Mathematics is everywhere—from the angles of a soccer kick to the strategy behind a winning chess move. Yet, for many students, it can feel like an abstract subject, disconnected from the real world. That’s why events like World Maths Day are so powerful. They create an opportunity to shake up the way we teach mathematics, making it more engaging, relevant, and exciting for students.
If you’ve ever struggled to get students to buy into mathematics, World Maths Day is your chance to change the game—literally. It’s an opportunity to show students the ‘why’ behind mathematics, even if that ‘why’ is as simple as beating an opponent in a game or persevering to solve a tricky puzzle!
At Number Hive, we believe mathematics should be fun, challenging, and deeply engaging. So, let’s use World Maths Day to launch a new level of enthusiasm in your classroom. Here’s how.
Turning Mathematics into a Game Worth Playing
Think about how students naturally engage in games. Whether it’s video games, board games, or sports, there’s always a clear goal, immediate feedback, and a sense of progress. Mathematics should work the same way.
When students see mathematics as a tool for achieving something meaningful—even if that something is just winning a game—it transforms the way they engage with it. They stop seeing it as just another subject and start seeing it as a challenge, a puzzle, or even a competition.
That’s where Number Hive comes in. It’s not just a game; it’s a way to build number sense, critical thinking, and strategic problem-solving skills—all while having fun.
4 Ways to Play Number Hive on World Maths Day
- Tournament Mode: The Ultimate Mathematics Battle
Turn your classroom into an arena with a Number Hive tournament. Students compete head-to-head, advancing through rounds until you crown a World Maths Day Champion!
How to play:
- Pair students up and play elimination rounds.
- The winners move on to the next round, while those who lose can continue playing friendly matches.
- Keep a leaderboard and celebrate students who show great strategy and improvement—not just those who win.
- Maze Mode: Find the Winning Path
In this mode, students navigate a mathematical maze to victory. Instead of traditional gameplay, they must analyze a nearly completed board and determine the smartest sequence of moves to win.
Note: for the Number Hive printable gameboards only (you can find them here).
How to play:
- Set up a board with a nearly finished game.
- Challenge students to identify the best possible final moves.
- Get them to explain their reasoning—what’s the most strategic path to success?
Maze Mode strengthens critical thinking, logical reasoning, and decision-making skills, helping students see patterns and strategies in a new way.
- Attack vs. Defence Mode: Team Strategy Challenge
In this mode, divide the class into two teams—Attack and Defence. The Attack team’s goal is to capture hexes aggressively, while the Defence team focuses on blocking and disrupting strategies.
How to play:
- Two students play, but their teams advise on strategy.
- The Attack team discusses and agrees on the best offensive move.
- The Defence team strategizes to block and prevent capture.
- After each move, discuss: Was the choice effective? What could have been done differently?
This approach builds collaboration, discussion skills, and a deep understanding of mathematical strategy.
- Teacher vs. Class: Can They Beat You?
Students love the chance to take on the teacher—so why not give them the challenge? Play a whole-class Teacher vs. Class showdown where they work together to try and beat you at your own game!
How to play:
- The teacher plays solo, while the class makes group decisions.
- Give students 30 seconds to discuss each move before locking in their choice.
- Encourage them to think critically: What’s our best move? What’s the teacher’s strategy?
- If they win, they get ultimate bragging rights!
This variation adds excitement, teamwork, and a competitive edge that will have students thinking strategically for days.
Making Mathematics Relevant in the Real World
One of the biggest barriers to student engagement in mathematics is relevance. Many students ask, “When am I ever going to use this?” The best way to answer that is by showing them, not telling them.
Use World Maths Day as an opportunity to make mathematics visible in everyday life:
- Bring real-world data into the classroom. Get students to analyse sports statistics, calculate probability using weather forecasts, or explore patterns in nature.
- Encourage problem-solving challenges. Can they plan a budget for a school event? Can they figure out the best way to divide a pizza evenly among a group? Mathematics is everywhere—they just need to see it.
- Use technology and games to drive home key concepts. Digital tools like Number Hive help students apply concepts in a fun and engaging way, reinforcing skills through gameplay rather than worksheets.
Rethinking Your Approach to Mathematics Teaching
World Maths Day isn’t just about a single event—it’s about using that energy to rethink how we teach mathematics every day. Instead of a subject to be memorised, what if students saw mathematics as something to be explored, tested, and played with?
Some simple shifts in your approach can make a huge difference:
- Frame mathematics as a puzzle to be solved. Rather than just teaching formulas, challenge students to discover patterns and find solutions on their own.
- Make it social. Students learn best when they collaborate, discuss, and debate. Mathematics isn’t a solitary subject—it’s a language for solving problems together.
- Incorporate play. Just as literacy teachers use storytelling and creative writing, mathematics teachers can use games, challenges, and competitions to make learning more engaging.
Celebrating Wins—Big and Small
One of the best ways to sustain engagement beyond World Maths Day is to celebrate students’ successes. Whether they mastered a new strategy in Number Hive, improved their mental calculation speed, or simply started to see mathematics in a new way—those moments matter.
- Recognise improvement, not just scores.
- Encourage students to reflect on how their thinking has changed.
- Show them that mathematics is not about being “good” or “bad” at numbers—it’s about developing confidence, persistence, and problem-solving skills.
Let’s Make Mathematics More Than Just a Subject
World Maths Day is the perfect opportunity to spark something new in your classroom. Whether it’s through competitive play, real-world applications, or rethinking how we teach, the goal is the same: to make mathematics more meaningful, engaging, and fun.
So, this year, let’s make mathematics an experience that students want to be part of. Because when mathematics feels like a game, students don’t just learn—they love to learn.
