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Math Dash is available on Amazon HERE.
{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}
My family has always loved board games so using them in our homeschool was a natural fit but finding good educational games isn’t nearly as easy as one might think.
The Christmas toy catalogs and my FaceBook feed are always filled with fun, trendy board games for the family including new versions of classics {Star Wars Monopoly} and weird, silly things {Pie Face Showdown} but it’s very rare to find educational games being promoted outside of homeschool catalogs. And, if you’re like me, when I am pouring over a big stack of homeschool catalogs, it’s agonizing enough to find the right curricula choices. I have no extra brain energy to find fun educational games too.
So, let me make it easy for you and share some of our favorite educational games!
In addition to reviewing the
FUN FACTOR and the
EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the
ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},
TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning},
CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}
and an OVERALL SCORE.
NAME: Math Dash
PUBLISHER: EduPress {Learning Well Games}
CATEGORY: Math
SUB CATEGORY: Multiplication/Division {Addition/Subtraction also available}
TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes} but can increase with more players
PLAYERS: 2-8
HOW TO WIN: Be the first player to place four cards in a row on the board while solving multiplication and division problems.
CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are clear, concise and very simple. They explain how to start, what to do and how to win in very concrete terms. The instructions also provide a couple of ways to modify the game to make it easier or more difficult. CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ Speed is NOT a factor in this game AT ALL which makes it ideal for kids who don’t love math or who shy away from ultra competitive situations. But for kids who love simple strategy games like Tic-Tac-Toe or similar, this game should speak to their preferences. And the math facts can be found directly on the back of the box so even the newest beginner can be successful. So, it is truly fun for EVERYONE! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As the game promises, the entire focus is to practice multiplication and/or division facts. And the best part is some players can practice multiplication and others can challenge themselves with division while still playing together! That option makes this game perfect for a variety of situations including older/younger siblings, adults/kids, multi-grade co-ops and more. Adding to the educational value is the fact that players are not simply looking for the answer to a math problem {6 x 4 =__}. They are solving each math problem by calculating the missing number {6 x __ = 24}. So, while keeping the game simple and fun, the publishers have bumped it up a level in educational value. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥_ The storage box, color-coded cards and fold-out board are very sturdy and have held up well to frequent use. Though the components are very well made, I had to use snack baggies to keep the individual cards separate, otherwise, it would’ve taken several minutes to divide the colors up before beginning to play each time. The baggies work fine but I wish there had been some sort of built-in system to keep the cards organized. Oh! And the instructions are printed directly on the back of the box so, unless your kids are box thieves, you won’t be misplacing the instructions! ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_
OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As I have shared before, math does NOT come naturally to my son AT ALL so we play a lot of games to make math fun while also trying to cement the imperative concepts along the way. We’ve tried out several different games and this is definitely one of our favorites. We especially like the fact that with only two players, we can modify the game and continue playing even after somebody has played four cards in a row. We simply switch out our old cards for a new set and add to the board. My son thinks it’s fun and I love the fact that we keep working on math facts. I would recommend it for kids of all ages and skill levels. I would suggest it to families with multiple kids and families with only one at home. I believe it would make a great summer review game for public school kids but I also know it works perfectly for homeschool kids. Math Dash is a great game for anyone and everyone! OVERALL SCORE: 95% ♥♥♥♥♥
If you are ready to offer your kids a really fast and fun way to work on math facts, you can buy Math Dash here on Amazon!
{There is also an addition/subtraction version of Math Dash that you can snag here.}
If you would like to read detailed instructions {with pics,} continue on….
1. Unfold the game board and lay it out so all players can see it.
2. Have each player choose a color of card to use. Each player can choose either multiplication or division. Not everybody needs to play the same type of card.
3. Players can either leave their cards in a baggie {as long as they won’t “shop” for the card they want by looking before they draw} or they can keep them in a pile in front of them {face down}.
4. Before you begin playing, all Players need to decide whether a winning four-in-a-row needs to be horizontal, diagonal, vertical or any of the three.
5. Player One selects a card, solves for the missing number and places his/her card on that number.
6. It is now Player Two’s turn. He/she does the same thing with one of his cards.
7. Turns are taken one-by-one in this same fashion. Players can choose to “block” an opponent’s move or to keep trying to build four in a row with his own cards.
8. First Player who gets four in a row wins!
9. You can also modify the game to be five/six/seven in a row. Or the winner needs to make a “box” of four cards. Or really anything y’all can come up with!
10. If you played with only two or three players, you could also modify the game by continuing the game with two new colors of cards {but leave the old cards still on the board for an extra challenge}.
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