Week 37: MathMunch

This week's newsletter is also translated into Spanish from Ed Campos. Give him a follow on Twitter and share the link with your friends: bit.ly/TTM37spanish

You probably already know this, but the Internet is an amazing (and intimidating) place to be. For kids looking to feed their curiosity, online games are especially popular. This week, I wanted to share my favorite place to go for high quality games: mathmunch.org/games
No matter how old your child is, and no matter your level of math comfort, there is a game for you and the family to play. With 34 games currently shared on the webpage, you are certain to have a good time and can take comfort in the fact that the team at Math Munch have vetted the games for value and relevance.

With that said, there are some pointers that I recommend:

Playing the game with your child. Opening up the browser and walking away has much less value than sitting down and taking the time to talk through strategies, share new ideas, and bond over the successes and failures.

Limiting the time on the game. Have you ever played a game for so long that you lost track of the clock? No? Just me? OK, well let me tell you that it's easy to do, especially when you're focused. If you and your child set a time limit, you can pace yourselves and ensure a meaningful interaction.

Having fun! Games are intended to be fun, and they're more fun when playing alongside someone you love. If a game gets too frustrating or overwhelming, talk through it, then move on. Put the device away. Come back to it later. There's no need to create tension in something designed to bring people together.
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