Here’s a question for you: What’s the difference between a learning activity and a play activity? Answer: There is none. When your child is playing, she’s advancing her skills and understanding. Playing is learning. As proof, give your child something to do that’s beneath her skill level. What will happen? She won’t want to play anymore. Why? –Because there’s nothing to learn.

So, from your perspective, you can feel good about the fact that when your child is engaged in a play activity, learning is taking place.

The trick is to make the play activity feel special. In other words, you want to lift it out of the emotional battlefield so it feels fresh and new and exciting. When this happens, you dramatically increase the likelihood that your child will become fully engaged in the activity. This reduces your stress level and helps to promote a healthy learning environment.

Here’s the secret to changing the perception of an activity so that it feels fresh and exciting. It’s really very simple: Announce the activity in advance. For example, tell your child that at 11:00 today you’re going to have “a special activity–a super challenge of skill and will to see who can outwit their opponent once and for all.” Then when 11:00 comes, play Go Fish, I Spy, or a game of marbles. Or announce that at 2:00 you’re going to have a super science challenge, then when 2:00 rolls around try to locate ten different bugs with a magnifying glass, or float stuff on water.

I can assure you that, within reason, no matter the activity–practicing tying a shoe, counting beans, playing alphabet games, etc–if you announce it in advance it will feel special to your child.

Here’s the advantages of announcing an activity in advance:

• It builds your child’s anticipation.
• It removes the activity from the politics of the here and now.
• It reinforces your child’s confidence that you’re committed to fun.
• It improves the quality of the activity because you’ve planned ahead.

Of course you have to keep up with your child’s rapidly advancing skills. You can’t keep offering the same activities over and over. Rather–try variations on existing activities. For example, instead of just “playing blocks,” see who can build the tallest tower in less than thirty seconds, one minute, five minutes, etc. Instead of playing the same card games, introduce more challenging games like rummy or cribbage. You’d be surprised at how quickly your child catches on.

Best of Luck!

These games require a grasp of the Mayan Numeric System. If you haven’t already explored Mayan numbers with your child, it only takes a few minutes to pick up the basics: Mayan Numbers for Kids

Step 1. Getting the concept:

1) Roll two dice.
a) Assign the larger number to the 10’s place value, and the smaller number to the 1’s place value.
For example: 5 and 2 are 52
because (5 x 10) + (2 x 1) = 52.

2) Now roll three dice.
a) Assign the largest number to the 100’s place value, the middle number to the 10’s place value, and the smallest number to the 1’s place value.
For example: 5 and 2 and 1 are 521
because (5 x 100) + (2 x 10) + (1 x 1) = 521.

Step 2. Apply the concept to the Mayan Numeric System:

1) Roll two dice.
a) Assign the larger number to the 20’s place value, and the smaller number to the 1’s place value.
For example: 5 and 2 are 102
because (5 x 20) + (2 x 1) = 102.

2) Now roll three dice.
a) Assign the largest number to the 400’s place value, the middle number to the 20’s place value, and the smallest number to the 1’s place value.
For example: 5 and 2 and 1 are 2042
because (5 x 400) + (2 x 20) + (1 x 1) = 2042.

Use the concept from Step 2 to play math games with dice.

Game 1:
1) Roll two dice.
a) Assign the larger number to the 20’s place value, and the smaller number to the 1’s place value.
2) The first player to say the correct number out loud scores a point.
3) The first player to reach ten points wins.

Game 2:
1) Roll two dice.
a) Assign the larger number to the 20’s place value, and the smaller number to the 1’s place value.
2) The first player to write the number correctly scores a point.
3) The first player to reach ten points wins.

Game 3:
1) Roll three dice.
a) Assign the largest number to the 400’s place value, the middle number to the 20’s place value, and the smallest number to the 1’s place value.
2) The first player to say the correct number out loud scores a point.
3) The first player to reach ten points wins.

Game 4:
1) Roll three dice.
a) Assign the largest number to the 400’s place value, the middle number to the 20’s place value, and the smallest number to the 1’s place value.
2) The first player to write the number correctly scores a point.
3) The first player to reach ten points wins.

