5 Common Math Challenges
5 Common Math Challenges for Kids and How to Solve Them
1. Weak Number Sense and Basic Fluency
The Challenge:
Early learners often struggle to recognize numbers quickly and understand how they interact in math facts, such as basic addition formulas.
For example: 7 + 8 = 15
The transition from counting single numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) to combining them in equations (3 + 5 = 8, 1 + 5 = 6) starts to feel more abstract when young children are using addition and subtraction. Yet when these foundational math skills aren’t solid, children are vulnerable to falling behind as math concepts introduce division and multiplication into equations and require the use of all four basic operations in a single equation.
Why It Matters:
An early lack of confidence in math can leave a lasting impression on young children. A foundational rough start in basic number sense can solidify early beliefs that cause young children to become intimidated by numbers, develop math anxiety, and simply refuse to try.
How to Solve It:
The goal is to meet small children where they learn best. With play! Use math activities that are hands-on and interactive, helping them understand numbers through their own imagination. Find a game or activity that takes numbers off the page and into children's hands, showing them how interacting with numbers can be fun, creative, and exciting.
Game Solution: Share a Berry
2-4 players •30 min • 3 & up
This early counting game can be played in as little as 30 minutes and feels more like sharing berries with friends instead of math class. Players draw Berrie Bear cards and use early addition and subtraction to add or remove berries from their string and share with others. Not only is this game fun and stress-free, but the sharing concept helps kids associate subtraction of berries not as a negative, but as a fun way to interact and share.
Little hands will flex their fine motor skills as they count, subtract, thread berries, and share them with their friends.
2. Math Anxiety and Fear of Failure
The Challenge: Math anxiety is the math-lephant in the room. One of the biggest challenges children face is feeling anxious around numbers. Kids with math anxiety may experience worry or physical tension when asked to solve problems, which can stunt their working memory and ability to think in terms of problem-solving.
Why It Matters:
Students with math anxiety may shut down, refuse to practice or participate in math tests, or have low motivation. As math gets harder with age, those early anxiety issues can set students back even further and solidify already limiting fears around math.
How to Solve It:
Create positive, stress-free math experiences that feel like play. For children with math anxiety, being put on the spot is quite off-putting. Encourage math activities that empower kids to use tools to solve their math problems independently. Don’t shame them for needing to count on their fingers or use pen and paper to figure out a math problem. Pay attention to your tone and body language when interacting with math-anxious kiddos, and stay focused on creating a supportive, fun environment.
Game Solution: Arctic Riders
2-4 players •20 min • 7 & up
This addition and subtraction game is not only adaptable to children’s needs, but it has a ‘check your own answers’ feature on the cards that gives children additional support if they need it.
After all, the child learns that 15+12=27 whether they get it right on the first try, or have to self-check the answer. The key is practice and making learning fun!
3. Difficulty Connecting Concepts (Abstract Thinking)
The Challenge:
Many students can work through problems in a series of steps, but may struggle when they need to apply math concepts to real-world or problem-solving situations. This disconnect may arise when children don’t have enough experiences in which numbers and ideas are tied to something meaningful.
Why It Matters:
Seeing math as only isolated equations on a worksheet, without real-world applications like understanding money, patterns, or measurements, can make connecting the dots between abstract ideas difficult.
How to Solve It:
Use games that visually interact with numbers in different scenarios. Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing onto an equation changes its totals which helps kids build a flexible understanding on how numbers change outcomes.
Game Solution: Sumology
2+ players •30 min • 8 & up
This math strategy game uses wooden tiles to connect equations and earn points. Kids not only practice the four basic operators and the order of operations, but also visually see how numbers interact.
4. Challenges Understanding Patterns and Relationships
The Challenge:
Math isn’t just about numbers. It’s also about recognizing patterns and relationships. Some kids struggle with this form of thinking, especially as topics like even/odd numbers, skip sequencing, or number patterns emerge in school.
Why It Matters:
Pattern recognition is directly correlated with algebraic thinking skills that are the building blocks for advanced math and everyday problem-solving.
How to Solve It:
Play supports repeated exposure to patterns without the stress of grading. Games can naturally and visibly reveal patterns through play.
Game Solution: Space It!
2-5 players •20 min • 8 & up
Children blast off into space to explore sequencing and number patterns in this fun tile game. Space It! is a preliminary step toward advanced mathematics like algebra and can be played with 2-5 players ages 8 and up in as little as 20 minutes!
5. Struggle With Strategic Thinking and Multi-Step Reasoning
The Challenge:
Once kids get past basic arithmetic, math becomes a bit more abstract. Skills like strategy, planning, pattern recognition, and thinking ahead are essentially soft skills used for complex, math thinking. This type of analytical and strategic thinking can feel overwhelming if earlier math foundations aren’t solid.
Why It Matters:
Problem-solving isn’t just for school. Problem-solving is a life skill used in many everyday situations. Strengthening strategic thinking early builds resilience and flexible thinking in kids.
How to Solve It:
Choose games that naturally encourage planning ahead and strategic thinking. Strategy and planning games where they have to think and compare multiple outcomes is a sneaky way to develop these analytical math skills.
Game Solution: Plundering Times
2-4 players •15 min • 8 & up
Making Math Fun Matters!
Every child’s math journey is as unique as they are. Their challenges are not a reflection of their potential in math, and are definitely not a sign that they simply “can’t do math.” Our job as educators and parents is to uncover how to reach each child and teach them how they learn best. The good news? That’s easy to do. All children benefit from play, especially when its at the heart of learning technical skills like math and STEM. Playing a math game supports every learning preference by tapping into imagination and hands-on learning.
Whether it's building number sense or developing strategic thinking, these five game-based activities give parents and teachers the tools to make math a positive and empowering experience for every child by harnessing their desire to learn through play.
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