Games

Not all of us a bursting with creative game ideas, but there are several ways to go about creating a game that will assist even the busiest and most reluctant game designer.

This article supplies teachers with information that may be useful in better understanding the nature of games and their role in teaching and learning mathematics.

This article, the second in the series, looks at some different types of games and the sort of mathematical thinking they can develop.

Basic strategy games are particularly suitable as starting points for investigations. Players instinctively try to discover a winning strategy, and usually the best way to do this is to analyse the outcomes of series of 'moves'. With a little encouragement from the teacher, a mathematical investigation is born.

This article for teachers describes several games, found on the site, all of which have a related structure that can be used to develop the skills of strategic planning.

This article invites you to get familiar with a strategic game called "sprouts". The game is simple enough for younger children to understand, and has also provided experienced mathematicians with significant food for thought.

An article for teachers and pupils that encourages you to look at the mathematical properties of similar games.