Minneapolis, MN -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/10/2013 -- The use of online math games increases every year. Even with new math apps coming out daily, schools still default to online math games. Hey, its quick, easy and the students engage. If you are at a school where both behavior issues and getting students to participate are everyday struggles, then what's better than killing two bird with one stone? And while they are having fun on an online math games site like HoodaMath.com, they are also getting the encouragement they need to succeed in mathematics.

2012 was no slouch. It brought a ton of new free math games to the market, just check Math Playground, Primary Games, Cool Math Games, Hooda Math, or any other small math games site, and you will see the most popular games repeated again and again. The question is which ones were new in 2012? Since so many games consistently remain popular, it is hard to pick out which ones are brand new.

As the owner of HoodaMath.com, I know for sure that Spill the Sand was new in the fall. Not only was it built in only one month, but it is an incredible game. As Sugar Sugar has been around for over 1 year, it was time to have a new style of sand-type game. I therefore came up with Spill the Sand, which takes a lot of spatial reasoning, number sense, and good ole fashioned hard work. You won't see Spill the Sand on Math Playground, Primary Games, or Cool Math; Spill the Sand is exclusive to HoodaMath.com ( or at least for now it is), however what happens in 2013 is always a mystery.

From the beginning of 2012, Let it Glow 2 came out as the sequel to Let it Glow, which was taken with mild fan fare, but yet a great game to play in Math class. The thinking of this physics game is great, and a unique twist on block removal games.

We Are Square was also added to Hooda math in 2012. It has remained a long iPod favorite, and was recoded to be played online.

Factor Feeder, and old game on Hooda Math, grew in rapid popularity as the key to learning multiplication and division is held tightly in a students knowledge of Factors. So why not make a game out of learning and memorizing them?

Prime Landing, another simple game was distributed in January of 2012, and subsequently added to the primary games on Hooda Math.

Slice Geom was a great online version of a different popular math app that teaches students reflection and fractions by simply dividing shapes into equal parts.

In April of 2012, Hooda Math began to explode with shopping games. Students who some day want to run their own business learn that math is important, which Hooda Math demonstrated in 2012 by creating and distributing numerous tycoon style business running/shopping games. We would prefer to call them all just a distant extension of Monopoly.

Custom Car Shop was also released in May in 2012 to great fanfare.

Although slowed down over the summer, game development continued.

Students came back to school discovering all their favorite Hooda Math Games loaded on IPads, such like Shopping Mall and DuBlox.

Needless to say 2012 was the best year for Math Games, and every year seems to get better and better! Be sure to keep and eye on HoodaMath.com, because they seem to be where the newest math games end up first. 2013 is set to be an incredible year for Math Games, as numerous major publishers have entered the online Math Games market, such as PBS Kids, Scholastic, and NCTM.

About HoodaMath.com
Free online math site for teachers, parents, and kids featuring math games, math apps, math movies, and math tutorials. Created by Michael Edlavitch , a Middle-School Mathematics Teacher, in 2008. Mr. Edlavitch credits board games and playing cards for his early enjoyment of mathematics. Hooda Math believes free online math games can do the same for students today - http://hoodamath.com/games/