By Rob Eastaway and Mike Askew
Maths On The Go

Published by Square Peg in January 2016

Busy mums and dads are crying out for quick and easy ways to help their children with primary school maths and beyond. This book contains 101 simple tips, games and activities to make practising maths enjoyable, for you as well as your child. All can be incorporated into the everyday routine – at home and on the go – with minimal fuss and no expensive kit.

In the car?  Play a game of Pub Cricket, Are We There Yet or The Bike Helmet Count.  Standing in a queue at Legoland?  Play a game of Who Wants to be a Mathionaire? or work out how long you will be waiting before you get drenched on Pirate Falls.

Behind the scenes

This is the third (and final?) book in the Maths for Mums and Dads series, written with Mike Askew, formerly a Professor of Maths Education at King's College University, who shares my belief in the importance of play and magic in maths.  This book is a response to the many parents who tell me they don't have time to sit down and do maths with their children, let alone read up on new arithmetic methods.

All of the ideas in the book have been tested out on my children (thankfully  they are still talking to me). My son's favourite game of all is probably 'Who Wants to Be a Mathionaire?', followed closely by 'Times Table Donk'.

My own favourites? Using hand puppets to play maths with the kids has been a revelation.  And we bought our own graffiti wall for the kitchen about five years ago, which has been one of the best investments we ever made.