How Grabowski Math Cards were created?
The history of Grabowski Math Cards begins in 1994, when Andrzej Grabowski, a mathematician and track and field coach, began teaching at Elementary School No. 7 in Szczecinek. As a math teacher, he quickly realized how difficult it was for children to learn multiplication. He sought ways to help his youngest students master basic arithmetic. Drawing on his athletic experience and ingenuity, he developed math cards and games that allow children to learn and reinforce the multiplication tables through play.
The cards were officially released in 1996 and very quickly gained recognition from teachers, parents, and most importantly children. Children eagerly use this remarkable teaching aid and learn math without even realizing it.
The success of the first set of cards the Multiplication led to the creation of subsequent sets. The Addition and Subtraction cards were created in 1998, while in 2014, Andrzej Grabowski, together with his daughter, Justyna Grabowska-Dybek, created the Logic Games. Meanwhile, the “Piruet” math top (now known as the “Grabowski Math Top”) has become a learning aid for the youngest children as young as preschool age.
From the very beginning, Grabowski Math Cards have proven to be excellent tools for use both at home and at school. Games using the cards not only develop children’s math skills but also improve their overall fitness (many games can be combined with physical activity), reaction time, and ability to work in a group. Children learn effective communication and fair competition, and the satisfaction of winning motivates them to continue learning and boosts their self-esteem.
The children’s commitment and enthusiasm, along with such a positive reception of the Cards, led to the idea of creating a math and sports event to promote the Cards and teach the multiplication table through play. In 1998, Andrzej Grabowski organized the first Polish Multiplication Table Championship. The event continues to this day, and so far, more than half a thousand Polish schools have participated. Another event organized by Grabowski Math Cards is World Multiplication Table Day. This is an internationally recognized initiative in which students from more than 20 countries participate every year.
1983
In 1983, Andrzej Grabowski, the future creator of Grabowski Math Cards, began working as a track and field coach. For nearly 10 years, he worked with junior athletes. His protégés won 30 medals at the Polish Junior Track and Field Championships and represented Poland at international events. He has a unique approach to working with young people he is a very important figure to his protégés. He knows how to connect with every athlete.
1993
His second passion (also related to his education) is mathematics. For many years, he combined it with coaching track and field. In 1993, however, he decided to focus solely on teaching math in elementary school. Already during his first lessons with fourth graders, he noticed that the children were having enormous trouble mastering the multiplication table. He decided to help them with this. Andrzej Grabowski knows very well (thanks in part to his experience working with young people in sports) how much can be achieved through play and competition. So he decided to approach the multiplication table in a different way. At first, these were sports games involving a ball, a jump rope, and other props. The children love it. After a while, he comes up with the idea of a math card deck. At first, they’re just plain pieces of cardboard, but they soon turn into a professional deck of playing cards.
1996
In 1996, the “Multiplication” cards were officially released. They quickly gained recognition among teachers and parents. Initially known as “math cards,” they would naturally come to be called “Grabowski Cards” over the years.
1998
In 1998, Andrzej Grabowski, encouraged by the positive reception of his cards received from parents, teachers, and above all children, organized the First Polish Multiplication Table Championship. The idea seemed incredibly bold, but it was a huge success. He managed to bring together 27 schools and 228 students from all over Poland. From that moment on, the idea conceived by the mathematician and track and field coach from Szczecinek began to develop more and more dynamically. And it was only a matter of time before new ideas followed.
2006
In 2006, Andrzej Grabowski invented the "Piruet" math top. Since that year, the Polish Correspondence Championship in Spinning the "Piruet" Math Top has also been held. The best players can stack as many as 50 rings on the top!
2011
In 2011, Andrzej Grabowski organized the first World Multiplication Table Day. Only schools from Poland participated in the first edition, but the event quickly spread to new countries. Over the years, the initiative has grown (it is now held annually on the first Friday in October). The idea has been very well received in Poland, Russia, Lithuania, and even in such exotic countries as Colombia, Thailand, and Uruguay.
2014
In 2014, Andrzej Grabowski and his daughter Justyna Grabowska-Dybek published the "Logic Games" card set. It is an exceptionally simple deck of cards that offers a surprising number of possibilities for organizing games and puzzles.
*Currently, only the Grabowski Math Cards Multiplication are available in English. More cards will be available soon!
2019
In 2019, a new edition of Andrzej Grabowski’s game guidebooks was published. Andrzej Grabowski also appears on the cards packaging.
2022
In 2022, Grabowski Math Cards “Fractions” were created. The deck and game designs were developed by Justyna Grabowska-Dybek. With these cards, children learn about common fractions and how to compare, expand, and reduce them, as well as perform operations on them.
*Currently, only the Grabowski Math Cards Multiplication are available in English. More cards will be available soon!
2025
In 2025, we launched a unique social and educational campaign called “Dziecko Się Liczy” (“Every Child Counts”), combining the world of mathematics with music and emotions. We invited well-known Polish artists (including Czesław Mozil and Majka Jeżowska), experts (Dr. Zuzanna Jastrzębska-Krajewska and Agnieszka Balla), and teachers (as part of the school program) to collaborate with us and show that learning can be fun, and that a child’s development is about more than just grades.
Listen to our songs on YouTube and Spotify: Dziecko Się Liczy!
Grabowski Math Cards Today
Today, Grabowski Math Cards is a thriving family owned business. In addition to refining and promoting the educational games created by Andrzej Grabowski through special workshops for teachers and parents, we also organize the aforementioned recurring math and sports events, in which thousands of children participate each year: the Polish Multiplication Table Championships, World Multiplication Table Day, and the Polish Math Spinning Top Championship.
