“I wish “Arithmetickles” was around when I was in school.”

Again and again, whenever people hear the name “Arithmetickles” they ask if it actually does make math fun. Invariably, they say the above comment. Many adults remember their math classes in school as the worst drudgery. The memories of difficult, boring, long, incomprehensible exercises with lots of yawns, fluorescent lights and green walls pop back into minds after years or even decades outside of the classroom. The most interesting numbers in class were the ones on the clock that slowly but eventually wound around to freedom announced by a shrill, but welcome, bell.

And yet, these same adults don’t seem to complain about math in their current everyday lives. People calculate tips, know exactly how many miles they get per gallon, often spend hours on stock market sites or figuring out if they should “rent or buy”. And people love to shop and shopping involves a lot of math. Folks who can instantly figure out how much they’ll have to pay for that great Coach bag (or Armani tie) after the 30% discount (with the extra 15% off for being a “preferred customer”) will swear that they are terrible at math!

Many experts seem to agree that the way math has been traditionally taught discourages creativity and the “wow” factor that makes math really interesting. After all, math can be the most exciting puzzle, and we all love puzzles in one form or another.

Here’s an outrageous statement:

People love things that are fun and hate things that are boring…so let’s make math fun!