This game, sent in by FAMILYFUN reader Heather Hiddleson of Boise, Idaho, provides a painless way to brush up on math skills at the end of the summer--or during the school year. Played by the same rules as bingo, it's so much fun that you may find (as the Hiddleson family did) that the neighborhood kids want to come over and play along!

HOW TO MAKE A MATH-O CARD

Cut a 5- by 6-inch rectangle out of paper or light cardboard. Rule six rows across, five columns down, writing the letters M, A, T, H, O in the squares along the top row. Write "Free" in the center space and fill the first column with five numbers between 1 and 6, the second column with five numbers between 7 and 12, and so on. Make sure that no two cards have columns with identical sets of numbers. (You will be able to make six cards.)

HOW TO MAKE MATH-O "BALLS"

Next, make 30 "balls"--actually paper squares that will be picked out of a box by the caller. Create five columns and six rows on a standard sheet of paper. Fill the first column (the M column) with math problems whose answers equal 1 through 6 (for example: M 2+4 or M 15-14). Fill the second column with problems whose answers equal 7 through 12, and so on until you've filled the page. Cut out the "balls" and be sure to write the answers on the back. Put the balls in a cardboard box with a cover (a shoe box works well). Cut a hole in the lid that's large enough for a kid to fit her hand in and pull out a ball without seeing it.
TIP: Increase the difficulty of the game by making up problems that require adding more than one number or dividing or multiplying.

For pre-made game cards, click here. For math problems, click here.

HOW TO PLAY

1. Give each player a card and decide what to use for markers. Pennies or buttons work well, but cereal (such as Cheerios) or jelly beans are more fun!

2. Players cover their free squares with a marker, and the caller (who usually does not play) picks a ball from the box and reads it out loud ("M eight minus five," for example).

TIP FOR CALLER: Set aside balls you've called so that the winner's answers can be checked.

3. The players search the column named for the answer, and when they find it, they cover that space with a marker. The first player with five horizontally, vertically or diagonally shouts "Math-O" and is the winner.

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