Bringing play into mathematics learning using digital tools

Games, puzzles and storytelling enhanced by technology can bring numeracy concepts to life and make mathematics learning more accessible and engaging. In this tutorial we explore some activities and tools that teachers can use in their classrooms.

Interactive learning and gamification 

Gamification and interactive learning can help address low pupil motivation. Teachers can use strategies like friendly competition, rewards and hand-on experiences to make learning maths more fun and effective. 

• Establish weekly challenges with maths-based digital games to track progress individually and as a group.
• Set up maths escape rooms or treasure hunts by hiding problems around the school that lead to the next clue. You can integrate QR codes that link to digital puzzles, promoting engagement in problem-solving.
• Introduce board games that focus on numerical skills.
• Teach percentages, decimals and statistical trends in a real-world context using simulated stock market games (such as Stock Market Learning).

The EuroM@thgan Adventure, for example, takes players on a mathematical journey across Europe, linking maths concepts to cultural landmarks and history.

In Archipel (part of the EU’s 2024 Digital Education Accelerator programme), pupils explore virtual islands to make mathematics an interactive adventure. Players face challenges such as battling the Kraken, which tests their mental maths skills, and meeting Olaf the Viking, who evaluates their numeracy.

Real-world applications and examples

Applying mathematics to real-world situations makes abstract concepts more tangible and helps pupils see the practical value of what they’re learning. Teachers could try out these examples with their pupils:

• Teach budgeting and financial literacy with real-life expenses: ask pupils to plan a budget for a school trip or to calculate discount percentages or interest rates.
• Use cooking and baking for fractions and ratios: adjust a recipe for more people, combine ingredients or make measurement conversions.
• Analyse real-world data (poll or election results, weather data, business revenues).

Cultivating tulips and math skills by the M@thgan project invites pupils to come up with the most efficient design and optimise space in a flower bed to cultivate the most flowers, respecting the suggested measures and distances.

Another example, MathCityMap, enables creating and sharing of maths trails, where pupils use GPS coordinates to find and solve maths problems in their surroundings. It combines physical activity with learning, offering a fun, hands-on way for pupils to apply mathematical concepts in real-life contexts.

Visual representation and storytelling

Using visual tools and creative storytelling techniques can help bring mathematics to life. These approaches can inspire pupils:

• Turn mathematical problems into stories or role-playing activities.
• Use comic strips and cartoons to explain mathematical concepts.
• Use digital tools like GeoGebra or Desmos to visualise mathematics.
• Provide maths concepts such as geometry or measurement in a fun, creative way. For example, Tinkercad lets pupils design 3D shapes, explore geometric concepts and visualise measurements.

Materials created by the M@thgan project can be used to tell stories about mathematicians like Thales, who applied geometry to solve real-world challenges.

Interdisciplinary approaches to mathematics

Linking mathematics with other school subjects can make learning more engaging and practical.

• Arts: teach symmetry using mandalas or geometry by creating optical illusions; explain angles and fractions using origami.
• Music: demonstrate fractions using rhythms and musical notes (quarter, half and whole note).
• History: compare ancient number systems to modern ones or decode historical maths puzzles.
• Physical education: use sports data to teach statistics; calculate angles using basketball shots.