Rummikub

     I love to play games as a family. As my kids are getting older, family game night seems to be something mom and dad want to do more than the kids! We love to play cards, UNO and lots of board games. A favorite game of ours is Rummikub.

Rummikub is something my older kids are really good at, but my kindergartner is not quite old enough to understand all the complicated rules. During the day, sometimes we “play” Rummikub just her and I. Instead of the standard rules, I use Rummikub to work with her on her math skills. My daughter is a very tactile learner, so she loves to play with all the colorful tiles.

First I ask her to count out 12 tiles for each of us. Then we play Rummikub like we would play Go Fish trying to get matching numbers and laying them on the table. I make sure to repeatedly say the names of the numbers as we are playing to help her memorize them. Now that she has these numbers down, we use the tiles to make two digit numbers. Once she has her numbers down, we will use the tiles to practice her addition and subtraction skills. And since Rummikub tiles go up to 13, the tiles will be a great way to practice her times tables! 

 A fun way to practice multiplication skills with Rummikub tiles is to place the tiles upside down on the table. Have your child turn over two tiles. They then have to multiply the two numbers together. You can also practice individual times tables by placing one tile on the top of the table. Let’s say you choose a 4. Then place 12 tiles in random order beneath the number 4. The child then takes turns flipping over random tiles and multiplying that number by 4. This allows you to work through your child’s multiplication facts with them in a fun way that is more of a game than a chore!