdoor kids numeracy games
Let’s face it, kids have ants in their pants! So, get them moving with lively outdoor games that sneak in some learning! Did you know? Exercise promotes learning and memory retention.
| 4 | Number Hopscotch | • Simply grab those outdoor chalks and draw numbers in a hopscotch grid. • The twist? You call out arithmetic problems or numbers (depending on age and ability) to get kids hopping, jumping… and thinking! |
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| 5 | Beanbag toss with numbers | • Get creative, and draw numbered targets on the floor using playground chalk. • Throw bean bags onto them and total up your scores. • Got no beanbags to hand? Fill socks with dried beans (added points for counting them) and tie them at the top! • This game is great for number addition, estimation and good old-fashioned friendly competition with siblings and friends. |
| 6 | Scavenger hunt by numbers | • This is brilliantly simple and can be adjusted for age and ability. • Simply set your little scavengers challenges to find and collect certain numbers of objects, like three sticks, four leaves, or five pebbles. • It’s an ideal no-equipment game for days out too, reinforcing the idea that maths also has a place outside |
Digital numeracy games
Don’t forget digital resources. Balanced screentime can be helpful for small children, especially when it includes educational games and resources:
| 7 | Number Memory Match: | • Play online flip cards with number and matching dot patterns to develop memory, matching and visual number sense. |
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| 8 | Educational Apps: | • Quality apps like Number Blocks and Moose Maths are great when used in short bursts. • Check out SHICHIDA at Home too; a digital version of the Shichida program, with videos, educational songs, digital flashcards and other child-friendly educational digital activities. |
Interactive numeracy games
Got more than one child? In the mood to play yourself? Try these fun and interactive numeracy games for kids.
| 9 | Role Play Shop | • Everyone remembers their imaginary ‘shop’ as a child! • Use play money to “buy” grocery items or toys from your smallest shopkeeper to build skills with coins, simple addition and budgeting. • Create a little till with a box and cardboard ‘keypad’. |
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| 10 | Maths Puzzles and Board Games | • Games like Sum Swamp or Tiny Polka Dot are a worthwhile investment for building strategy, logic and arithmetic skills through gameplay. A simple classic like Uno goes a long way! • They’re also tremendous fun and a great family time activity. |
Tips For Encouraging Confidence Through Games
Combine the best numeracy games for kids with these strategies to multiply the benefits:
- Focus on effort and ‘tries’, not just results. Encourage bold guesses and celebrate all attempts to get a question right. This builds confidence and that all important willingness to fail!
- Use mistakes as a learning opportunity. Can you solve it together?
- Pick games at the right skill level to keep your little players happy and feeling good.
- Play together to model behaviours like persistence and enthusiasm for numbers.
- Don’t stick to one game! Switch them up to keep things fun (and stop when the energy and enthusiasm drop.)
Photo by Shichida: Sequencing numbers strengthens counting, pattern recognition, and logical thinking – all essential skills for early numeracy.
How Shichida Builds Maths Confidence in Children
At Shichida Australia, our experts have created a groundbreaking approach to early childhood education that focuses on the Golden Period of development. Our maths programs unlock your child’s natural learning ability and build confidence with right-brain techniques, memory games, and visualisation, using multi-sensory tools.
Our sessions are fun and engaging and designed to help ALL children love numbers in a relaxed, child-led environment. With songs, stories, and play-based learning, every child feels confident, capable, and empowered to learn at the youngest age.
How Shichida Helps Parents
The Shichida Method is the original whole-brain training method for early childhood education – and Australia’s #1 Brain Training Class for Kids!
We’re here to support parents everywhere with educational programs that make learning fun and regular. We know that confidence is a skill built over time, and our expert child educators are here to help make maths your child’s favourite subject!
Help Your Child’s Learning Adventure Today
Explore our proven programs to discover more numeracy games and methods that build confidence and success from the get go, and give your child the best possible start in their learning adventures. Contact our friendly team or book a trial class online today.
