Maths for Fun / Maths Week
In recent years in our school, we have run ‘Maths for Fun’ in our classrooms. This is an initiative which aims to promote parental involvement in education, as well as instilling a love of mathematical concepts in children. Parent volunteers are invited to come into the classroom to help the class teacher to facilitate and engage in various maths games and fun activities with the pupils in a small group setting. Sessions take place once per week, for a period of one hour over a designated number of weeks.
The initiative aims to give children an opportunity to apply mathematical concepts that they have learned in school in a fun and relaxed, but structured way. The children and parent volunteers form small groups and play simple maths games together. It also gives parents an opportunity to share a special time together and to take part actively in their children’s lives at school.
Properly structured games offer teachers rich opportunities to develop a pupil’s reasoning, problem solving and communicating skills. Simple maths games such as those with dice, number or patterning also reinforce number recognition, promote cooperative play and give older pupils an opportunity to design their own board games.

