Written by Cali @chasing50toes

Fluency isn’t about speed drills. It’s about flexibility. That’s why we use D&J counting chips, dominos, and math mats to build number sense and confidence.

One of our favorite games? The Chip Drop Challenge. We drop a handful of chips and ask:

"How many do you think there are? Can you group them to count faster?"

Or we’ll use dominos to ask:

"What’s the total without counting each dot?"

With time, my kids start saying things like, "I saw 5 and 2, so I knew it was 7."

That’s mental math—and it’s happening without flashcards.

These quick, flexible activities make math part of our day, not something separate from it. And they build the kind of fluency that lasts.

Want to see how we use these activities in real time? Follow us on Instagram @dominoandjuliette or check out the full Math Minds Discovery Kit in our shop!