Math Games
Math doesn't have to be page after page of dull worksheets. In fact, since math is intended to be a real-life skill, it is important to take it out of the books once in while. Use real life experience and games to practice the necessary skills without boring your child.
Multiplication War
If you dislike violent game names, you can change the name of this game, since you are going to be changing the rules, anyway. There are several ways to play this as a multiplication game and it's a fun way to memorize facts.
Begin by dealing the deck to all who are playing. Have each person lay out their top two cards. (An alternative would be to have each person lay out one card and draw one card from a neighbor or a pile of extra cards.) Players then multiply the numbers on their cards and the person with the highest total wins all the cards. Whoever has all the cards at the end of the game is the winner. This can be adapted to review addition and subtraction as well.
Math for Active Children
Adding movement to math makes even everyday drills seem like more fun. When I tutored a hyperactive child, I had her stand across the room. I called out a math problem, and she decided the answer and then ran or hopped or skipped across the room to write the answer on the board. Another variation is to put numbers of squares of paper. Tape them to the walls. Have the children move around the room to gather the numbers to make the problem and solve it. Be sure to make cards for mathematical symbols. You can even do this sitting on the floor with stacks of numbers for a quieter version of the game.
Make Your Own Math Problems
Take your paper out into the yard. Have your child write story problems based on the things he seems around him. Then solve them immediately. Example: I see two white butterflies and three multi-colored butterflies. Altogether I see five butterflies. 2+3=5.
Math Hopscotch or Twister
This takes some thinking to make sure numbers are accessible to each other. Put numbers into hopscotch squares. Call out a problem in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions or whatever else you are studying and have your child hop to the two numbers in the problem and then the answer. You can even add the symbols to make it more complicated.
Math Twister
Put numbers on your Twister board. Have the child touch each of the two numbers in the game and the answer with his hands and feet. Since he has two of each, you can even use this for problems in which you add three numbers. You can also have younger children just hop or run to the numbers.
Sidewalk Chalk Math
Have your child do the problems on the driveway with sidewalk chalk instead of on paper. Somehow this always seems more fun!
Math Tag
If you have a group of children try playing math tag. The person who is IT calls out a math problem. Then she chases the others, who must call out the answer to be safe. Once a correct answer is given, the child who is IT chooses a new IT from those who didn't give the answer and a new problem can be called out. As a variation, the safe child can freeze and the person who is it can call out a new problem and then chase another child. Continue until all children have given a correct answer. (You can set a limit of two wrong answers if some children aren't good at math.)