International Day of Families is right around the corner but you have no idea what to do to spend the day with your whole family? Worry about going out to celebrate due to the current pandemic? Have a 6-year old at home who is looking forward to celebrating the day? Well, worry no more.
There are many ways to celebrate the International Day of Families at home, and one of them is by having a pyjama party. I know it may sound like a weird concept to have a pyjama party with your own family members in your own home, but your child will absolutely love this idea!
One way to make the pyjama party worthwhile for your 6-year old is to give it an educational theme and this year’s theme is Math!
Why Math?
Math can be applied everywhere and anywhere, from classroom activities to daily routines so finding a Math activity for your child’s sleepover party shouldn’t be a problem. Who says Math is all about sitting down and doing worksheets with your child?
Math can also be easily incorporated into your child’s playtime, tying together fun with learning. Cultivating an interest for Math at an early age is a healthy way to develop your child’s problem-solving skills and creativity through numerical games and activities. Math has also been proven to sharpen children’s memory and boost his/her mental capacity and focus.
If you agree that all this sounds like a great idea to celebrate your International Day of Families, here is a list of awesome Math-themed games and activities for you and your 6 year-old:
1- Around the Block/Circle
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Prepare:
- A ball
- List of math questions
Have your family members stand in a square or circle. Give one of them a ball and a math question that requires a list of answers. For example, count the number of chairs in the house and before the person with the ball answers, he/she will have to pass the ball to the next person. Everyone passes the ball around the square or circle as fast as they can before the person finishes answering the question! Make sure the questions are age-appropriate for your 6 year-old so he/she will be able to fully participate.
2- Coloured Shapes Twister
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Prepare:
- A DIY twister mat with different shapes in different colours
- A DIY twister game spinner
This is a good and simple one that will fill your whole entire house with laughter! The basics of the game is the same as a normal game of twister where you just spin the wheel, see what you get and try to follow the instructions given on the wheel accordingly. Only this time you’ve added different shapes into the game. This will teach your 6 year-old on the different shapes and colours, and also sharpen his/her pattern and colour recognition skills.
3- Math Bingo
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Prepare:
- Math bingo cards
Obviously, bingo night would be a wholesome, family-friendly activity for a pyjama party! This one is easy, all you need are bingo cards and math equations. Just like a normal game of bingo, but this time, the bingo cards will contain answers to math equations.
The way to check off the numbers is for the caller to state math equations such as 15 – 5 or 8 x 3. The players would have to solve the equation to check off the correct number. Children at 6 years old should be able to count by 10s and know how to compare values such as ‘greater than’ and ‘less than’. They should also know how to do simple additions, substractions, multiplications, and divisions. Children by the age of 6 should also know how to tell the time.
4- Simon Says: Math Edition
Prepare:
- List of Simon Says commands
An all-time favourite among preschoolers and also adults! Similar to a normal game of Simon Says, only this time the commands are related to Math. For example, “Simon Says make a triangle with your body”, so the players will have to contort their bodies to look like a triangle or ‘Simon Says point to something that’s total number is greater than 5” and the players will have to point to, maybe a stack of more than 5 books or more than 5 fridge magnets. The possibilities are endless with this one and your family members will surely have a good time.
5- Stand Up, Sit Down
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Prepare:
- List of numbers
- List of Math questions
All you have to do is pick a number, show the players the number and the players have to stand if the question or equation that you’ll say out loud matches the number in your hands. If it isn’t, they have to remain seated.
You can get creative by putting in requirements for standing such as if the answer is an odd number or greater than 20. This one is a very good exercise for your 6 year old to sharpen his/her ability to calculate mentally.
There are many more Maths kits, games, and activities out there suitable for you to do with your 6 year-old. The ones listed here are the best ones for a fun-filled pyjama night with your whole family. Give them a try for a wholesome, stay-at-home family day celebration.
