Serious fun with maths: Games that engage and teach

Play is a natural way to develop thinking and is part of children’s daily lives in their early years. In this sense, the adoption of gamification strategies by pre- and primary school teachers has become increasingly common. Several studies highlight the positive impact of adopting this teaching/learning strategy. Recognizing the advantages of using games as a pedagogical strategy and understanding that children have a high predisposition to develop mathematical skills in their early years, the first author of this article organized a workshop intended for both pre-service and in-service pre- and primary school teachers. The workshop aimed to explore the use of non-digital games as educational tools for teaching and learning mathematics. Considering various research indicating that one of the reasons for gaps in mathematical knowledge is the lack of connection between formal learning and the child’s informal and intuitive knowledge, which is especially harmful when informal knowledge is poorly developed, the games explored were designed to be used both in the classroom and at home with the family. Participants had the opportunity to experience a variety of games designed to make the teaching of mathematics more engaging, interactive, and enjoyable for children. The benefits of using games as a pedagogical strategy were also discussed. To assess how workshop participants perceived the use of gamification in the mathematics teaching-learning process, a survey was conducted. Our findings suggest that the participants recognized the potential of using games in the mathematics teaching-learning process and intend to incorporate this resource in their pedagogical practices.