I meet so many parents who want to give their children a head start in Mathematics, but extra time outside school might just be adding to an already overloaded childhood. Pondering my own education I feel that my head start was courtesy of my grandfather who needed an opponent for Cribbage and drafted an eight-year-old Tom for the role. Cribbage (it’s an ancient card game if you’re wondering) is quite mathematical, requiring counting of various combinations of cards. But the player will pick up these ideas unconsciously, in the process of having fun.
This workshop is an exploration of the ways in which mathematics (and other skills) can be acquired through card games. I will demonstrate some traditional games and perhaps some that I have invented for teaching specific concepts. Bring your favourite card games and we can look at their mathematical content.
The workshop is aimed primarily at parents, but should be of interest to teachers and to people who want an excuse to reintroduce the card night to their lives.
