How many of you struggled to carry out addition and subtraction as a kid? Not just addition and subtraction, but the basic understanding of different mathematical concepts is a vast process in itself.With so many numbers and methods to solve a particular problem, maths is breathtaking for kids as well as parents.

But by coming up with creative and fun ways to deal with numbers, mathematics can become an awaited activity for kids.

So here are a few ideas to encourage your little ones to play with numbers:

• Take small objects like popsicle sticks, lego or crayons and then add or remove a particular number of these objects. Ask your munchkin how many are left after doing this. This activity will help your kids to understand word problems too.

• Ask your kid to draw a picture of any object. Now for addition, teach him/her to draw the same object for a specific number of times and for subtraction ask to put a cross on the objects. Ask the number of objects left for the answer.

• You can play subtraction bowling. Set up ten bowling pins and ask your little one to knock them out with a ball. Record subtraction by asking the number of standing pins left.

•  Use a deck of cards to play addition war. In this game, each player turns over two cards, adds them up, and the player with the higher number gets the cards. Play until one player loses all of their cards.

• Use Jenga blocks, write simple addition sums on sticky labels and stick a variety of sums to the end of each block. Play just like Jenga and ask the kids answer to the addition sum before they can attempt to remove the block.

• Another great hands-on activity to consolidate the concept of addition is a coat hanger game. Have kids roll two dice and then place the pegs on the coat hanger to show the two numbers rolled. This would provide them with concrete materials to then count the total.

• Make a 3-D ten frame by cutting holes in a shoebox. Rest ping pong balls on the holes, then whack them with a toy hammer to subtract.

• Kids get such a kick out of stacking cups. Work subtraction practice into the mix by labelling the cups with equations and solutions, then challenge students to stack the cups to show the right answers.

What fun activities do you use to teach your kids the concept of addition and subtraction? Let us know what can go up into this list.