Game 5:
1) Roll two dice.
a) Assign the larger number to the 20’s place value, and the smaller number to the 1’s place value.
2) Multiply the two numbers.
For example: 4 and 3 are 240
because (4 x 20) x (3 x 1) =
80 x 3=
240.
3) The first player to say the correct number out loud scores a point.
4) The first player to reach ten points wins.

Game 6: Repeat game 5, except this time the first person to write the correct number scores a point.

Unlike electronic games, math games with dice are stimulating without being addictive. The activities, which fortify a conceptual grasp of mathematics, are fun and rewarding for the simple reason that your child is advancing skills and understanding. Best of all, there is no mistaking the source of stimulus. The basic ingredient is your child’s ability to calculate rapidly and with precision–something your child can utilize anytime under any circumstances. With electronic gadgetry, the gadget is always required.

If your child is old enough to read or write numbers, she’s old enough to have fun with this activity.

Despite what it may look like, the Mayan numeric system is pretty simple.

The Mayans use three symbols: a dot, a bar and a zero.
- The dot (originally a pebble) represents one.
- The bar (originally a stick) represents five.
- The zero (originally a shell) represents zero.

You can use things from around the house as you explore the system with your child. I used a Cheerio, a crayon and a partially flattened roll of masking tape (which I turned blue and shrunk down using a photo editor) to make the images that appear in this article.

The numbers 0-9 are pretty straight forward. What’s interesting is that from the beginning you can see that the symbols contain mathematical operations. The number two is represented as 1+1. The number three is represented as 1+1+1. The number four is represented as 1+1+1+1. The number six is represented as 5+1. The number seven is represented as 5+2, etc. You can see how simply working with numbers 0-9 can strengthen the math skills of children learning to count.

The numbers 10-19 are also pretty straight forward. Essentially you have 5+5=10, 5+5+1=11, 5+5+2=12, etc. If the symbols for 0-9 make sense, the numbers 10-19 should offer no surprises.

Starting with the number 20 the Mayan system can seem a little tricky. That’s because we’re accustomed to place value in a base 10 system. Take the number 23, for example. There are two place values: tens and ones. The 2 is in the tens place. It tells us to multiply 2×10. The 3 is in the ones place. It tells us to multiply 3×1. In other words: (2×10)+(3×1)=23.

The Mayan system uses base 20. The number 23 has two place values: twenties and ones. It tells to multiply 1×20 and 3×1. In other words: (1×20)+(3×1)=23. If that seems unusual, it’s because it draws attention to the idea of place values–something we may have forgotten about. Secondly, one of the place values is not familiar to us: the 20. It is widely believed that 20 came into play because we have 20 digits to count with–ten fingers and ten toes. Here are the numbers 20-29:

The use of two place holders continues all the way to the number 400. The number 400 starts a new place holder. Why? Because the system uses base 20. When you reach twenty 20s it’s time to move on to the next place holder (400s).

Our Arabic system uses the same principle with base 10. When you reach ten 10s it’s time to move on to the next place holder (100s).

In the Mayan numeral system the number 400 is represented with a dot (one 400) on top of a 0 (no 20s) on top of a 0 (no 1s). That’s 400+0+0=400.

The number 845 is represented as two dots (two 400s) on top of two dots (two 20s) on top of a bar (five 1s). That’s (400×2)+(20×2)+(5×1)=845.

What happens if you put two dots on top of 845? You now have four place values: the 8000s, the 400s, the 20s and the 1s. Where did the 8000s place value come from? Remember, it’s a base 20 system. When you reach twenty 400s you move into the next place value (the 8000s). So if you put two dots on top of 845, you get: (8000×2)+(400×2)+(20×2)+(5×1)=16,845.

Here are the place values viewed exponentially:

20⁰ = 1
20¹ = 20
20² = 400
20³ = 8000
20⁴ = 160,000
20⁵ = 3,200,000
etc.

You can see why the system is referred to as base 20–because the place values are established by using a base of 20 for the exponent (which increases by 1 for each new place value).

A good starter activity to do with kids is to practice making numbers with household objects–beans, popsicle sticks, etc.–or make the symbols using crayons or watercolor, then cut them out to get started.

