Online math games are a fun way to add variety into a living math approach. They can be used as rewards, review, or even an introduction to a new concept, depending on the game. Here are ten of the best free math game sites for homeschoolers, arranged in no particular order. These are games to play on your desktop computer — not apps for a mobile device.
1. Math Game Time
Math Game Time has games for preK to seventh grade. Besides being arranged by grade, games are also arranged in a convenient list of skills such as fractions, probability, multiplication, etc. The games are fairly simple in their layout but do provide an engaging format for practicing what might be boring on a worksheet.
2. Funbrain.com
Funbrain includes a math arcade among other academic subjects. Games are also arranged by grade level K-8.
3. Number Nut
Number nut activities are really online quizzes instead of real games. The site is easy to navigate with lots of math skills featured. The home page outlines all the main topics very clearly.
4. Toy Theater
Among other subjects, Toy Theater has a math category. The games are very attractive but graphically simple. All of the games deal with basic math skills for the youngest of learners — less than and greater than, matching, counting, and patterns.
5. Multiplication.com
Games are one feature of the entire system of teaching multiplication offered at Multiplication.com. The games all center around memorizing the multiplication tables, so they are not arranged any other way than my theme. However, you can select a single math problem and get games that cover it. (It would be nice if you could select multiple problems, but that is not an option.)
6. Illuminations
Illuminations is an educational (not commercial) site, so there are no ads. And there is an emphasis on learning rather than on fun or style. The games are truly online exercises, but there is a wealth to choose from, including advanced topics for high schoolers.
Games are divided into four broad grade groupings: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Before selecting a game, you are shown a screenshot, a title, and a short blurb about the math skills in the game.
7. Math is Fun
The home page of Math is Fun is divided by concept and leads to textbook like information. There are some games, but the most valuable part of the site is probably the multiplication drill activities that help a child memorize through repeated exposure.
9. Hooda Math
The games on this site are fairly well done and cover a good range of math skills. Games are divided into three broad categories: logic, arithmetic, and geometry, so it’s fairy easy to find a game for whatever topic you need.
9. Arcademic Skill Builders
On this site, the games are neatly organized along a yellow horizontal strip: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Integers, Decimals, Money, Fractions, Time and other non-math topics.
The games are moderately engaging and do a good job of focusing on the math skills being reviewed or taught.
10. Math Playground
Games are sorted by both topic and grade level (grades 1-6), so it’s easy to find something to suit your current math lessons.
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http://www.Soolver.com – step by step free online calculator. Really fun:)
wonderful resource!!!! 🙂
Fantastic top ten list! Love http://www.MathGameTime.com and http://www.HoodaMath.com! Will check out the others too…
Thanks for all the resources! We have used multiplication.com extensively and my kids really like it. I’m going to go check out the number nut site as I see ratios listed there–something we are studying right now.
Another one the kids have really enjoyed is http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/mahjong/mahjong_multiplication.htm What I like about this game is that kids can match multiplication facts in a variety of ways with the tiles. For example, obviously tiles reading 4×6 and 24 would match. But the tile 4×6 ALSO matches with the tiles 8×3 or 12×2. It’s been a little “ding” for my kids when they REALLY realized that all of these facts belonged to the product 24.
Blessings,
Sandwich
Thank you for sharing these! I need all the help I can get for math review.
We really like http://www.bigbrainz.com . Download a free good quality multiplication and division review.
We have a “school” signed up at Magna High 🙂 They have recently added things for younger kids, but the original games were for high school, so it’s a great resource since most math game sites are for younger kids.
I’m going to use some of these – we’ve been doing a lot of online math games recently…. we are doing a review of one that I just LOVE… I think Sprite would like it, too (it’s not free, though! ): http://mathrider.com/
Thank you!! My kids are only allowed to play educational games during the week. They will love adding some new ones 🙂
Thank YOU!!! I needed to find some of these. My kids need some fresh math games. Thanks!
Jimmie,
I love your blog. It has been a tremendous help to me this year as we embarked on our first year of using the CM method of education.
We are praying about using Ambleside Online for next year’s curriculum. However, seeing all the subjects that it covers, plus all the subjects that I would have to add to it, seems so overwhelming to me! I don’t see how I could possibly cover all that material! I was wondering if you have any insight about using Ambleside. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. 🙂
Many blessings,
Lisa
We love Fun Brain!!!!!
Thank you for taking the time to put all these into one tidy place. It’s very helpful and I appreciate it!
You missed mrnussbaum.com!
Hey Jimmie,
I just happened to have a math website open in my browser. Have you been here – http://jmathpage.com/index.html ?
Blessings
Honey
A fabulous site for addition and subtraction game practice is http://www.Fun4theBrain.com. Natasha has developed some AMAZING games!
Great list. One new site I like is Knowledge Mouse (http://knowledgemouse.com/km/math_games/new?auto_start=1) – they have a little online arithmetic math game where you travel from planet to planet by solving arithmetic questions. Good for multiplication table practice.
Great recommendations! Thank you for posting! Do you know if these websites are free to join or play?
Definitely check out sumdog.com too!
You really need to add Mathopoly.ca to the list of great in depth math games for home schoolers. It has been a fantastic addition to our learning community.
I have a question: why homeschooling?, is that you do not want your children to socialize or is it that you consider better than all the teachers that studied years to prepare someone as your child? Does it make you think that you are a better mom for doing this? Really? I am trying to ask withouth being rude, is really that I do not understand. And I would like to know what my kids are missing. I am sure there are other reasons just what to know… Thanks and sorry for doing this. But someone has to ask.
http://www.gregtangmath.com Greg Tang’s books and awesome online games, including Kakooma, are now FREE!
We love mathblaster.com! Actually, we use Time4Learning as our math curriculum and my kids love that too – it’s full of videos and engaging graphics that keep ’em engaged. 🙂
Jimmie, I like the 10 Best Online Game Sites for Homeschool Math review. Thanks for putting that together. I’m in the process of tutoring a traditionally schooled child, but I think that by supplementing what I’m teaching him with playing games from some of these sites will be really helpful.
FYI: I signed my homeschool up for the MangaHigh program. It’s only free for 62 days but it was easy to sign up my school.
Sincerely,
Anna
I can’t wait to try some of these out! We’ve been using abcya.com but I’m afraid my kids will get burned out on it soon. Thanks for this list! Bookmarking it so I can find it later, and sharing it on my blogs facebook page!
As a cool alternative, there’s KidsCalculate. Apart from making exercises, its method really helps children to gain understanding for mechanics of operations like for example 14+27 and 44-28.
A nice collection of KidsCalculate games can be found at:
http://www.en.kidscalculate.com/MathBasics/BareBones/Math/All/
Just wanted to pass along my absolute favorite math game! By Big Brainz- Timez Attack. They have recently updated for addition, subtraction and division, in addition to the original multiplication. The free version is pretty awesome!
We split the learning time between online and offline. My son got a multiplication card game from school that we played together once a day, he loved it!
Card Game was called Math Grab
http://www.mathgrab.com
Just wanted to comment about the Number Nuts:
There were a couple of times that the question did not match the choices so the child would be selecting a wrong answer no matter what.
Also, I wish they would use correct mathematical vocabulary. For example, there is no reason a kindergartener can not learn “rhombus” instead of diamond.