Table-Time Look and Learn Mostly Math Tablecloth Review

The Table-Time Look & Learn™ Mostly Math Tablecloth features a wide variety of math-related lessons that cover the educational State Standards children must learn to progress from pre-K/K level to first grade. Quirky animal characters and imagery from Rob Oliver, a Simpsons® illustrator and Emmy-nominated artist, make it extra unique.

Made from PEVA, which has the feel of vinyl but contains zero harmful PVCs, the Mostly Math Tablecloth is a trustworthy alternative to traditional materials. PEVA cleans up easily with a damp cloth, and children can even write on/wipe off with Crayola® Ultra-Clean Washable Markers for more interactive fun.

Our Thoughts

This tablecloth has everything on it! I love this, it is an absolute must-have for all families, especially homeschooling mothers like myself!

Shapes, numbers, seasons, time, counting, money, animals, it has everything on here that is basic for every child to learn and it is done in such a fun manner! The name of this tablecloth is almost deceiving because it's not just math, it's so much more. The eye is constantly being dragged from one fun (and educational) activity on this table cloth straight to the next.

The package is small and light weight. Very easy to open and it's large so it'll fit any kind of table. I also had the thought that it would be pretty cool pegged up on a wall, but you would have to move it around so they weren't looking at some of the stuff upside down. It could still work though. It's such a creative table cloth that you can do many things with it.

I really really love how this cloth covers so much more than just basic math and it is done in such a simple manner that it is easy for kids to understand. My six year old is going nuts over this cloth.

I haven't even mentioned yet how much fun she has with coloring on it. You can draw on this and wipe it off and do it all over again! My toddler doesn't understand what is going on, but he sure does get a kick out of coloring on something he's not generally allowed to color on. It involves all the kids together. They sit at the table while I'm making their plates and just browse around the cloth, it seems like they are constantly learning or finding something new on it.

As for wiping off the marker, it really is a simple as getting a wet cloth and wiping it off. Easy peasy! 

Buy yours here and don't forget to check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Reviewed by Jackie

Book Review: How Many Socks Make A Pair? by Rob Eastaway

How Many Socks Make A Pair?

Surprisingly interesting everyday maths

by

Rob Eastaway

Mid-Summer Fun with Everyday Math - perfect for humidity-soaked middle-aged brains, tireless number nerds, and bored kids who can't wait to get back to school!Did you ever wonder how some people can calculate huge sums quickly in their heads (and on their fingers), or shuffle a deck of cards over and over and still have them lay out in their original order? It's not genius... or magic (although those things help); it's just everyday math! 

What do a limerick, a drawer full of socks, a newspaper, a pile of library books and a bathroom mirror have in common? The answer is that they all have some fascinating, even beautiful, maths hidden within them.

This book is a hands-on demonstration of maths that anyone, even a complete maths-phobe, can actually enjoy. Rob Eastaway explains these amazing feats, along with several other math trick, treats, problems and patterns in the humorous and clearly written How Many Socks Make a Pair?.  

About the AuthorRob Eastaway has written several bestselling books connecting maths with everyday life, including "Why do Buses Come in Threes?" and "How Many Socks Make a Pair?". His first book "What is a googly?", an introduction to cricket, was famously presented by John Major to President Bush (snr) at Camp David in 1992, and was published in the USA under the title "Cricket Explained".

With Mike Askew, he wrote "Maths for Mums & Dads", a book that helps parents to understand the new methods being used to teach maths, and offers ideas for how to make maths more engaging and fun at home. An American edition was published in 2010 entitled "Old Dogs, New Math".

Rob appears regularly on radio in the UK, and is a regular speaker. He has given talks about maths to just about every age groups in the UK, USA and Australia. He was President of the Mathematical Association from 2007-8. He is married with three young children.
How Many Socks Make A Pair can be purchased on Amazon.

Keep up with Rob Eastaway on Facebook and his website, robeastaway.com.


Our Thoughts
I like math.  I was good at it in school . . . which was a long time ago!  Nowadays, I use a calculator for just about everything.  With a business and a tight budget, I can't afford to make math mistakes! How Many Socks Make a Pair? is an entertaining book that shows the reader the math behind some every day things.  Chapters 2 (Calculating without a calculator) and 3 (Pick a card, any card) were my favorites. 

Math is being taught in our schools today in a very different way than when I was in school.  I knew some of the tricks in Chapter 2, like multiplying by 9 using your fingers and the Divisibility Test, but I didn't know The Gypsy Method or Squaring in your head. Chapter 3 was intriguing because growing up, a relative often did card tricks and us little kids could never figure one of them out.  The card trick that confused us so much as kids isn't mentioned in this book, but similar tricks are easily explained, so I have a better understanding what was going on in the one trick.

How Many Socks Make a Pair? goes on in further chapters to talk about coin tossing, palindromes, magic squares, triangles, and limericks among much more.  Definitely recommended - easy reading for anyone interested in math, including, as Rob Eastaway says, mathsphobes!  This would be a good book for kids, too; there are easily-understood demonstrations to help anyone learn.