Level Up Your Brainpower: Exciting Math Games for Adults
Say the word "game," and you may think that's just for kids. Say the word "math," and you may get sweaty palms. According to The National Library of Medicine, a shocking 93% of adults in the US indicate that they experience some level of math anxiety, studies that it is a widespread, worldwide problem affecting all age groups.
While math may have been a school subject in childhood, it is actually a crucial skill necessary for managing everyday life tasks, including budgeting, making informed financial decisions, purchasing goods and services, understanding measurements, and solving critical problems, just to name a few.
Strengthening math practices through entertaining activities like math games for adults can help maintain cognitive function, improve problem-solving skills, stimulate the brain, and improve everyday decisions when it comes to tasks like baking, budgeting, and purchasing.
Top Math Games for Adults
SimplyFun's array of math games for adults offer countless options to ease math anxiety and build those mathematical skills!
Quartile – A Math-Packed twist on Dominos
2-6 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Use strategy, logic, and addition to make your moves in this spatial reasoning adventure! Players take turns playing tiles that have pips that add up to the number on the tile being played. Score points by multiplying the number on the tile played by the number of sides in play. The highest score wins!
Pelican Cove – Make an Algebraic Splash
1-5 players • 30 min • 8 & up
Think fast to get your pelicans nested before time runs out in this fast-paced game. Each pelican has their own preferences. Can you make them all happy? Only time will tell! Each round, the location where the pelicans can nest changes. Players turn over the timer and try to correctly place their pelicans according to their preferences before times up. Each player takes a penalty stone for every pelican that is not placed correctly, and the player with the fewest penalties wins!
Grill Party – Grill your way to Math Confidence
2-5 players • 20–30 min • 8 & up
Fire up the BBQ as you practice using algebraic relational symbols. Players swap and place food pieces on the grill to match "more than" and "less than" situations from their food cards. The first player to match them all wins—just don't get too hungry along the way!
Trifusion – Plan, Create and Build
2-4 players • 30 min • 8 & up
This visual-mapping strategy game for 2-4 players teaches pattern recognition and problem-solving with a unique scoring element. Plan, create, and build the largest connected color group for points using spatial reasoning and counting. With endless combinations and strategies, every game is a new adventure!
How to Increase Math Confidence in Adulthood.
-Math has no age limit! Studies show that there's no limit to learning math, and adults can effectively learn new concepts and improve their skills if they make an effort.
-Approach it with FUN! Grasping the underlying concepts to apply math effectively in real-life situations is never easier than through board game play. The stage is set for a light-hearted activity that results in math confidence.
-Play all the time! Regular practice is key to solidifying math skills, so set aside dedicated time to solve problems and review concepts, whether it's during family or friend game night or solo gameplay.
-Learning is a lifelong process. With dedication and the right tools, adults can significantly improve their math skills. As adults age, they often develop better habits and a more positive attitude toward learning new things.
Three Key Elements to Thriving in Math as an Adult.
A Stanford University study conducted by their Professor of Mathematics found that "everyone can learn mathematics at high levels if they focused on three key elements":
1) Respect that our brains have enormous capacity to grow and change at any stage of life.
2) There is a positive aspect to struggling. Scientists now know that the best times for brain growth and change are when people work on challenging content, correcting mistakes, moving on, making more mistakes, etc. In game play, there is no guarantee of the outcome and mistakes are often made (with laughter and enjoyment).
3) Interact with math in different forms, like math games for adults. "When we invite people to gesture, draw, visualize, or build with numbers, for example, we create opportunities for important brain connections that are not made when they only encounter numbers in symbolic forms" -Jo Boaler, professor of mathematics, Stanford University.
Adults can absolutely improve their math skills and build their math confidence through play. With dedicated practice and the right learning tools, like SimplyFun's math games for adults, anyone can improve their math skills regardless of their age, even if they previously struggled with it through childhood.