Rummikub Math = FAMILY FUN NIGHT!

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Using the tile game Rummikub, you can get your kids practicing math facts, counting in their heads and learning math shortcuts all while eating candy and having fun!

Be the coolest parent on the block when you lay out a nice candy bar and it is not someone’s birthday! We all know how important it is to have the ability to process math facts quickly. What about pattern recognition and sequences? These importance of these abilities carry throughout several subjects and even aid in creativity. A math game encouraging creativity? You betcha!

The first order of business it to make this a fun night for you! Make this easy and healthy clean eating Turkey Chili dish so you do not feel guilty about creating a candy bar and you don’t spend the night cleaning dishes!

While you are at the store, don’t forget the important part… the candy of course! We try to stick to candy that can be “handled” and still eaten. Lots of little fingers will be diving into the bowls, so gummy bears and snacks of the sort will not do. Our go-to candies are M&M’s, Mike and Ike, Peanut M&M’s, Junior Mints and Skittles. In order to get the highest amount of engagement out of our kids, we let them choose one candy to contribute to the candy bar. We head to the dollar store for our choices and usually spend less than $5.  All the candy gets emptied into little bowls and placed around the table. You will need the middle of the table for playing your tiles. The kids eyes are huge with anticipation of “all the candy” they could potentially get.  Most of the time they end up eating less than if we sat at the movies with treats. Another bonus to the game night!

Who is this game for?

Elementary aged kids are perfect for Rummikub. If you have littler ones, put them on teams with the older kids. they also love to help pass the candy bowls around.

Object of the game: First player to use all of his/her tiles wins.

Rules:

• Create Sets by matching at least 3 of the same numbers with different colors
• Create Runs of at least 3 consecutive numbers with the same colors

Murphy Add-on:

• When you place a run or set on the table = 1 piece of candy
• Combine runs or sets together = 2 pieces of candy
• Turn your tiles into a math equation and solve it = 3 pieces of candy

Example:

Set {5,5,5}

Math Equation: 5+5+5=15  or 5×3=15

The kids are then encouraged to write the equation down so they can refer to the total when someone adds a tile to the run or set. If someone adds another 5 tile to the set, instead of having to recount, they can refer to the answer and just add 5. We encourage shouting out answers and helping each other figure out equations in our house. Math becomes a fun topic and a team building exercise. Pretty soon there is yelling, and laughing and rolling candy across the table and they never learned that they had an evening full of learning, laughter, team building bonding.

Have you ever incorporated candy into learning? I would love to hear how! We have just discovered the learning frenzy that this causes, so lay the ideas on me!

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