Watch for more activities with Mayan numbers in the weeks ahead.

Good luck!

Here’s what to do:

1. Pick up a few rolls of masking tape if you don’t already have some around the house.

2. How to make a ramp: Use a flattened gift box, the back of a notebook or the face of a cereal box and lean it on top of a stack of books. Adjust the height of the books as needed during play. (Note– each player makes a separate ramp.)

Games to Play:

Game 1: See who can roll the tape the furthest. Each player uses a separate ramp. This way, each player can make unique adjustments to the ramp based on a particular strategy. The player who rolls the tape the furthest scores a point. Now roll again. The first player to reach ten points wins. (Variation: see what happens if you tape coins to the inner circle of the roll of masking tape.)

Game 2: See how many turns it takes to knock down a target. To play, set up an empty paper towel roll approximately six feet away from your ramp. Place three or four pennies under one edge of the paper towel dispenser so that it will fall down easy when struck (because it’s leaning). Another good target is a ‘T’ made from leaning two playing cards together. Player one rolls as many times as necessary to knock down the target. Now it’s player two’s turn. The player with the fewest turns wins.

Game 3: Same as game two, except each player rolls ten times. The player who is able to knock down the target the most times wins. (Variation: try rolling twenty five–even fifty–times each.)

Game 4: Place a target on the floor approximately ten feet away from your ramp. A penny makes the perfect target. Each player rolls once. The one who comes closest to the target scores a point. The first player to score ten points wins. (Variation: the player who scores a point gets to choose a new location for the target.)

Game 5: Place a piece of string on the floor approximately five feet away from your ramp. Each player rolls once. The player who rolls the closest to the string without going past it scores a point. Roll again. The first player to score ten points wins. (Variation: For added challenge, tape a few pencils to the floor to create bumps in the road.)

Rolling masking tape down a ramp offers plenty of old fashioned strategy games. The games invite trial and error problem solving, the use of a ruler, and simple counting procedures. The games also invite your child to invent new ways to play. Don’t be surprised to wake up to find your child has made an elaborate tunnel and is busy practicing. Best of Luck!

Marble games are an excellent way to strengthen your child’s ability to focus on a single activity. The games are filled with strategy, easy to play and lots of fun. One of the great benefits of marble games—if you play them regularly–is that they encourage your child to practice by herself. This promotes self-motivated learning and builds your child’s confidence in her own abilities. Here are several games your child can play on her own:

Game One – Walk the Dog

To play this game you need three marbles and an open, carpeted area (a 6′ x 9′ rug works perfectly).

1) Sit on one end of the play area.
2) Directly in front of you, make a triangle with three marbles. Space the marbles approximately six inches apart. (Figure 1)
3) Shoot the marble that is closest to you through the other two. (Figure 2)
4) Now you have a new triangle. Again, shoot the marble that is closest to you through the other two.
5) Continue with this procedure.
6) If you are unable to shoot the closest marble through the other two, or if you shoot your marble off the side of the play area, you are disqualified. Start over.
7) The objective is to make it to the opposite end of the play area in as many turns as possible. (The more turns it takes you, the more control you demonstrate.)

(Strategy: Try to keep the triangle small. The bigger it gets, the more difficult it is to complete the next turn.)

Game Two – Count the Clicks

To play this game you need five marbles.

1) Shoot one marble a foot or so away from yourself.
2) Shoot a second marble and try to hit the first marble. If you do, count that as one click.
3) Shoot your third marble. Try to hit or cause the target marbles to collide. Count the clicks and add it to your total.
4) Shoot your fourth marble. Count the clicks and add it to your total.
5) Shoot your fifth marble. Count the clicks and add it to your total.
6) Remember your score. See if you can beat the score in your next game.

(Strategy: Try to shoot softly so the target marbles stay bunched together.)

Marble games offer good old fashioned fun time after time. Wonderfully simple in nature, these games are easily adapted to all skill levels. Best of all, marble activities invite countless variations, so it should come as no surprise when your child announces that she is inventing a new game. (Again!)

