Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Memorizing math facts has never been a favorite of my children. However, I know that being familiar with those basic facts can make upper level math much easier. So, I am always looking for ways to help them get more familiar with math facts without using flashcards. One thing my children all enjoy is board games. We have a cabinet full and they are happy to play anytime I offer. I was excited when we were offered the opportunity to review Math Sprint – The Mental Math Game from Byron’s Games.
This spring we were able to review their geography game Continent Race and knew that they had quality materials. My children were a bit on the younger and older side for Math Sprint – The Mental Math Game but they all agreed they wanted to give it a try.
When Math Sprint – The Mental Math Game arrived, one of the first things I noticed was the bright colorful box. It was very inviting and made the children excited to give it a try. The game included a brightly colored game board, playing pieces, and 258 playing cards. They also included 10 blank cards and a dry erase marker so that you can add your own questions.
As I looked over the instruction sheet, I was pleasantly surprised at how many different ways they had included to modify game play to the students which were playing. Of the 258 playing cards, 92 were addition and subtraction and 106 were multiplication and division. There were also 30 wild cards and 30 challenge cards. If you were playing with younger children you could simply remove the multiplication and division cards for simpler play. If you had students that needed to focus on multiplication and division, you could play with just those cards. In addition, there were three different lengths of play. They had the 100m, 200m, and 400m dash. You could shorten or lengthen the play for everyone or have older children play a longer race and younger children a shorter race to level the playing field. You can also play as individuals or teams.
The game is designed to improve mental math. Play is fairly simple in that the coach reads one of the two math questions on the card they draw and then the first person or team to answer correctly gets to move forward two spaces on the ‘track’ which is printed on the game board. Whomever finishes their race first is the winner. There are also spaces on the track which have the children get up and do some movement exercises.
When we played we typically let my 12 and 14 year-old children each play as individuals and an adult would team up with my 6 year-old. This allowed him the chance to answer the ones that he knew but also get some help since his brother and sister were naturally faster with the math. They were also often kind enough to slow down a bit on the easier questions to give him a chance at success. Depending on the length of race you chose a game would typically take about 15-30 minutes to play.
Overall, my children still don’t love math facts but they enjoyed Math Sprint – The Mental Math Game. I loved that it was flexible enough for us to play together and that they could work on an important skill while they played. If you want to make learning those math facts more fun, I highly recommend this game. You can play it with as few as two players or up to eight teams of players so it is very flexible and could even be used in a co-op or classroom setting. I look forward to seeing what game the folks at Byron’s Games come up with next. Make sure to check out what the other Review Crew families thought by clicking on the graphic below.
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