Fun Sites

Here are a few selections for children from the Recreations category of the Resource Types area of the Forum Internet Mathematics Library, where you'll find more complete, annotated lists.

Adventure Online - Learning Outfitters

Interdisciplinary curricula that use the Web to connect students to expeditions from around the world, creating motivating, real-time materials for K-12 classrooms. Thematic content includes traditional and online lessons, games, quizzes, research stations, expedition data, journal updates, maps, pictures, and more. Requires single classroom or site licensing; trial memberships available. more>>

Dragonfly Web Pages

Dragonfly is an inquiry-driven magazine published bimonthly during the school year, inspiring children to join with their peers and with scientists in national and international investigations. Dragonfly also publishes poetry, autobiographies, natural history essays, humor, artwork, and other creative expressions by children and by scientists. Such interdisciplinary explorations as Small and Tall (watch Danielle grow from 5 to 17 in 5 seconds) link math and science in ways children will enjoy. more>>

The Counting Game - Chris Malumphy

A game for children starting to count, showing a number of objects and asking you to click on the correct number button. A thermometer graphic tells you when you have correctly answered ten questions. more>>

The Jason Project

A year-round scientific expedition designed to excite and engage students in science and technology, and to motivate and provide professional development for teachers. The project mounts a two-week scientific expedition each year. The team conducts research on location, and while doing so, makes live, interactive broadcasts to participants. The project's internet component allows teachers and students to exchange their experiences, data, and ideas with each other and with the research team; they may also hold live web chats with the team, and view photos and journals the team has posted. more>>

John and Betty's Journey into Complex Numbers - Matt Bower

A children's book-on-the-Web from Australia, designed to introduce complex numbers in story form in a way that is intuitive and enjoyable for students. John, Betty, and their dog Trevor solve a series of problems designed to introduce integers, fractions, surds, imaginary numbers, complex numbers, Argand diagram; vectors, multiplication in polar form, relating polar and Cartesian form, De Moivre's theorem; and the Mandelbrot set. more>>

Lemonade Stand - Jason C. Mayans

A Web version of the computer game Lemonade Stand: you have to decide how many cups of lemonade to make based on the weather forecast. You also have the option to advertise and attract more customers. You receive a daily report with financial information telling you how many cups you made and sold and how much profit you made that day. The game runs on a secret, complex mathematical formula, with an element of randomizing thrown in - you must use your previous experience and gut feelings to do well. You continue playing until you go broke, decide to retire, or reach 25 game days. more>>

Math Cats - Wendy Petti

A site for children that promotes open-ended and playful explorations of important math concepts. Start with the magic chalkboard, then enter Math Cats MicroWorlds (interactive projects); explore the world of polygons, polyhedra, large numbers, magic squares, lissajous, and more; view and submit artwork for the Math Cats art gallery; or enter the Math Cats' Attic (an archive of past questions and answers from the magic chalkboard). Children are invited to e-mail the site drawings, story problems, questions, or ideas. more>>

Mathematrix - Lee Stemkoski

A site devoted to exploring mathematical recreations, some of the more entertaining and generally lesser-known areas of mathematics, from a Mathematics and Computer Science major at Boston University. Topics include: Polyominoes, Soma Cube, Rubik's Cube, Tangrams, Flexagons, Mobius Strip, Nontransitive Dice, Conway's Game of Life, Juggling, Bubbles, Humor and Comics, Poetry, Fractals, Mathematical Art, Quotations, Platonic Solids, Happy Equations, Higher Dimensions, Fundamental Theorems, and Important Constants. Includes a random math quote of the day. more>>

Topology and Geometry Software: Fun and Games - Jeff Weeks

Torus and Klein Bottle games, Kali (draw symmetrical patterns based on any of the 17 tiling groups), and KaleidoTile. more>>

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 Museums and Field Trips

Here are a few field trips that might interest you if you like math. There are much longer lists of sites with descriptions in the Museums and Field Trips categories in the Resource Types area of the Forum Internet Mathematics Library.

The Exploratorium

Home page of San Francisco's museum of science, art and human perception. Online exhibits, cool sites, archives, sport and science, and the digital library (the Exploratorium A-to-Z). more>>

Franklin Institute Science Museum - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The online entry point for the Philadelphia science museum, featuring in-depth multimedia virtual exhibits and explorations, resources for teachers, and guides to the real-life museum and its programs. more>>

Symmetry and Pattern: The Art of Oriental Carpets

In this online exhibit, the study of symmetry is used to analyze patterns in Oriental carpets. A joint venture of The Textile Museum and the Math Forum. more>>

Smithsonian Institution

An independent trust instrumentality of the United States holding some 140 million artifacts and specimens in its trust for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge," and a center for research dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history. more>>

UC Museum of Paleontology - University of California at Berkeley

On-line exhibits, education and outreach programs, catalogs and collections, and links to other science and museum sites. Paleontology incorporates many different kinds of data from different fields. Search for type specimen data from the museum's Catalogs and Collections, examine the collection holdings, or look at similar resources at other institutions. more>>

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