When the first recess came, I decided to apply the concept behind the kids’ story, Stone Soup. First we needed a train–something easy and familiar that would gather attention. Kids fell in line behind me and the line grew longer. We wound through the playground, around a tree, over a swinging bridge, through the sandbox. All the kids had a sense of purpose.

When we reached our campsite, a patch of grass, we sat in a circle around a rubber tire, which became our kettle. I told the kids I needed a square meal as much as they did, but we’d need stuff to make a soup. Just our luck, I said, here’s an ear of corn–and I put a stone in the center of the tire. The kids took the cue and scattered across the playground collecting stuff.

They’d come back and drop a tuft of grass in the tire and say, here’s some cabbage. Here’s an onion. I caught a fish. We took turns stirring the soup. A few minutes later I used a make-believe ladle to fill their make-believe bowls, and we ate with make-believe utensils. We traded adventure stories about the pretend hills and forest where they collected things for the soup. Some stories were only one sentence long. Others were longer, but they all wanted to contribute. Not one kid was bored. No one was misbehaving.

The experience taught me how easy it is to inspire kids to focus. It doesn’t take any special resources. You don’t have to be a genius, and you don’t need a bunch of gadgets. It’s enough to remember that a little direction goes a long way.

Here, I believed, was my chance. In my opinion I would be first in every event.¹

Leading up to the event Aram imagines himself winning all of the events, not once, but hundreds of times. You would think the act of imagining success would serve to reinforce Aram’s confidence. Possibly it does, but in the end it makes no difference. Despite the fact that in the beginning of the first event, the fifty yard dash, Aram believes himself to be moving at an extraordinary rate, when he opens his eyes there are three boys ahead of him. As the race progresses, regardless of what Aram intends to happen, his position only worsens. He ends up finishing last, and faces much the same result in all the other events. What happened?

The author does a wonderful job demonstrating that all the confidence in the world is no substitute for practice. It really doesn’t matter what Aram thinks or believes. He didn’t practice.

I think diminishing the idea of confidence is an excellent lesson for parents. If we want our child to perform better in an area–say, mathematics for example, then we need to spend more time with our child on math games and exercises. Of course, it’s easier to try to instill a sense of confidence in our a child–the old “pep talk” comes to mind. On the other hand, it requires effort to set up activities and exercises to help our child to strengthen a skill set. It might require changing our habits, turning off the television, missing a few emails. But in the end, our habits, our routine–the environment that we create for our kids–is immeasurably more valuable than a confidence booster now and then.

After all, confidence isn’t a catalyst–it’s a result.

1. Saroyan, William. “The Fifty Yard Dash.” My Name is Aram. New York: Dell, 1967. Pg 51.

Here are some math games with dice to get you started. They range from simple to advanced:

Highest Number: This game is perfect for kids who are just learning to count. Each player rolls a die. The highest number wins. If there’s a tie, roll again. (Variation: Each player rolls multiple dice.)

Lightning Addition: Roll multiple dice. The first person to correctly state the sum wins. (Variation: If the number is even you must say, “Once upon a time there was a tricky, sticky number named______”[say the answer].)

Lightning Subtraction: Roll two dice. Subtract the bigger number from the smaller number. (Variation: Subtract the larger number from the smaller number, then subtract the sum of the two dice. For example, if 7 and 3 are rolled: 7 -3 = 4, and next 4 – (7+3) = -6. Therefore, -6 is the answer.)

Multiplication Exploration 1: Roll two dice. The first person to multiply the two numbers and call out the answer wins. (Variation: Use three dice.)

Multiplication Exploration 2: Roll three dice. Add the two smallest numbers and multiply the sum by the largest number. First person to state the answer wins.

Multiplication Exploration 3: Each player rolls two dice. Each player may roll up to three times. The objective is to see who can get closest to 20. If you like your first roll, stop there. If you think you can get closer to 20, roll again. If you are unhappy with that roll, roll again. You must stick with your last roll (whether you rolled once, twice, or three times). Now the other person takes a turn. Closest to 20 wins. (Variation: Play on opposite sides of a table with a cereal box between you so you can’t see the other player’s roll until you compare results.)

