Math Games

1. Math Games Playing games in the K-2 classroom Created By Megan Stein, 2013

2. “My kids play games all day!” FUN way to practice math concepts Hands on Opportunity for differentiation Promotes critical thinking and strategizing Self-directed exploration Social skills Speaking and listening about math Opportunity for assessment Build on concepts as games evolve Games engage students in many ways but it is important to understand that it is only through repeated experience of playing a game that students begin to grasp some of the important ideas and skills embodied in the game.

3. Compare (a.k.a. war) Materials: Primary Number Cards (1-10) Number of Players: 2 (can be played with 3) How to Play: Entire deck is dealt and each player places their cards in a pile facedown Players count to three and both flip over their top card Player with the highest card says “me” and gets to keep both cards Game is over when the deck runs out

4. Differentiation across the grades Removing picture support from number cards Playing with numbers through 20 Double Compare (players each flip over 2 cards-player with highest total wins) Students record equations of their wins Students record using <, =, >

5. What is the math in this game?

6. What’s the math? Number sense Comparing numbers Developing language for comparing quantities Fact fluency Addition • Questions to ask your child while playing: • How do you know which number is larger? • What did you do to figure that out?

7. Tens Go Fish Materials: Primary Number Cards 0-10 (four of each) without Wild Cards Sheet of Paper Number of Players: 2-4 How to Play: The object of the game is to get two cards that total ten • Each player is dealt 5 cards. Remaining cards are placed in the middle. • Each player looks for pairs from his or her cards that make 10. Players put down the pairs of cards that make 10, and they draw new cards to replace them from the deck. • Players take turns asking each other for a card that will make 10 with a card in their own hands. • If a player gets the card, he or she puts the pair down and picks a new card from the deck. • If a player does not get the card, the player must “Go fish” and pick a new card from the deck. • If the new card from the deck makes 10 with a card in the player’s hand, he or she puts the pair of cards down and takes another card. • If a player runs out of cards, the player picks two new cards. • A player’s turn is over when no more pairs can be made that make 10. • The game is over when there are no more cards. • At the end of the game, players record their combinations of 10.

8. Differentiation across the grades Removing picture support from number cards At the end of the game, record number sentences for all pairs found

9. What is the math in this game?

10. What’s the math? Combinations of 10 Fact fluency Solving a problem in which the total and one part are known Using numbers and standard notation (+ and =) to record. • Questions to ask your child while playing: • How did you decide/know what number to ask for?

11. Plus 1 or 2 Bingo Materials: Primary Number Cards (without Wild Cards) two kinds of counters (20 per player) gameboard Number of Players: 2 How to Play: • Player 1 turns over the top card in the deck. • Player 1 adds 1 or 2 to that number and covers the sum on the gameboard with their counter. • Player 2 turns over the top card. • Player 2 adds 1 or 2 to that number, and covers the sum on the gameboard. • Keep taking turns. If all of the possible sums are covered, take another card. • The game is over when all of the numbers in one row are covered. The numbers can go across, down, or diagonally. More Ways to Play • Play with the Wild Cards. A Wild Card can be any number • Play to ill more than one row • Play as a team. Try to fill the entire gameboard

12. Differentiation across the grades Extend by playing Plus 9 or 10 Bingo

13. What is the math in this game?

14. What’s the math? Fact fluency Reasoning Strategizing Working with “friendly number” • Questions to ask your child while playing: • How did you decide to whether to add 1 or 2? (is the child strategizing?)

15. Games you’re already playing that support math concepts Checkers Chess Solitaire UNO Monopoly Chutes & Ladders Mancala Dominoes Puzzles Memory/Concentration I Spy I Love Math (rock/paper/scissors) Chopsticks

16. Websites/Apps • TERC Investigations Games http://investigations.terc.edu/families/doing_math/Games_index.cfm • Math games suggested on PS 11 Website http://ps11chelsea.org/math-links/ • Math Apps for the iPad • Sushi Monster • Fizzy’s Lunch Lab Fresh Pick • Math vs. Zombies • Matchmatics • 10monkeys • 4 Dice • 5 Dice • Marble Math • Todo K-2 Math • Math Champ

17. Game Resources Note: You can also use any deck of cards and remove the face cards