‘Mom/Dad, let’s solve a maths problem’ doesn’t fit into the everyday bedtime norm. But it is vital that parents enable kids by doing so at least once or twice a week to get the child interested and perform better in Mathematics.
Solving maths problems or having maths discussions with children during bedtime can develop their performance in the subject. Using resources like maths books, illustrations, maths apps and games help children to build a strong maths background. It’s not only about learning maths, but children start grasping how maths applications are a part of daily life and not just academics. They start understanding the value that the subject brings in.
This World Sleep Day, we have curated some fun bedtime problems that are both simple yet thought-provoking and exciting to play around with. They tickle cognitive ability and sail kids to the land of peaceful dreams and better sleep.
10 minutes to get to 10: Pick a number, say 10. Ask your kid to apply additions, subtractions, multiplications, and divisions and figure out how many ways are there to get to the destined number 10 (9+1, 18-8, 20\2, 5*2, and so on). Time them and discuss the solution explaining the possible answers.
Age is just a number and a fun math trick: Throw some age problems at the kids. Say, if 2 brothers are 3 years apart in age, how old will the younger brother be if the older brother turns 27. Or probably a more quizzing one – if Karan is 5 years older than Girish and if Girish will be twice as old as Karan in 2 years, how old is Girish?
The multiples game: This is a fun game that you can play using multiples of 3, 5, and 7. For multiples of 3, you say ‘Buzz’, for multiples of 5 you say ‘Fizz’, and for multiples of 7, ‘Zap’. So the game is 1, 2, buzz, 4, fizz, buzz, zap, 8, buzz, fizz, 11, buzz, 13, zap, buzz and fizz and zap, 16, and so on. It’s a fun and engaging game that will ensure both you and your child get the sleep you deserve.
Bedtime Fibonacci: Doing the count based on the Fibonacci sequence for as long as you can. In the Fibonacci sequence, every number is the sum of the previous two and the count will go from 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5…, and so on.
Primetime: Play a game where you can try and get the sequence of prime numbers. See for how long your kid can go before s\he turns in for the night. To make it more fun for your older child, ask them to count the prime numbers from 200 backwards!
You can add more twists, turns, and interactive stories to the problems to make bedtime more fun. These problems will help children understand mathematics like basic BODMAS calculations, fractions, ratios, tables, and charts. Just like any other activity that takes shape at an early age in children and becomes a habit or a skill as they grow up, math problems also lead to insightful conversations and spring their potential. So, before you tuck your child to bed, cuddle up and give them some mental math food to improve their performance.
— Authored by Manan Khurma, Founder & Chairman, Cuemath
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