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.
Pile it On: A Multiplication Game
Introduce multiplication using any counters and dice. This game provides an excellent demonstration of how multiplication works.
Goal: Be the person with the most counters at the of the game.
How to Play: Players roll two dice. The values on the dice will be used to create an array to visually represent a multiplication fact. Players will use one roll of the die to represent the columns and the second die to represent the rows as they form an array using counters, cards, or any items available to them.
Players will play until the number of counters or cards runs out or until the end of a predetermined number of rounds, for example 5 rounds.
Close Call: An Addition Game
Give this fun addition game a try! Challenge your children to create sums as close to 100 as they can, without going over. This requires them to evaluate all possible sums, based on the numbers they are given. They'll learn common patterns in addition as they work out the best plays. Try talking through the game with your children, asking them what they are thinking as they select cards.
Goal: Achieve a sum as close to 100 as possible (without going over) using two sets of cards.
How to Play:
1. Remove 10s and face cards from the deck. Shuffle the deck and deal each player 6 cards.
2. Each player selects four of their cards and creates two 2-digit numbers from them. The player then calculates the sum of those two 2-digit numbers with the goal of getting as close to 100 as possible without going over.
3. After players have made their selections, they place their cards face up in front of them, arranging them so other players can see which two numbers they have created.
4. The player with the numbers closest to 100, without going over, wins a point. In the case of a tie, a point is awarded to each player.
5. Shuffle the cards before dealing another round.
6. Play continues for 5 rounds. The player with the most points after the last round wins the game.
Variations:
- Change the number of cards dealt, the number of cards used, or the goal.
- For younger players, restrict the number of cards dealt to 4 per player, allow them to use only 2 of the cards, create single-digit numbers, and set the goal to 10 or 20.
- To make the game more challenging, deal 8 cards to each player, let them choose 6, create 3- digit numbers, and set the goal to 1,000.
Quick Stop
Goal: Compete for the highest score as you flip over cards. Add up your cards until you reach 100 points. The first one there wins!
How to Play:
1. Place a well shuffled deck of cards, face down, in the center of the playing area.
2. Each player begins by drawing one card and placing it face up in front of themselves. Players write the value of this card down at the top of their papers. (Aces are worth 1, and face cards are all 10.)
3. When all players are ready, everyone draws a second card. They add the value of these cards to their totals.
4. Keep playing until one player reaches 100.
Variations:
- Play until the deck runs out. The player closest to 100, without going over, wins.
- Add jokers into the deck. If a player draws a joker, their score drops back to zero.
- Start with 100 points, and subtract your way to the finish.
- Need a challenge? Use multiplication to reach 1000.