Making Learning Into A Game

I know this cartoon is supposed to be funny and to make Hagar look bad by playing cards with his son but in my opinion it makes him look like a good father.

Hagar is spending time with his child and building his self esteem with positive words.  He is also helping his son with basic math facts, reinforcing these skills in a fun way, in a way his son doesn't even know he is learning.

When I was growing up my mom spent hours playing games with me.  She helped me learn vocabulary and spelling through scrabble.  She taught me probability with board games using dice and spinners, and she helped me learn and reinforce addition and subtraction with card games. As a real small child I learned number recognition and ordering playing solitaire alongside her.

I wonder how many kids are learning this way today.  I've had many students tell me they were not allowed to play cards when I used them with a game involving signed numbers and in lessons on probability.

Learning can and should be fun.  Maybe that was what the cartoonist was trying to show after all.