Bryce Sizemore
Name
Math Magic: Playful Games With A Purpose (Pre-K)
Session Type
Workshop
Track
Pre-K / TK Experience
Description

Transform your math instruction by harnessing the power of purposeful play! Play isn’t just fun—it’s a vital tool for building foundational math skills in young learners. Research shows that children learn best when they are actively engaged and emotionally invested, and games provide the perfect vehicle for this kind of meaningful learning.

In this high-energy, hands-on session, discover how simple, playful activities can strengthen essential skills like counting, number sense, patterns, and early algebraic thinking. Games create a low-pressure environment where children feel safe to explore, make mistakes, and build confidence in their mathematical abilities. By incorporating movement, laughter, and collaboration, games help solidify complex concepts in ways that traditional instruction often cannot.

You’ll leave this session with a deep understanding of why play is a powerful learning tool, along with a collection of ready-to-use games that are low-prep, high-impact, and designed to keep your littles moving, thinking, and growing. Experience how purposeful play can turn math into an adventure that nurtures problem-solving, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning!

Common Core Standards
Pre-K Mathematics Skills

Numbers and Operations
Counts objects with understanding and uses one-to-one correspondence.
Recognizes and compares quantities to solve simple problems.
Uses language to discuss "how many" and compare numbers of objects.

Patterns and Algebraic Thinking
Recognizes, duplicates, extends, and creates simple patterns.
Sorts, classifies, and orders objects by size or other properties.
Identifies patterns in everyday environments.
Represents ideas with objects, pictures, or numbers.

Geometry and Spatial Sense
Recognizes, names, and works with basic shapes.
Sorts, compares, and creates shapes through hands-on activities.
Investigates how shapes interact and develops spatial reasoning.

Mathematical Processes
Applies math concepts in everyday routines.
Begins to estimate and solve problems using reasonable strategies.
Communicates mathematical thinking using language.
Represents mathematical ideas through objects, drawings, or numbers.
Session Research
Parks, Amy Noelle; Tortorelli, Laura S. (2020) Mathematical Play and Early Mathematics Learning: The Power of Using Games with Young Children

Stipek, Deborah; Franke, Megan L. (2019) Engaging Young Children with Mathematics Through Play: Guidelines for Early Childhood Mathematics

Newcombe, Nora S.; Levine, Susan C. (2021) Early Mathematics Learning in Play-Based Settings: The Power of Spatial and Geometric Thinking