Math games

For nearly 10 years I've been hosting a Math games group at my local library.  The beauty of the group is that it's open to any homeschoolers.  It's a social way for my kids to meet other homeschoolers and ponder math concepts together.

I had been reading more about Charlotte Mason math and what little I could find on it from the Volumes!  It seemed that it was a given that people of Masons time knew the best practice for introducing math and continuing to teach it!  I felt like support would be helpful to me and my kids.

It began when I had two daughters that were 6 and 8.  We had been using RightStart Math as our guide to find our way through math concepts.  I had met Joan Cotter when my oldest was 4 and she highly recommended playing games together to support math.  I bought her Math games guide book.  I played math games with my dear daughter.  And soon she got tired of playing with only me.

As soon as her younger sister could play some of the games with her we invited her to play, too.  It WAS more fun to play with other kids.  So with that our math games group (or math games club) was born.  I hoped that some of the concepts we had learned at home could be encouraged, nurtured and reinforced with joy of other kids.

We continue to enjoy our time so much!  We currently meet just once a month.  We have kids from age 2 to 14.  Our gatherings are very open.  Kids and moms are spread out around the room with a whole variety of games.  Sometimes moms play with children who are not their own.  Other times kids are playing in groups they organize.  I encourage a child to consider what they want to know more about and pick the games that interest them.

What are the favorite games of the kids? 
The current favorite games are corners (a RightStart Math game), UNO, some Family Math games from the Family Math series-especially the Algebra games and Money War.  We've added Sloyd and Geography over the years as well.  It's a real joy to complete Sloyd with others your same age!

How did I go about setting it up?  
I asked the local library to use (for free) their multipurpose room.  In years past, it was free for local persons.  When the library was upgraded and remodeled, the room now was a cost to anyone. Thankfully the librarians wanted us to keep coming and offered to host the math games if I would be the organizer! So we continue to offer it free!

I invite homeschoolers I know.  I advertise the math games on my local CM book group Facebook page.  I had put an invite out in years past for homeschoolers in the area.  And my local library advertises on their calendar page.

It's important to organize the time to not conflict with our afternoon occupations.  We have found the middle afternoon time to be best.  We like to be finished with our games by the time the school kids come to the library.  We've met from 1-2 or 2-3 in the past.  One hour seems to be plenty of time to visit the different games offered.

What is the format?
I'm quite selfish in that I see where my children are and what concepts need reinforced.  I pick a few games that will make them feel confident and a few that will challenge them.  I put six to eight games out on tables and we wait for the club members to arrive!
Sometimes we wait patiently to welcome them.  Other times we can't wait to begin playing and just begin right away!
When about 30 minutes has transpired, I say in a loud voice that half of their time is up and that they would be wise to find another game to play.  Some games take less than 10 minutes.  Many times they are on their third or fourth game by the 30 minute warning.  Those that are just meeting Sloyd for the first time might still be struggling with their lines!  But overall the children are able to play four to five games in the 1 hour time slot.
Other moms have brought games that their families have enjoyed.  My kids have really appreciated learning math concepts from their friends with these new games!

What suggestions would I have for a family hoping to start Math games?  
Start small.  When you have a couple of larger families, perhaps two families is enough to begin.  I have found about 20-30 kids is a good size.  But you can play with just three or four kids!  The most faithful families that attend do not embrace a Charlotte Mason education completely and this allows for some nice discussion between kids!

Are there any concerns I should be aware of?
Sometimes seeing other kids only once a month can make some children feel shy.  If this is the case, consider meeting more often to develop the friendships.

Make sure to include the moms.  This is not a drop off Math club!  Moms interacting with kids that are not their own can create some wonderful relationships!

Have you tried playing Math games with other families?  What has been your experience?