Cultivating mathematical thinking through home-based engineering tasks

While school mathematics is valuable, it often limits authentic problem-solving, adaptable thinking, and curiosity-driven exploration. In contrast, home environments offer opportunities to engage children in informal, everyday mathematics that connects to their cultural and lived experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine how seven families engaged in humanistic approaches to mathematics within home-based engineering tasks. We utilized video observation with interaction analysis across 12 sessions (~21 h) involving children in grades 2–6. Findings indicate that engineering design tasks in the home environment allow children to engage in humanistic and authentic approaches to mathematical concepts, with parents prompting co-reasoning and household materials functioning as improvised tools that surface “hidden mathematics.” We highlight this through geometrical reasoning, informal measurement, and proportional and covariational reasoning. This study highlights the potential of out-of-school settings, particularly the home environment, to support early mathematical development, serving as a foundation for later formal learning.