Math Games & Activities
There are many ways to practice math facts without using the Internet or a computer. Here are some fun activities you can do at home with your child using things from around the house.
1. Speed Racers
What they’ll practice: Identifying odd and even numbers
What they’ll need: One deck of cards per pair
How to play: Remove all face cards and divide the deck in half. Flip over cards one by one to make two piles: odds and evens. After the fastest flipper puts down his last card, he calls out, “Stop!” and his opponent freezes. The opponent checks both piles. If a mistake is found, the opponent gets to finish flipping her own cards into piles until she finishes or makes a mistake (at which point it would revert to the other player). Play continues until all piles are correct and a speed racer crosses the finish line!
2. Flashlight Tag
What they’ll practice: Basic math facts
What they’ll need: Scratch paper and one flashlight for each child playing.
How to play: List several numbers on the board (either in rows or random order). Turn off the lights and ask your child a math problem. The first child to flashlight-tag the correct answer wins a point for his or her team. Modify this game to suit your needs by changing the problem difficulty.
3. Subtraction Salute
What they’ll practice: Addition, subtraction
What they’ll need: One deck of cards for every three people (face cards are worth 11).
How to play: Two players are the “soldiers” and one player is the “general.” Deal half a deck to each soldier. To begin the game, both soldiers salute the general by holding one of their cards up to their forehead (they can’t see the card they’re holding but the other two players can).
The general (the only one who can see both cards) adds the two numbers together and says the sum aloud. Each soldier then takes that sum, subtracts the number her opponent is holding, and calls out the value of the card she can’t see. Whoever calls out the correct number first gets to keep both cards. Play ends when time runs out or someone wins all the cards.
4. Double Down
What they’ll practice: Adding doubles
What they’ll need: Two dice, one piece of paper, and one pencil per child.
How to play: In pairs, time player so that each round of play lasts five minutes. When you say, “Roll ’em!” everyone rolls their two dice simultaneously. Anytime someone rolls doubles, they say, “Double Down!” Both people should stop rolling, then add the value of the dice, and record the sum under the player’s name who rolled it.
As play continues, keep track of both sets of scores. Whoever has the most points at the end of five minutes wins.
5. Coin Toss
What they’ll practice: Coin values, addition and subtraction.
What they’ll need: Small buckets, lots of coins, scratch paper and pencils.
How to play: Place buckets against a wall. About six feet from the buckets, tape lines on the floor. Divide children into teams and give each team a baggie full of coins that amount to one dollar (two quarters, three dimes, two nickels, and ten pennies work well).
When you say “go,” the first player in line tosses coins one by one into their team’s bucket. When the first person makes it in, he writes the amount of the coin on the paper and the next person in line tosses. If she gets the coin in the bucket, she adds the amount to the total on the paper. If she misses, she picks it up, subtracts it, and goes to the end of the line. (The next person isn’t allowed to toss until the numbers are totaled.) The first team to reach a dollar wins!
6. Slam Ten
What they’ll practice: Adding multiples of 10
What they’ll need: One deck of cards per pair
How to play: Remove face cards and deal each player half the remaining cards. Taking turns, players flip cards face-up one by one. When the first card is revealed, both players multiply the number shown by 10 and say the value out loud. For instance, if one flips over a three of clubs, both say, “Thirty.”
Players keep flipping cards one at a time, always adding the value times 10 and saying it aloud. For example, if the next card is a four of hearts, they’d both say, “Seventy,” because 30 plus 40 is 70.
Whenever the total value of the cards lands on 50, 100, 150, etc., either player may “slam” the deck with his hand. The fastest slammer keeps all the cards. When time is up, each player counts the value of her cards in 10s (not the number of cards!) to determine a winner.
7. Firecracker
What they’ll practice: Addition, subtraction
What they’ll need: Deck of flash cards, one noisemaker
How to play: Place your child against the far wall. Place a noisemaker in the middle of the room. Show flash cards to your child.
As facts are correctly answered, your child gets to take one step forward. When they reach the noisemaker, they get to use it in celebration.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/7-games-practice-math-facts