5 Ways to Make Flashcards Fun

The following is a post from contributing writer, Paula, from Average Housewife.

I believe memorizing math facts is extremely important. They are the basis for all future math my child will learn. When I started this school year and realized that my son did not know his math facts as well as I wanted him to, I knew we would have to spend some extra time doing flashcards.

Computer games are fun, but I like using flashcards because then I can control what problems my child is working on. I can also keep track of what they may need more or less work on.

On the other hand, flashcards can be tiresome for both me and my kids. Lets face it, going through the same cards every day can get boring. I have had to become creative and make it more fun so that we could get these facts memorized in an enjoyable way.

1. Parking Cars. Make a parking lot on a piece of paper. In each parking spot write the different numbers that they will be answering. Have your child park their hotwheels car in the answer spot.
   
2. Target Practice. I give my son his nerf gun and every time he gets an answer right he gets to shoot the target. The target can be plastic cups on a ledge, ping pong balls on golf tees, or an old stuffed animal. If your child is a good aim you could even put numbers on the targets, so that they have to shoot the correct answer.
3. Building creations. My son came up with this idea on his own. We get his Legos or K’nex out and each time he get’s an answer right he gets to add a piece to his creation.
4. Twister. I found a Twister game at a garage sale this summer. I knew immediately that it would be a great school tool. I have written numbers on the circles and they can use any part of their body to show me the answer.
   
5. Bean Bag Toss. Make a grid of numbers on the driveway with chalk and have your child toss the bean bag on the correct answer.

What ways do you  make flashcard practice fun?

Paula is the homeschooling mother of three. She writes about homeschool, faith, homemaking, and healthy living at Average Housewife. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.