---
title: Playing and Learning Together with MathMINDs Games
description: "Brian welcomes MIND's Calli Wright back to the podcast to talk about the storybook board games, MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara. Calli provides insight into the iterative process of crafting stories that teach rules and allow for gameplay without facilitation."
image: https://2024.mindresearch.org/hubfs/social-suggested-images/blog.mindresearch.orghubfssocial-suggested-imagesinside-our-mind-blog-header-1200x800-2-3.png
---

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# Playing and Learning Together with MathMINDs Games

By [Brian LeTendre](https://2024.mindresearch.org/blog/author/brian-letendre)

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In each episode of the Inside Our MIND podcast, we take a look at issues and challenges facing education that we are working to address through research, technology and strategic initiatives.

In our latest episode, Brian welcomes Education Engagement Manager Calli Wright back to the podcast to talk about our new storybook board games, MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara. Calli provides insight into the development of the games, from their origins at Math Fair to the iterative process of crafting stories that teach rules and allow for gameplay without facilitation.

You can find our more about the MathMINDs games and purchase them at [mindresearch.org/mathminds-games](https://www.mindresearch.org/mathminds-games). 

> There had to be a way to take that whole experience—going to the Math Fair exhibit, playing the games, experiencing some of the culture and history of where the games are from—and make it into something tangible, that we could actually give to families and they would be able to facilitate the experience entirely on their own.
> 
>  -Calli Wright, MIND Research Institute

You can listen to the episode in the player below:

Topics covered in this episode:

0:45 Intro  
2:05 Our gaming origins

 3:50 Benefits of tabletop games  
5:00 Chance and choice in games  
6:50 Game rules as a barrier to entry  
10:00 Creating a learning experience  
11:15 Evolution and iterations of the MathMINDs Games  
14:20 Story as a vehicle for history, gameplay and learning  
16:25 Experiential, episodic learning  
19:00 How the MathMINDs Games help build mathematical schema  
24:00 Where to find more info

Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please leave us a review on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker or wherever you are listening to the show. Subscribe to get future episodes as soon as they are released!  

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Learn more and purchase your copy of MathMINDs Games: South of the Sahara: [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/237516/b3470bc1-0bd6-4d3b-a403-dd1083d7ac94.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/237516/b3470bc1-0bd6-4d3b-a403-dd1083d7ac94)

#### Additional Resources

- [The Big List of Board Games that Inspire Mathematical Thinking](https://2024.mindresearch.org/blog/big-list-mathematical-board-games)
- [The Big list of STEM Board Games](https://2024.mindresearch.org/blog/stem-board-games)
- [MIND Goes to Milwaukee to Launch MathMINDs Games](https://2024.mindresearch.org/blog/milwaukee-mathminds-games-launch)
- [Re-imaging Storytelling to Connect Math, Games and History](https://2024.mindresearch.org/blog/storytelling-math-games-history)

![Brian LeTendre](https://2024.mindresearch.org/hubfs/brian-letendre-headshot-305761-edited.png)

### About the Author

Brian LeTendre was the Director of Impact Advancement at MIND Research Institute. In addition to building thought leadership and brand awareness for MIND, Brian worked cross-functionally internally and externally to amplify MIND's social impact and accelerate our mission. He is an author, podcaster and avid gamer.

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