Dueling Exponents: Roll two dice. Square each number and subtract the larger number from the smaller. For example, if you roll 5 and 3: 5 squared is 25; 3 squared is 9; 25 – 9 = 16. 16 is the answer. First person to state the answer wins.

Get There By 4s: Roll two dice. Use the larger number for the ten’s value, and the smaller number for the one’s value. For example, 6 and 3 makes 63. Now, get to 63 using four 4’s along with these mathematical operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponent and factorial. For example, in the case of 63: You could say 4³ – 4⁰ + 4⁰ – 4⁰ = 63. (That’s 64 – 1 + 1 -1 = 63). That wasn’t very creative, but it works. Out loud this answer is stated as four to the third minus four to the zero, plus four to the zero, minus four to the zero equals sixty three. Here’s another answer for 63: 4^1/2 x 4! + 4² – 4⁰ = 63 (That’s 2 x 24 + 16 -1 = 63). Out loud this answer is stated as four to the one half times four factorial, plus four squared, minus four to the zero equals sixty three. First person to state the answer wins.

You can see how easily these math games can grow with your child. Another wonderful aspect to these activities is that they invite invention. In other words, if you get in the habit of playing these games on a regular basis, you will find no shortage of ideas concerning new ways to play. And really–what more could you ask for than to have your child inventing math games?

Best of luck!

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Don’t worry, the method is just a fun way of looking at the answers. It’s not going to tell you anything earth shattering about your child or anyone else who plays. First: the basics of playing word association with kids.

On a sheet of paper, make a list of 25 nouns. Keep the items within your child’s vocabulary. It doesn’t do any good to use a word like ‘protoplasm’ if your child has no idea what that is. Have the list ready before you play the game.

Now ask your child if she wants to play a word game. Make sure the TV and radio are off, as well as any other distractions. Explain the rules: you say a word and your child says the first word that comes into her head.

Start with item one, and continue down the list at a steady pace. Write your child’s answer next to the corresponding item on the list. That’s really all there is to the game itself. Since the activity doesn’t take very long, you might look for ways to expand the activity while you still have the luxury of your child’s full attention. You can interpret the results later.

Here’s one way to extend the activity: on a separate sheet of scratch paper write down rhymes for each pair of words. Just put the pair next to each other at the top of the page (like players in a card came). Draw a line under each word. Make a list of rhymes beneath the word. Add up how many items are in each list. Write the total under the list. Add the two totals for a grand total.

Now say something like, ‘Dog and bone will now challenge house and chimney.’ Keep track of how many rhymes each pair of words generates and compare the results. This will definitely extend the length of the game. Keep in mind you can always play half now and half later.

An advanced variation is to see how many new words you can make using the letters from each word. (For instance, chair makes hi, car, hair, char, etc.) Again, put each pair of words at the top of a separate sheet of scratch paper and list the results underneath.

Now, for interpretation. If you want to apply the following method of interpretation to your own word choice answers, then you should stop reading, not this very second but before you get to the method. (I’ll tell you when.) Otherwise your answers will not be natural (no matter how good your intentions are). So, first you need to play word association with a friend or spouse. Have the person write down 25 nouns. You know the rest. Just be sure the answers are written down. Switch roles if you want, so you can compare results. Stop reading here if you want to interpret your own answers.

One method to interpret word association answers is to distinguish between metaphoric and contiguous use of language, as described by Roman Jakobson in the essay, Two Aspects of Language: Metaphor and Metonymy. The method simply provides a unique way of looking at word choice. Basically, a metaphoric choice replaces the word with something similar (or opposite). The answer to football is baseball, for instance. Baseball replaces football. It’s similar to it, but it is something new. A contiguous answer combines the item with one of its elements. The answer to football is helmet, for instance. Helmet is an item within the set of things that goes with the game of football.

In terms of literary schools, Roman Jakobson likens the two types of language use to romantic and symbolic trends on the one hand (in the case of metaphoric predominance), and realistic trends on the other (in the case of contiguous predominance). In my experience, most people provide a predominance of contiguous answers. I suspect the more comfortable a person is with the noun, the more instant is the response to how it works. For example, door invites knob, lamp invites shade, plant invites water. Furthermore, if the person gives an opinionated answer like fun or gross, the answer is also contiguous. So it seems to me the odds are in favor of contiguous answers.

