With gift-giving at the forefront of our minds this month, we at Mathnasium of Friendswood want to offer some gift ideas that capitalize on a passion for math. Whether you’re giving to a self-described “math nerd” or your child struggling with their confidence in math, these gift ideas are great ways to keep your loved one’s skills sharp!
A Deck of Cards
One simple gift idea designed to hone math skills is a regular deck of playing cards. Playing cards make a great stocking stuffer, and you can tailor your gift to the recipient’s interests with unlimited choices for card design. Try one of these math games with playing cards to kickstart the fun! There are also alternative card games like Uno, Phase 10, and Skip-bo. These games can be simple for younger children or more complicated for more advanced kids and adults. Math Fluxx is a fun option for older kids.
A Telescope
Astronomy is a science that relies heavily on the ability to make precise calculations. When we understand mathematical concepts, we understand the universe around us, and a telescope allows someone to see that math firsthand! Astronomy is intertwined with concepts like measurement and unit conversion as well as rate calculation and trajectory. Since telescopes make these concepts tangible, it’s a perfect gift for a math lover!
STEM Kits
The market is full of countless kits designed for kids of all ages (and adults!) Discovery #Mindblown has products ranging from marble runs to electric circuit kits, all designed to spark kids’ interest in STEM. Smithsonian brand also has a variety of kits for kids to hone their math skills, like this crystal growing. Another incredibly popular concept these days is the gift of a subscription box. Kiwico designs creative monthly STEM kits to teach kids across many age ranges about math and science.
Board Games
Math enthusiasts also have enthusiasm for board games! You can find elements of math in almost every board game – you have to count to keep score! But some great options are those games that require strategy and thinking ahead. Here is a list of board games especially suited for flexing math skills, and the list is even sorted by age! Some examples listed are Qwirkle, Set, Ticket to Ride, and Love Letter. There are so many options! You could also take a more traditional route and get your child their first chess set. Chess is the classic math strategy game and could be an activity you treasure playing together for years to come.
Math Experiences
Experience gifts are always a fun way to show a loved one you care around the holidays! Bonus – many times, the gift giver gets to participate in the experience, too! Taking a trip and visiting a museum can offer an opportunity to explore math concepts. Check out this list of ideas for museums in Texas to visit. Escape rooms are also a popular and fun way to get your child enthusiastic about math, and to flex your own math skills as well! To “escape” the room, participants will use number sense and even complete outright math calculations. Can’t get out to an escape room? There’s also this “Escape Room in a Box” that you can play right at home!
Math Themed “Stuff”
For your math lover that likes to make their passion for math known, there are plenty of options for math-themed clothing items. This search for “math clothing gift” on amazon turns up countless opportunities to wear your math on your sleeve, so to speak. Some of our favorites are this “chicken pot pi” t-shirt, this math necktie, and these Einstein socks. There are more custom options for math clothing on Etsy as well.
Here are a few more ideas of silly math-themed items:
This refrigerator magnet set of “math poetry”
This milk chocolate dice set
A Mathnasium Program!
At Mathnasium of Friendswood, we think math is pretty neat, and we like to think our enthusiasm is contagious. Share our enthusiasm for math with those on your gift list this year with a math-themed gift! The perfect gift for your child may be one of the items we have already listed, but you may want to consider giving the gift of Mathnasium to your child this holiday. Our programs make math fun because our instructors have excitement for math, and they are skilled in spreading that excitement to your child. When you give your child a program at Mathnasium, you give them a lifelong love of math and an academic advantage they can’t get anywhere else. Call us at (832)569-5073 or email us to get the process started today!
(832) 569-5073
