Math Games K-5 began in 1991, in Birmingham, Alabama, to support teachers who were seeking a better way to help young children make sense of arithmetic.  Vasha Rosenblum worked as a graduate student assistant for Constance Kamii when she was doing the research for, and writing Young Children Continue to Reinvent Arithmetic, 2nd Grade (published in 1989).  Dr. Kamii worked with a group of second grade teachers who were willing to replace the traditional textbook and worksheet approach to teaching arithmetic with a method that included exercises in daily living, number talks and arithmetic games.  To help the teachers acquire enough games for classroom use, Vasha prepared master copies of specific game boards and card sets for each classroom.
When the first Constructivist Conference was planned at The University of Alabama in Birmingham in the early 90’s, project teachers encouraged her to sell the games to other teachers.  As a result, Math Games K-5 game boards and cards found their way to classrooms across the United States.

Almost 20 years later, the original 2nd grade games are part of the current set of 38 games.  Most are found in Dr. Kamii’s books where the underlying theory and discussions of their classroom use are fully explored.  Additional games were added for their value in spatial reasoning and strategic thinking.  With no advertising other than teachers telling teachers, these arithmetic games are presently being shipped from Florida to Alaska, California to Massachusetts, and Wisconsin to Texas.  (We even had an order from the North Pole!)  We thank Connie Kamii for providing the inspiration and rationale that has led to children saying that arithmetic is their favorite subject!