Computer Museum Guide: The Best Math Exploration Titles

The Best Math Exploration Titles

These games and puzzles encourage kids to explore math concepts, hone their reasoning skills and develop strategies to solve problems.

For Kids 4-6
Category: Math Skills
Publisher: Edmark (800) 691-2985
The best beginning math program we've seen! Millie's seven activities provide whimsical opportunities to explore beginning math concepts like quantity, number recognition, counting, shapes, patterns, sizes, comparison and beginning addition and subtraction.

For Kids 3-6
Publisher: Broderbund (800) 521-6263
A spunky collection of early math activities that range from simple number recognition all the way to beginning addition and subtraction. Topics are similar to those in Millie's Math House with two excellent exceptions: the Pencil Box activity offers an inventive introduction to estimating and measuring, and the telling-time activity is one of the clearest we've seen.

For Kids 4-9
Publisher: WarnerActive (818) 840-2358
A playful combination of I-Spy activities and math challenges, featuring Waldo in his signature red-striped cap and shirt. A good choice if you have a Waldo aficionado who could benefit from some time math. Activities range from basic number and shape recognition to problems that explore division, weights and measurements and visual and auditory discrimination.

For Kids 5-8
Publisher: Davidson (800) 545-7677
One of the few software programs designed to let kids play with money, and in the process get some practice in basic money math, including identifying and counting coins and making change. Graphics of actual coins and bills are not as detailed and clear as we'd like.

For Kids 5-9
Publisher: Theatrix Interactive (800) 955-TRIX
Imaginative and challenging activities - featuring an odd but endearing pair of aliens known as Snootz - that encourage kids to discover problem-solving strategies and hone math thinking skills as they play. Kids who have outgrown Millie's Math House will be especially charmed by Snootz Math Trek: It's from the same development team and picks up at the skill level where Millie's leaves off.

For Kids 5-12
Publisher: Broderbund (800) 521-6263
A great new twist on classroom math that adds multimedia to the intriguing mathematical challenges recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Puzzle-solving, estimation, logic and pattern-recognition activities are a visual delight, as well as tantalizing brain teasers.

For Kids 5-12
Publisher: Voyager (800) 337-4989
Fast, spirited games that encourage kids to hone their skills in estimation, logical reasoning and problem-solving. The software makes brilliant use of video, presenting kids with vivid, funky photographs that change in response to the child's gameplay strategies

For Kids 6-10
Publisher: Putnam New Media (800) 788-6262
Inventive puzzles let kids explore mathmatical relationships with help from two mischievous elves. Based on the fanciful illustrations of Mitsumasa Anno, this title has a quiet watercolor feel and gently amusing animations. Good for kids who like math challenges.

For Kids 8-12
Publisher: Sanctuary Woods (800) 872-3518
A program that convincingly shows how math does matter for real-life people who work at an airport. As kids explore a passenger cabin, cockpit, control tower, repair hangar and service area, they encounter realistic (and reasonably intriguing) scenarios that entail using math. Educationally sound but too low-key and static for many kids.

For Kids 8-12
Publisher: Creative Wonders, (800) 543-9778
A good-looking program designed especially for practicing word problems. On the plus side: Bold, colorful graphics; a funky hero; a focus on complex reasoning and understanding how to apply basic computational skills; excellent explanations. On the minus side: the low-key adventure won't work for fast-action kids.