By: Mia Wang

Scientists now believe that playing certain board games like Monopoly or Ladders can enhance a child’s math skills by improving their counting skills and teaching them to interpret whether one number is bigger than another.

“The team at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, Chile, came to this conclusion after analyzing the results of 19 studies.” (Dogonews). These studies were conducted from 2000 to 2023. One of the nineteen studies focused on the relationship between math and board games.

In the studies, kids aged from three to nine participated in 20-minute sessions twice a week for six weeks. In the sessions, the children would play board games under the supervision of an adult or teacher. The participants were split into two groups; the experimental group played games requiring math skills, and the control group played board games without a math element..

Before and after each study, the two groups were given a test with simple math questions. The experimental group scored significantly higher than those who didn’t.

Playing games with elements of simple math was therefore proven to enhance math skills in young children. They provide an interactive and engaging way for them to learn. It is hoped that more games will be developed for educational purposes.