Quick overview:

1)  What is the educational value of our cool math games?
2)  Are the games safe for kids and the classroom?  YES!
3)  Do the game contain links to other game sites that are not safe?  (This is one of the most important things you should screen a site for!)
4)  Suggestions for classroom use of specific cool math games.
5)  What games cover specific math like fractions?

Can students build important math and thinking skills by playing fun and cool games?  Definitely!

A question that I sometimes (though not often) get from teachers is, "Hey, I don't see numbers in some of these games.  Are they really math?" 

Well, first of all, we've added more than math onto the site.  Coolmath-Games.com now has Reading and Spelling games, Geography games and Science games - woo hoo!  We also have some cool jigsaw puzzles and mazes.  But, I know what they are asking about - our cool "thinking" games like B-Cubed, Snorzees and Rotate and Roll.  At first glance, these might not seem like "educational" games...  But, just try to play them.  They'll seem simple at first...  But, then, something happens...  You have to plan ahead.  You have to figured things out.  You have to strategize.  You have to use logic.  You have to use your brain!  And THAT is what math is really all about.  I have played every single game that we have on Coolmath-Games.com and I have REALLY had to put some brain power into them.

If you (or your Principal or district) is still skeptical, I encourage you to get a book called, Don't Bother Me, Mom -- I'm Learning by Marc Prensky.

Besides, the games are FUN and way COOL.  Kids of all ages will, then, associate "Math" with "fun" and "cool" and then?  There aren't as many complaints about doing that math homework.  How do I know this?  I get LOTS of "thank-you" emails from happier parents and teachers...  and kids too.  It's all pretty cool.

Now, about the games...

Some games, we've made ourselves...  But, it's really time consuming.  So, many of our games have been created by outside game designers.

The first concern I'm sure you have - and rightly so - is for the games, themselves.  All of our games are non-violent, family friendly and safe for even the youngest of kids.  Game are not automatically submitted to our sites (as is the practice with most gaming sites.)  I check every game myself - all the way through - before I put it on one of our sites.  If there is anything even remotely questionable, I ask the author to change it.

The second thing I want you to know is that none of our games contain links to other game sites.  Most game sites are now called "Gaming Portals" and, as you guessed, a "portal" is an entrance that leads to somewhere else.  Typically, websites can get free games to put on their sites, but these games contain big ads and links over to OTHER game websites.  They are portals to somewhere else... and, almost always, these other sites contain games and advertising that are not acceptable for kids.  Cool Math Games (and SpikesGameZone.com are NOT portals!!)  If we want to get a game that someone else has created, we contact the author and negotiate a special licensing fee where we can get these links all taken out.  This way, we can ensure that your kids don't wander from our safe sites to somewhere that isn't safe.

Some suggestions for classroom use:

Our Lemonade Stand and Coffee Shop games are great business simulation games and many teachers utilize these in their lesson plans.  The kids have to buy inventory and make guesses at how much inventory they will sell and at what cost for the next day's weather conditions.

Our B-Cubed and Bloxorz games are great for classes to play together.  There's some real brain work and figuring involved on these.  The coolest thing about B-Cubed is that there's more than one solution.  You can break the kids into groups and see how many different solutions you can come up with.

Also note that we've disabled the "high score" functions on all our games so that you can have real classroom competitions.  Also, this way your kids won't get bummed out because they can't beat the high score of some tech guy who lives in his Mom's basement.  They can compete against their OWN best score!

And, teachers, please do check out our (relatively) new Reading/Spelling games and Geography games.  Heck, even I can't stop playing our Geography games! 

If you are looking for games with actual math and numbers in them, go to Coolmath-Games.com and select the "Numbers" category.

For specific math skills, head on over to Coolmath-Game.com and check these out.  You can also find specific games listed along with our lessons:

Cool Math Money Games:

Lemonade Stand  << one of my favorites! This has been one of our top games since 2000!  The teacher's favorite game.  Help Stinky and Bubba run their lemonade stand.  How much money can YOU make?

Coffee Shop  << one of my favorites! A great business game where you run your own coffee shop.  You have to plan your budget, your recipe and how much to charge.  Be sure to keep your customers happy!

Farm Game A sim business game kind of like Lemonade Stand.  This one has the older interface, but is still interesting to give a try.

Bloons Tower Defense  << one of my favorites! The first edition of this great series.  Place your monkeys, towers, etc. around different tracks in order to pop the bloons.  You earn money to buy more weapons.

