You don't need a formal "math game" to build strong mathematical thinking. Whether predicting outcomes, managing resources, or recognizing patterns, players practice deep math skills every time they play. In this Talking Math we explore the research-backed benefits of game-based learning and how everyday play builds natural number sense.

In this week’s Talking Math… taxes aren’t about forms—they’re about decisions. From estimating your total at the store to understanding refunds, here’s how real-life math shows up every day.

In this week’s Talking Math, we explore how universal design helps make math truly for everyone. When math experiences are designed with different bodies, brains, and learning styles in mind from the start, more people can explore ideas and share their thinking. The result is a richer, more joyful mathematical experience for all.

In this week’s Talking Math, we explore the many ways cultures around the world have counted beyond “1, 2, 3.” From the Maya base-20 system to body counting in Papua New Guinea and pattern-based numbers in Yoruba culture, counting has always been creative, cultural, and human. These examples invite families to see numbers in new ways and discover that math has never belonged to just one story.

Perspective changes everything — in math and in life! This week’s Talking Math invites families to play with how we see size and space. From silly camera tricks to artistic vanishing points, it’s all about noticing how your view changes what you see.

Ever look at a tiny model house and think, "Whoa, how does that little thing represent something so HUGE?" That's scale: a sneaky little math concept that pops up in the most unexpected places. It's the secret bridge between the real world and the mini-worlds we create to understand it.

This week, mathematician and mom Amy Gonzalez shares ways to explore the math concept of rates of change. From spooky commutes to candy distribution, you can empower your kids to find the math in everything Halloween-related. Click the link to learn how to find math in your own fall fun 🎃🍬🦇

When educator and mom Amy Gonzalez was a child, she devoured stories where heroes sailed on pirate ships or rode in giant peaches. Real-life methods of travel may not feel as epic, but you can still make your daily commute exciting for your kids with a little imagination—and a little math, too.

Teaching kids about money doesn't have to be complicated. Even everyday errands can turn into fun math lessons! From scanning groceries at the self-checkout to playing shop, you can help your little ones build essential financial literacy skills in no time.

On September 16, 2025, math left us a little puzzle gift. Want to play? Maybe it’s not an official holiday, but in my opinion it should be.

Baking together with your kid is a great way to teach life skills, but it’s also a very practical application of mathematics. This week, SUMM educator Amy Gonzalez gives tips to teach fractions and units through baking delicious recipes!

Struggling to make estimation fun and easy for your kid? In this week’s Math Chat, SUMM educator and mom Amy Gonzalez discusses simple, playful methods to boost spatial reasoning and comparison skills.

Remember those word problems in math class about buying hundreds of watermelons? Or guessing the number of jellybeans in the giant glass jar? They’re all part of your number sense. In this week’s Talking Math, SUMM educator Amy Gonzalez shares ways to build your kid’s number sense skills in their everyday life.

While reading your kid(s) a bedtime story, why not mix in some conversations about math? In this week’s Talking Math, SUMM educator and parent Amy Gonzalez shows easy ways to find and highlight the math concepts in the stories you’re already reading.

As adults, we subconsciously engage in mathematical thinking every day. How do we teach those learned skills to our children? And how do we do it without projecting our own feelings about math?

This week, SUMM educator and math teacher Amy Gonzalez provides a look into ways adults can help the children in their lives learn the skills we take for granted.

In this week’s Talking Math, we’re highlighting a powerful tool for nurturing confidence and shifting perceptions about math: “Which One Doesn’t Belong?”

In this week’s Talking Math, we’ve chosen a few ways to involve your child in your travel plans, and share how they relate to different math skills.

In this week's Talking Math, we’re sharing three wet and wild activities that will help kids (and their adults!) explore math concepts.

In this week’s installment of Talking Math, we’ll be sharing some tips on how to use a farmers market to make math relatable and fun. We’ll also be sharing some tips to help you boost your confidence in the process.

In this week’s Talking Math, we gathered even more of our favorite math books for preschool and pre-kindergarten age kids. This is not an exhaustive list, so look out for more book recommendations from us!