Regardless of the specific algorithms your kids develop, the fact that they are developing algorithms is itself a mathematical experience. I have no idea what different methods and algorithms your kids might develop I only know the ones that I came up with as an adult. Over time, they might realize that this algorithm isn't quite sophisticated enough to win, and so they try to amend it to improve their score. They create a goal and a rudimentary algorithm, such as "always jump towards the middle of the puzzle." So if there is a way to keep the pegs closer to each other, perhaps they can improve their score. But as they play, your child may begin to notice patterns and change their decisions as a result.įor example, they might start to notice that at the end of the game, they usually have a few pegs stranded on the board, too far away to jump and remove each other.
People who solve Rubik's Cubes in ten seconds use algorithms, but so to people who use long division to solve 524 ÷6. In either case, you are using a set of steps that can be generalized to solve all sorts of similar problems. Both versions of peg solitaire give kids a chance to develop, test, and improve algorithms for leaving one peg remaining.Īt first, kids will play the game more or less at random, hopping pegs wherever they see the opportunity. Simply put, an algorithm is a set of steps that one can use to solve a problem. Peg solitaire is a great way for kids to interact with algorithms. The standard problem on the English board is to start with all holes filled save the central hole, and end with a lone peg there. That's it!Īs with many of my favorite mathematical games, the rules are simple to explain, but the game itself is a challenge for kids and adults alike. Your goal is to jump these pegs over each other, one by one, until only a single peg is remaining. You may remove pegs by jumping pver them with another peg, as in checkers.
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