Math Happiness Project

Winter has a way of stretching on. After what feels like ten million weeks of gray skies and indoor voices, we know lots of us parents are searching for something (anything) that’s not another hour of screen time or doesn’t involve elaborate set up and clean up. Here's the good news: winter is actually full of lots of opportunities for meaningful mathematical thinking, both inside the house and out in the cold. You might notice our suggestions below aren't about drilling facts or sneaking in...

When Travel Gets Real (and Kids Get Restless) Full disclosure: I did not set out to bring math to our travel day (even though I'm literally a teacher mom with a PhD in math education). But when my 6-year-old was whining about being bored in the airport, I decided to turn it around on her so I asked, "If you're bored, what do you think you can do about that?" She thought for a moment and to my surprise responded, "Look around and think of a math question?" Obviously, I wasn't going to argue...

We love baking with our kids (especially when it’s time for holiday cookies) and we know many of you do as well! But did you know it's also one of the best opportunities to explore math in a way that feels natural and purposeful?  When you're measuring flour, setting timers, and dividing cookies among family members, you’re naturally doing math. But there's a difference between pointing out math while you bake and actually helping kids develop mathematical understanding. Here's the thing: not...