Miniature golf is a fun place to share a little friendly family math competition at various ages. At the practice green, demonstrate that there are equal angles when a ball hits a flat side and bounces off again.
For the very young, focus on the vocabulary "above" and "below" par.
Allow 3rd graders to write down the scores.
After the game, find some shade and demonstrate tallying your score by grouping numbers that make ten: an important mental computation strategy. Then have each family member tally their own score.
Finally, middle schoolers can calculate the average scores for a particular hole and compare the average to par for that hole. Do this by adding the scores and dividing by how many scores there are. Example: (4+4+3+5)/4=4
An alternative scoring using negative numbers uses 0 for par, +1 for a birdie (making the hole in one less strike than par), -1 for a bogey, etc. Note that par is how many strokes it would take an expert to hit the golf ball into the hole.
Conclude with a discussion of the proprietor's sources of revenue (e.g. ice cream) and expenses (e.g. personnel). Ask, If you were the owner, what would you change?
Even if you’re not excited about the game, pretend! Be silly, smile, and connect:)
Online mini-golf game to reinforce angles: