In ancient days gone by the theatre was one of the only forms of entertainment. Back in the days of ancient Greece the options of an Athenian fun hunter were just the theatre or maybe pulling an oar in a trireme. It only a couple of thousand years for the dawn of the moving picture and television, a revolution of art and a cheaper, easier way to find entertainment. Does the theatre still hold a bit of magic though? TV has been fairly great, recent years have seen some brilliant television programs, and drawn millions of views together across the country at the same time has been incredible. Some ardent television fanatics think the theatre has had its day: when a TV is cheap and easily entertaining in your own living room, but a theatre show requires advance planning, travelling into town for a whole evening. And Dick Butkus American football player so certain cantankerous individuals might accuse the theatre of being superfluous; why sit through an endless rendition of Hamlet when you could stay in and watch the X-Factor instead?

In any case, they may say that surely any good theatre script can be transferred for television, Hamlet itself has seen some great television renditions, from Lawrence Olivier to David Tennant and even legend Mel Gibson. Those few luddites don’t see the magic of the theatre. There is still a grand swathe of the British public who don’t believe that convenience is king, they enjoy the spectacle of the theatre. The effort that it takes makes the experience more rewarding, booking ahead builds anticipation, travelling into town and eating dinner out makes the experience into a real unforgettable evening, not like being slouched in front of the TV for the sixth night in a row. Then there is the spectacle of the stage, better than your living room, indulging in the opulent grandeur of a venue like the classic Palace Theatre in the world famous West End is enough to blow anyone away. The full force and volume of the theatre is a spectacle great enough to blow anyone away, or even to draw them in and pull on their emotions like no little television set can.

Math games for kids don’t have to be daunting — in fact, these are fun and challenging. There are plenty of games from brain-teasers, simple addition, sorting shapes, to a game to play along with while watching television. The best part is that your kids can play some of these math games either alone or with friends. Many of the games have variations, so if they complete one part of the game, there are bound to be other options. Create a three-dimensional pyramid composed entirely of hundreds of pennies. Find out if different denominations of a dollar weigh different amounts. See if your children can figure out exactly how many squares are found on a simple checkerboard. Your children can compete against their friends to see who can draw triangles the fastest. Find numbers zero through ten in numerical order by surfing the television. Your kids can design a large maze for their friends to complete.

Use a cardboard egg carton for your kids to play this counting game that originated in Africa. By using unsharpened pencils, your children will be amazed at all the shapes and designs they can create. Try to find the 12 shapes your children can make with using five squares cut out of construction paper. Figure out how many toothpicks it takes to make one, two, or even three squares. Build three-dimensional geometric shapes with just modeling clay and toothpicks. With a piece of wood, nails, and rubber bands, your children can create shapes over and over again. Colorful card stock cut into triangles will allow your kids to create numerous shapes and designs. Keep reading for your kids to learn how to find pairs of items right in your own backyard. Do your kids ever notice how many items can be found two-by-two in nature? Walk around your neighborhood to find numerous natural pairs.