Math is Fetching
When played as a game…
Is your kiddo having issues with addition and subtraction at school? Are they coming home at the end of a long school day only to complain about the hundred math questions they have assigned as homework?
Fret no more, frazzled parent! PBS Kids and the Department of Education have partnered to create a fun and challenging math app called Fetch! Lunch Rush that might just make math learning fun. It’s based on the PBS kids cartoon called Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman.
Fetch! Lunch Rush is an augmented reality, multi-player game in which you manage the lunch orders at Ruff’s movie set. It was funded by a Department of Education grant to supplement standards for first and second grade math.
This is a physically and mentally engaging game that gets kids thinking about addition and subtraction, and moving around the room. Winning in two ways, right?
To play this game you must print and cut out out paper game pieces with numbers on them that are the answers to Ruff’s questions about how many pieces of sushi different characters have ordered. The pieces are then spread out on flat surfaces around the room. Players race to what they think is the correct game piece to answer the math questions with their smart device, which they use to send the orders to Ruff.
Math skills are prominent in this game. So, it’s better for kids who know their numbers and are ready for a new challenge in learning how numbers work. Younger children will probably find it too challenging to play, but this game would be a lot of fun for 6 and 7 year olds, especially when played together as a group.
Parents can definitely play this game with their kids, helping them to think about the math questions they are given. However, there is no way to select difficulty levels in order to level the playing field between you and your child. So, you might find yourself pretending that you don’t know answers in order to give your child a chance.
There are two downsides to this app. First, having to print the game pieces means that there is extra stuff to haul around with you and the smart device. This is more of an at-home game than one that would be useful when on the go. Secondly, it’s not available on Android devices, which is a bummer for those of us looking for a high quality math app that’s free.
Check out what else the Smart App Moms said about it by watching our video:
