Why Playful Learning Brings Maths to Life
We often hear that the education system is broken and while there’s plenty of conversation around the issue, real, lasting change is still rare. In the meantime, many young children are becoming increasingly stressed and disconnected from learning. One of the subjects most affected by this is maths.
Maths can feel abstract and intimidating, especially when taught through worksheets and rigid routines. But the truth is, when we take play away from children, we’re not just removing fun, we’re taking away one of the most powerful ways they learn.
Play is joyful. It reduces stress, builds confidence, and creates positive emotional connections. These emotional experiences are crucial for learning, especially in subjects like maths, which are often seen as difficult. When children have fun while learning, they’re more engaged, more curious, and far more likely to retain what they’ve learned.
That’s why at Buzz Through Maths, we use playful, hands-on learning to bring maths to life, especially in our baking club.
Maths in the Kitchen
In our baking club, children do much more than just follow recipes. They measure ingredients, estimate quantities, time and explore fractions in real life. They read scales, calculate portions, adjust recipes, and they do all of this while working together, building collaboration and problem-solving skills.
This is maths in action, with delicious results.
When children bake, they see how maths connects to real life. Accurate measuring makes better cakes. Poor timing leads to burnt cookies. These consequences make maths meaningful. Suddenly, children start to care about getting it right. That sense of purpose boosts their confidence and encourages them to keep learning.
Learning and having fun
Through baking, art, and games, children engage their senses, follow instructions, and solve problems together. These types of experiences don’t just make learning fun but also deepen understanding and strengthen memory far more effectively than traditional methods.
When maths is taught in a playful, low-pressure environment, children begin to see themselves as capable, confident problem-solvers. And once they believe that about themselves, they carry that mindset into other areas of their learning and life.
At my tutoring sessions and our baking club, I combine creativity with curriculum. I show children that maths isn’t something to fear but it’s something to enjoy. By turning learning into play, we help children to love maths.
When children have fun, they thrive and that’s where real learning begins.