You may be tempted to assign procedural, inside the box vs. non-procedural outside the box thinking to the two types of word choices. There are too many variables to form that conclusion. For instance, someone who is really good at something–playing the piano, for example–is likely to compliment the word piano with one of its prominent features. That would be a contiguous answer. Overall, in terms of general language usage, Jakobson says, “In manipulating the two kinds of connection (similarity and contiguity). . .an individual exhibits his personal style, his verbal predilections and preferences.” ¹

The important thing is just to have fun with this activity. Kids are generally tickled by the idea. It gives them an opportunity to play with words, so to speak. Furthermore, using the answers to play rhyming games is a wonderful way to increase familiarity with words and the sounds they make. If you keep score, the activity also provides exposure to simple addition, as well as exposure to the concept of less than, greater than (when comparing totals).

Best of Luck – have fun!

1. Jakobson, Roman. “Two Aspects of Language: Metaphor and Metonymy.” European Literary Theory and Practice- From Existential Phenomenology to Structuralism. 1st ed. New York, New York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1973. Print.

- black marker (not a fine point)
- coins
- white paper
- newspaper
- tape
- crayons

There are two ways to do this art project. The first method is the easiest. It uses closed composition. Closed composition keeps objects within the borders of the paper. If you take a photograph of a vase, for instance, chances are the composition will be closed–the vase will be contained within the borders of the photograph.

Project 1 – Balloons: Closed Composition

What to do:

1) Tape the four corners of a white sheet of paper to your work surface. If you’re using an 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper, turn it sideways so the width is greater than the height.

2) Place five coins at varying heights on the upper half of your paper. Careful not to put any coins too close to an edge.

3) Allow your child to use a black marker and, starting at the bottom of the page, make a line traveling upwards, and then make a loop or circle around the first coin. Have your child do this without lifting the marker from the surface of the page.

The object isn’t to trace the outline of the coin, but to use it as a reference to make the loop or circle.

4) Repeat step three for each of the coins.

5) Allow your child to color in the balloons using crayons (or watercolor–just keep the brush on the dry side if you are working on normal household paper, then brighten the colors by doing more than one coat).

6) Remove tape from paper. BE CAREFUL–peel tape AWAY from your paper to keep it from tearing (think of the paper’s corner as an arrow indicating which direction to peel the tape).

The second project uses open composition. Open composition does not contain objects within the borders of the paper. If you point a camera out your living room window, for instance, chances are the composition will be open–some objects, trees, etc. will be halfway off the photograph.

Project 2–Balloons: Open Composition

What to Do:

1) Tape a sheet of newspaper to your work surface.

2) Tape the four corners of a sheet of paper to the middle of the newspaper. Be sure to turn the paper sideways to allow more horizontal work space.

3) Place seven coins on the sheet of paper. Three coins will be located near the middle. One will be exactly on the left border. One will be a little under the top border and one will be a little above the top border. The last one will be on the right border.

4) Allow your child to use a black marker and, starting at the bottom of the page, make a line traveling upwards, and then make a loop or circle around the first coin. If the coin is near the edge of the paper, allow your child to make part of the loop off the paper (and onto the newspaper). Have your child do this without lifting the marker from the surface of the page.

5) Repeat step four for each of the coins.

6) This step is optional: Now, remove the art work from the newspaper and tape it to a new sheet of newspaper. Why do this? Because it will include your child in the process. Rather than have your child “surprised” by the result, it will help her to understand the working process of open composition. How does it do this? Because she’ll see that some of the loops are only half loops before she colors them.

7) Allow your child to color in the balloons.

This art project allows kids to practice making circles or loops by using objects (coins) as a guide. To create variety in size, use different sized objects–for instance: cheerios or milk gallon lids. The project also exposes kids to the idea of open and closed composition. An advanced variation of this project is to draw the balloons freehand, without an object guide. Once your child is comfortable making freehand balloons in both open and closed composition, she’ll be ready to apply the concept of open composition to any art work.

Good luck!

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