As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm always looking for more ideas of things to do with my kids. I'm usually Mom/Homeschool Teacher all day long so after we've gotten our work done, I like to unwind with my crafting. But I tend to feel a little guilty if they're just parked in front of the tv/video games while I'm working. I like things that'll keep them entertained & teach a little something too, so I was curious when we got to try out an educational math game called Speed!
Speed! was created by Julie, another homeschooling mom, to help teach her own daughter how to multiply. It was such a success with all 3 of her kids that she decided to make it into a game for other families to use.
The game is set up to help with skip counting and multiplication and two players face off to see who can match the numbers that come before or after the cards shown. There are decks for numbers 2-9 and the goal is to be the first player to get rid off all your cards.
It was helpful that each card showed the multiples for that number set. My 7yr old is a bit shaky with some of his skip counting and hasn't learned multiplication yet, so this kept him from getting frustrated as he played. And I could see him remembering the counting order the more he played and relying less on the cards to help him know what came next.
That's one of the things what I really liked most - the kids could play on near equally footing (which is usually a challenge) and it sharpened their individual skills at the same time.
It was fun for me to sit down and play with the kids too. Since it's card game style, there's no major set-up, clean-up or bits to get lost by my 3yr old. And you can play as many/few rounds or decks as you want so it can be super quick or go for quite a while. My husband & I even went head-to-head and we had a great time playing. It didn't feel like a kid's game when we were throwing down!
There's also a Speed Lite app version for the iPad. They begin as a Trainee and can advance through the levels to become a Legend. With five levels to pick from and eight numbers to skip-count this game will keep kids entertained for hours. They don't realize how much they are learning because they are busy trying to win and having fun.
I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a free sample to review. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.
Sounds like a fun way for sibs of different ages to play and build math skills together. Good to have a set at Grandma's house as well!
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