Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
A few months ago, I shared with you the fun my family had playing Continent Race by Byron’s Games. So, we were really excited to be given the opportunity to review their newest product, Math Sprint – The Mental Math Game.
Math Sprint is a fun, stress-free way to help your child learn their math facts. Since this is something all three of my children struggle with, I was more than happy to get them playing.
Although the box says for ages seven and up, I was easily able to get my six-year-old involved in the game as well. The major difference between this game and Continent Race is that I didn’t feel like I could play along. I was more of a bystander, making sure the kids were playing fairly. With Continent Race, the whole family could get involved.
But this game was an easy way to get all three kids playing something together. There are three different ways to play–100m Dash, 200m Dash, or 400m Dash. All that means is that the shorter the race, the shorter the game. This was a great way for my first grader to be able to play. Obviously, the point of the game is to be the first player to get across the Finish Line by moving forward two spaces every time you answer a math question correctly.
The idea is pretty simple actually: Each player takes a turn being “the Coach,” the person who reads the equation to the rest of the players. The Coach determines how many players get to answer each question, and the first one to say the answer gets to move ahead.
There are ninety-two addition and subtraction cards, 106 multiplication and division cards, thirty wild cards, and thirty challenge cards. Based on your players’ skill levels, you can choose which cards to use for the game. If the Coach should pull a wild card, they are the one who gets to follow the instructions on the card. For instance, “You drink water to keep hydrated. Go forward 2 spaces.” The Coach tips are just to help players in future problems: “When multiplying large numbers, if one of the numbers is even, divide the first number in half, and then double the second number.” There are also ten dry erase cards, as well as one marker, for the student to figure out the problem if they need to write it out.
One of the things my kids enjoyed about this game was that they were given brain breaks as well in the form of physical exercise. Along the track, there are instructions to “Do 5 hops,” “Do 10 arm circles,” “Do 10 Jumping Jacks,” “Balance on One Leg for 5 Seconds,” “Jog in Place for 15 Seconds,” and “Do 10 Torso Twists.” This physical exercise added a silly and fun addition to the game for my active kids.
My kids really enjoyed playing this game as a way to take a break from their typical math worksheets. It was great to see them working on facts together and cheering each other along. They also enjoyed choosing their players from eight possible runners–Crystal Reaction, Bootstrap Byron, Carrot McArrow, Mike Bobberman, Groovin’ Gabby, Mya Marcher, Jeffrey Ulabutter, and Mary Matherina. I think this was a nice, extra touch to creating a fun and engaging game.
Another great thing about this game is that it is for two to eight players or teams, so it can easily be played in a small homeschool or a large classroom. Also, the game only takes about thirty minutes to play, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Byron’s Games is also a great addition to any classroom because it I believe it is made to be handled by kids. The box is sturdy, and the board and cards are built to be handled. For my destructive kids, this type of game is just what they need.
Just like with Continent Race, the first time they played, my kids weren’t very happy about it. They heard the word “math” and wrote it off before we even had it out of the package! But once they got playing, they really started enjoying themselves, and I have found them getting the game out on their own a couple of different times.
If you’re looking for a fun way to get your kids to learn their math facts, then this is definitely a game you need to invest in!
Don’t just take my word for it, though. Check out what the rest of the Homeschool Review Crew has to say:
katiecruicesmith.com 