The human adding machine

Math made fun with a robot voice.

You'll Need

  • None

Time

10 minutes

Learning Stages

By The guys at Today Is Fun
Daddy bloggers

"Today is Fun" provides free, fun and educational kids games and activities each day. The site is the product of two dads who are constantly trying to think up ways to entertain the kids in their families.

Next time you and your kids are waiting for your meal at a restaurant or in the doctor’s office, try this fun and educational activity. This game can be played with as few as 2 people and can be enjoyed by kids of all ages.  

Take turns holding up zero to five fingers and then it is the human adding machine's job to add up all the fingers. Then the game moves on to the next person, and they add up all the fingers and so on. To add some fun and make it a little more entertaining, talk in a robot voice and sometimes give the wrong answer just to keep the kids on their toes. You can also push the subtract button on the human calculator to create a teachable and challenging moment.