Bloons Tower Defense 2  << one of my favorites! The second in the series...  New tracks and some new weapons.

Bloons Tower Defense 3  << one of my favorites! The third game of a great series of games...  Four new tracks and some new weapons to try out.

Castle Defense  << one of my favorites! You must defend the castle by shooting the oncoming enemy before they reach the end of the road.  You earn money to buy more weapons.

Castle Defense Upgraded  << one of my favorites! Giant mutant slugs, zolomites, the robot troll army...  and WORSE!  Survive track 1 and unlock a new track!  (Reworked so track 1 is easier to win than the original.)

Cool Math Counting Games:

Count Cubes This one is super easy at first...  But, soon, you have to start counting cubes that you know must be hiding behind other cubes.  That's when you have to start thinking.

Parking Mania: Zoo Escape  << one of my favorites! We got a LOT of requests for this game!  The driving is easier than our "extreme" versions and you get to rescue animals.  What could be better?

Cool Math Matching Numbers Games:

Vex  << one of my favorites! This game is just like my other favorite, Stained Glass, but with numbers instead of colors.  Lots of thinking, but I love these things.

Cool Math Addition and Subtraction Games:

Feed Fribbit Addition  << one of my favorites! This is a fun way to practice your addition skills.  On the "pro" level, you might want to play with a friend because it's hard to keep track of the math AND that croc!

Feed Fribbit Subtraction  << one of my favorites! Even more mind bending than the addition version... Be ready to focus.  Think fast and jump even faster!

Math Lines  << one of my favorites! This is just like our Marble Lines game, but we've made it an addition game.  You have to shoot the ball that makes the right sum.

Number Twins  << one of my favorites! This is like our game, Twins, but we put numbers on the balls.  You have to match up numbers (like in our game Shisen) to make the correct sums.

Parking Mania: Zoo Escape  << one of my favorites! We got a LOT of requests for this game!  The driving is easier than our "extreme" versions and you get to rescue animals.  What could be better?

Kakuro  << one of my favorites! I thought this was impossibly hard at first.  The key is to fill in all single squares first, then look for doubles and up.  Cool that you can ask for hints!

Make 15 Compete against the computer to see who can pick numbers that add up to 15 first.

Make 24 This games let you arrange playing cards and math symbols to make 24.

Math Man This is a Pac Man type game, but you have to eat the monster that solves the math equation.

Nonogram I didn't like this one until I gave it a chance.  Lots of thinking.  Now that I've figured out some tricks, I really like it.  I've put my tips below this one to help you.

Subtraction Blast  << one of my favorites! I've played this game until my arms were sore.  It's great arithmetic practice while you get to shoot stuff.  Can life get much better than that?

Sudoku This is your standard Sudoku game.  I find these puzzles to be really difficult, but I LOVE this one because it lets me ask for hints!  Gives a new puzzle each time too.

Cool Math Times Tables Games:

Crazy Taxi M-12  << one of my favorites! This is one of our most fun games.  But, you REALLY have to know your times tables to do well.  Before each level, I run through my multiples in my head!

Math Lines: Xfactor  << one of my favorites! This is the same as Math Lines, but you need to really know your times tables and higher multiples for this one.

Cool Math Arithmetic Games:

Number Monster This was the first game I ever made.  Really, it's more of a math practice thing than a game.  But, it makes practicing a lot more fun.

The Timernator  << one of my favorites! How fast can you do arithmetic?  Well, with this game, you can find out!  See how many addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems can you do in a minute?

Arithmetic Game In this timed game, how fast can you pick out numbers from the grid that complete the missing spots in an equation?

Math Search In this game, you're given an arithmetic problem to solve...  Once you find the answer, you have to find it on the grid of numbers - like in a word search game.

Cool Math Fraction Games:

Fraction Splat Sounds easy...  Just click on the right type of fraction and make it go "SPLAT. " The trick is catching them!

Fractone Click on the fraction squares to make pairs that have a sum of 1... and do it as fast as you can!

Cool Math Greater Than / Less Than Games:

Number Balls This is a pretty simple game.  You just click on the balls following the numbers on them from lowest to highest.

Greater Than Sudoku This is like Sudoku, but with a twist.  Not only do you have to fill in the large squares with the digits 1-9, you also must obey the greater than signs!

Cool Math Odds Games:

Crab Race This is an old game, but a teacher favorite.  It's a race between four crabs, but it let's you see how odds work.

Good luck,
Coolmath Karen