Why practical maths activities matter over the summer – especially for children with maths difficulties, dyscalculia or anxiety
Summer holidays are a time for rest, fun and family – but for children who struggle with maths, taking a complete break from numbers can make September even harder.
Children with dyscalculia, SpLD in maths or maths anxiety often need more time – not less – to develop confidence and understanding. But this doesn’t mean formal worksheets or drilling times tables. In fact, some of the most effective support over the summer comes through everyday, practical activities.
Here’s why:
Use it or lose it: Children who find maths difficult often work hard to retain key concepts during term time. Without regular exposure, even simple skills like telling the time, counting money or estimating quantities can slip away. A summer of practical maths helps keep these skills active.
Real-life context builds confidence: Cooking, shopping, budgeting pocket money or planning a journey all offer meaningful opportunities to apply maths in non-threatening, real-world settings. This helps children understand why maths matters – and can ease anxiety by showing it’s not just about “getting it right” in the classroom.
Small, everyday wins help build self-belief: Children with maths anxiety often fear getting things wrong. Practical activities like measuring ingredients or sharing snacks into equal groups provide gentle success experiences that build confidence over time.
It strengthens connections in the brain: Learning through doing – especially when it involves movement, visual supports or hands-on resources – can help strengthen number sense and memory, especially for children with dyscalculia.
Over the summer, the most important thing isn’t to push formal learning. Instead, it’s to keep maths alive in simple, low-pressure ways. Let your child weigh fruit at the supermarket, play games with dice or count change at an ice cream van. These little moments make a big difference.
And most importantly – keep it light, fun and free of pressure. Maths confidence grows best when children feel safe, supported and successful.
So, for 42 days over this summer I’ll be posting (on Facebook and Instagram) a suggestion for a task you may wish to do at some point, but in case you would like the full list now, download it here.
Make some memorable maths memories this summer!
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