Math Games
You may use any game with any grade level. The grade levels listed are just recommendations.
ADDITION & SUBTRACTION
"Give me 10"
Kindergarten-1st
Number of Players: 2*
Materials: 1 deck of cards
How to Play
Ace is worth 1. Remove the Jokers and face cards.
Deal 12 cards face up.
Players take turns finding and removing combinations of cards that add up to 10. At the end of the round, players keep the combinations they created. Any cards not used in a combination are added to the bottom of the stack to be used in another round.
When both players agree that no more tens are possible, the next 12 cards are dealt face up.
When all of the cards have been used, the player with the most cards wins 1 point. Shuffle the deck and play 5 more rounds.
The winner of the game is the one with the most points.
*If you want to add more players, use two decks of cards.
Advanced Addition Battle
1st-3rd
Number of Players: 2*
Materials: 1 deck of cards
How to Play
Face cards: Jokers are worth zero. Ace is worth 11. Jack is worth 12. Queen is worth 13. King is worth 14.
Divide the deck into two piles. Keep the cards face down.
At the same time, players turn over 3 cards from their pile. Players add the value of their cards to get a sum. The player with the higher sum wins the battle round and keeps all of the cards.
If the sums are equal, the cards are placed in a center pile. The next hand is played as normal and the winner takes all of the cards from that round and the previous tie.
The winner of the game is the one who gets all the cards in the deck.
Vary the game by changing the goal to have the smaller sum. Challenge version: Turn over 4 cards during each round.
*If you want to add more players, use two decks of cards.
“I’m the Greatest!” A Math Card Game
3rd-5th
Grab a deck of playing cards, and let’s go! Challenge your child to find the largest sums possible. Whoever can find the biggest answers gets the points! Your child will have fun while improving his knowledge of how addition works. He will better his understanding of addition as he uses a critical thinking process to determine the best position for each number. With this fun alternative to studying, we won't be surprised if the flash cards grow a little dusty!
Skills:
Addition
Place value
What You Need:
One deck of cards
Pencil and paper (for each player)
Timer (optional)
What You Do:
The object of the game is to win points by forming the largest sum.
Remove tens and face cards from the deck. If you have jokers, add them into the deck. Jokers will equal zero. 4
Shuffle the cards. Give each player six cards.
Players have exactly one minute to make a 3-digit plus 3-digit addition problem using the numbers on their six cards. Players should experiment and double check their work to ensure they have the largest sum possible.
The player with the greatest sum wins the round and one point. The first player to earn 10 points wins the game.
Variations:
For younger players, deal two or four cards and form 1 or 2 digit sums.
Adjust or remove the time limit.
Change the scoring so players earn the number of points in their sum. Change the name of the game to Think Big!
Change the name of the game to Small is Beautiful. Create subtraction problems instead.
MULTIPLICATION & DIVISION
Multiplication War
3rd-5th
Number of Players: 2
Materials: 1 deck of cards
How to Play
Goal: Collect all of the cards.
Take out all jacks, queens, kings, and jokers. Use the aces as ones. Divide the deck into two piles. Keep the cards face down.
At the same time, turn over 2 cards from the pile, placing them in the center. The players multiply the values of their cards. The player with the bigger product wins that battle and takes all 4 cards, adding them to the bottom of their stack.
If the players have the same product, they go to war. Each player places two more cards face up, then multiplies the factors of all 4 cards together. The player with the higher product wins all 8 cards.
The winner of the game is the one who gets all the cards in the deck or when his opponent runs out of cards during a war.
*If you want to add more players, use two decks of cards.
Multiplication Dice Game
3rd-5th
Number of Players: 2 or more
Materials: 3 dice, pencil/pen and paper
How to Play
Goal: Get the highest score.
Throw all three dice. The highest die is put to the side.
Roll the remaining two dice. Take out the highest die.
Throw the remaining die.
Add the numbers of the first two dice. Multiply the sum by the third die. That is the total score for that round.
Play 5 or 10 rounds and add the totals to find the overall winner of the game.