I think anything we *can* make fun, we should, with the understanding that not everything in life is a party. But I don't see the reason to stress ickiness in learning. One of the hallmarks of a GT child is that learning IS often fun for them. That's a big pro, so I see no reason to make it a con.
That's not to say that learning is or should be always EASY. Fun and easy are often mutually exclusive, frankly. Overcoming a good challenge is what makes a person feel good about what she has accomplished.
So I guess I'm with you at the end of your post, but not necessarily at the beginning of your post, Val.
Especially when faced with a child who is deciding that he hates math, I think it pays to find the joy there, as questions is doing. The "joy" may wind up being more challenging material, it may be a more bouncy package (graphics, games, etc.), or it may be just a different approach. But I think when you have a child--especially a mathy child!--who is deciding that math is icky, it is wise to shift gears and find more fun.
FWIW...
