Why Summer Maths Practice Matters

Summer holidays are a time for children to relax, but it’s also common for them to experience the “summer slide” in maths — losing confidence and fluency after six weeks away from learning.
The good news? You can keep your child’s number sense, reasoning, and mental maths sharp without formal lessons. With fun, everyday activities, maths becomes part of summer fun — no pressure, just playful learning!

🎮 Best Free and Affordable Maths Apps (EYFS to KS2)

✅ White Rose 1-Minute Maths (FREE)
Great for EYFS & KS1 to practise subitising, bonds, and counting fluency.
✅ Times Tables Rock Stars (Subscription)
Fun, gamified times tables practice — a classroom favourite in KS2.
✅ DoodleMaths (Free trial available)
Adapts to your child’s needs, ideal for 4–11-year-olds.
✅ Hit the Button
Classic fast-recall game for number bonds, doubles, and tables (KS1–KS2).

🎲 Best Board Games for Practising Maths Skills

✅ Sum Swamp (Ages 5–8) https://amzn.to/4nZCOBb
Quick addition and subtraction practice for KS1.
✅ BrainBox Maths (Ages 7+) https://amzn.to/3IBugAl
Boosts memory, reasoning, and mental maths speed.
✅ Orchard Toys Magic Maths (Ages 5–7) https://amzn.to/3TS8uux
Interactive mental maths with a magic reveal twist.
✅ Monopoly Junior / Monopoly Classic (Ages 6+/8+) https://amzn.to/4m8HyTw
Real-life money maths — counting, budgeting, adding change.
✅ Yahtzee (Ages 6+) https://amzn.to/4lDi5Bz
Mental addition and multiplication with fun dice strategies.
✅ Ticket to Ride: First Journey (Ages 8+) https://amzn.to/4lH6txw
Counting, sequencing, map reading with a competitive edge.
✅ Pizza Fraction Fun (Ages 6–10) https://amzn.to/413V4PQ
Perfect for fraction fluency through hands-on, visual learning.
✅ The Game of Life (Ages 8+) https://amzn.to/44FRLAX
Teaches budgeting, money management, and percentages.
✅ Blokus (Ages 7+) https://amzn.to/3GRTQk3
Builds spatial awareness and geometric reasoning.

🏡 Everyday Maths Ideas You Can Do Anywhere

🥄 Cooking Maths
Fractions, weighing, measuring, doubling recipes = tasty maths.
🚗 Travel Maths
Count landmarks, calculate journey times, or do quick car games.
🛒 Shopping Maths
Pocket money budgeting, adding discounts, estimating totals.
🌱 Gardening Maths
Counting seeds, measuring plant growth, sorting by size.

These practical, real-life maths activities develop your child’s confidence in a natural, low-stress way.

❤️ Focus on Confidence, Not Perfection

✅ Short, fun maths bursts
✅ Play-based learning
✅ Build confidence, not pressure
✅ Encourage maths talk in everyday situations
✅ Prioritise enjoyment over perfection


📝 Quick Summary – Summer Maths Success Tips:

✔️ Use free maths apps for 5–10 minutes a day
✔️ Play board games with maths thinking
✔️ Involve kids in real-life number skills
✔️ Focus on confidence — make it fun!


Final Thoughts

Summer is the perfect time to show children that maths is everywhere — and that it can be enjoyable! A few minutes a day of maths fun keeps confidence high and makes the September return easier and less stressful.


📥 Bonus Free Download

✨ Grab my FREE Summer Maths Challenge Printable — perfect for a fun, no-pressure way to keep maths alive!