Games and puzzles are a great way of practicing math skills while having fun. Playing games and doing puzzles support computational fluency, strategy development, and making connections between mathematical concepts.
There are many fun games you can play with a deck of regular playing cards that support math fluency.
24
Goal: Be the first player whose three cards have a sum of 24.
How to Play: Deal out 3 cards to each player and place the remaining cards face down in a pile between the two players.( Face cards = 10, Ace = 1 or 11)
On their turn, a player draws a card from the deck and discards a card from their hand into the discard pile.
The game continues until all three of one player’s card has a sum of 24.
Variation: After a player achieves a sum of 24, they place those cards in their score pile and draw 3 new cards from the deck. The game continues until the deck is completed. The player with the most cards in their score pile wins.
Variation:Before the game begins, players can decide a number between 5 and 30 their target number.
Go Fish Addition
Goal: To have the most cards in your score pile at games end.
How to Play: Each player receives 5 cards, the remaining cards are placed in the draw pile. On their turn players may request a card from their opponent, i.e. “Do you have a four?”. If the opponent has a four they must give it to the player, if they do not, they respond with “Go Fish” and the player draws a card from the deck. (Face cards = 10, Ace = 1 or 11)
The goal of the game is to collect as many sets of cards which equal a predetermined sum. (example: If the sum is 10, a player with an 8 and 2 can place those cards into their score pile)
A player can use pairs or triads of cards to equal up to the predetermined sum. (Example: The cards 2,3,5 can also be scored if the goal is a sum of 10)
At the end of their turn, if a player has less than 5 cards, they may draw additional cards from the draw pile until they have 5 cards in their hand.
Players continue to take turns until the cards are gone or they are no longer able to make pairs or triads. The player with the most cards in their score pile is the winner.
(It is recommended predetermined sums range between 10 - 25)
Twenty-Four
Goal: Use 4 cards to create an equation with a solution of 24 using any operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
How to Play: Players are dealt 4 cards, a player must create an equation with a solution of 24 using any combination of operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) in a sequence. (Face cards = 10, Ace = 1 or 11). On their turn, a player may select a card from the deck or the discard pile, they must then discard one card, face-up, to the discard pile. If a player succeeds they add their four cards to their score-pile and draw four new cards from the deck. When the deck runs out the game ends, the player with the most cards in their score pile wins.
Order of operations matters.
Example: 2,2,6,8 could be played (8-2) x (6-2) = 24.
Variation: Before the game starts, players can select any predetermined goal.