Over the years, I’ve published many posts about math games, but recently took ten of my favorites and compiled them into a ten-week email series. Each week for 10 weeks, you’ll receive a free, no-prep math game direct to your inbox. By the end of the ten weeks, you’ll have a booklet of math games that is a great reference to use throughout the year! Use them as math warm-ups, at the end of class, as a Friday fun activity, or even to leave for a substitute teacher.

Sign up for this free email series here and get your first of ten free math games instantly! Hope you enjoy it!

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These booklets will be fun for your students to complete. Not only do they focus on the addition doubles, but also on how we can make different connections using 1 more, 1 less, 10 more, and repeated doubling!

Get this free booklet here.

Not Sure How To Teach Rounding Numbers? Make it hands-on! (Try This!)

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Effective Mental Math Addition Strategies to Master the Addition Facts

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The post How to Teach the Doubles Facts So Your Students Actually Understand appeared first on Shelley Gray.

What’s the Multiplication Area Model and How Do You Teach it? Comprehensive Guide

The area model is a strategy for multi-digit multiplication, allowing students to build conceptual understanding before transitioning to the traditional algorithm. But there is more

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Not Sure How To Teach Rounding Numbers? Make it hands-on! (Try This!)

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How to Teach Fractions on a Number Line (with a free lesson plan)

Fractions can be a difficult concept to teach. Often we get very focused on fractions as a part of a whole or part of a

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The post Fun Multiplication Games for 3rd and 4th Grade (help them master the facts) appeared first on Shelley Gray.

In this example, we are practicing multiplying by 2. Students roll two dice and add them together, then multiply the sum by 2. In this example, we rolled 3 and 4. So we add that together to make 7, then multiply 7×2 to make 14 and cover the 14.

Now Player 2 takes a turn, rolling the dice, adding, and then multiplying. In this example, Player 2 rolled a 2 and 6, so she adds them together to make 8, and then multiplies by 2 to make 16. Player 2 covers the 16 with a chip.

If a player rolls and multiplies and the product is already covered by one of his OWN chips, he may put a second chip on that space. This locks that space, and the other player can no longer bump off his chip.

The cards include multiple representations of multiplication facts using equal groups, arrays, and dots inside ten frames. This takes traditional Bump and turns it into a game that reinforces conceptual understanding using visual models of multiplication!

This is played the same way as traditional Bump, but instead of rolling dice, students choose a card from the stack.

The post Here’s A Fun Multiplication Math Game Your Students Will Love appeared first on Shelley Gray.

1. Create a table on the board. Write “too low” on one side and “too high” on the other side. 

2.  Choose a number (without telling anyone what it is) and write it on a piece of paper so you don’t forget!

3. Have students raise their hands to guess a number. If the number is lower than the number you wrote down, write it on the “too low” side. If it is too high, write it on the “too high” side.

The post High, Low: A No-Prep Math Game (That Doesn’t Feel Like Math) appeared first on Shelley Gray.

Subitize comes from the Latin word “subit(us)”, which means “to appear suddenly.”  In my last post, we talked about the Early Number Sense Trajectory that was created from the work of John Van de Walle, Doug Clements, and Julie Sarama. According to the trajectory, subitizing is the first mathematical stage a learner experiences. Students who can subitize are able to visually recognize a quantity of five or less. However, there are multiple levels of subitizing, and recognizing the difference between 1, 2, or 3 objects happens as early as within the first few months of infancy! 

It’s important to note that when students call out these number names, they are only matching the number name to a visual pattern. In other words, students do not know what those number names mean as a quantity yet. For instance, suppose I show the following image to a young learner:

The learner yells “3!” Yes, the young mathematician knows the number name of the visual pattern but when asked to count how many, the learner may respond “1,3,5.” This is known as perceptual subitizing: the learner can state the number name of a visual pattern but cannot explain why. At this stage of learning, that is okay! We are working with learners who are beginning with perceptual subitizing.

The next stage is conceptual subitizing. This is a learner who can explain why a number name matches a visual pattern and recognizes subgroups that can be combined together to compose a whole. So for the image above, the student may explain that it’s 3 because 2 and 1 make 3.

With that said, there are many ways to support young learners at home during this stage of learning, and what better way to talk about math than through games! Below are three simple games you can play to practice the concept of subitizing. All you need is a deck of subitizing cards (find them for free down below)!

Subitizing Game #1: How Many?

• Two players split the deck and take turns flashing the top card from their pile to their playing partner for 1-3 seconds. 
•  If the player correctly identifies the quantity on the card they keep the card as a point. Otherwise, it goes to the discard pile.  
• The player with the most points/cards wins the game.

Subitizing Game #2: Memory

• Place all the cards face down and players alternate flipping over 2 cards to find a match. 
• If a player finds a match, they collect the cards as their points. The player with the most points/cards wins the game.

Note: You will have to make two copies of the subitizing cards to ensure that each card has a match. Mounting on colored paper or copying on cardstock may also be necessary so students can’t see through the paper.

Subitizing Game #3: How Many? War

• All the cards are kept in a single pile and one card is flipped over. 
• The first player to say the quantity on the card gets to keep the card as a point.
• The player with the most points/cards wins the game.

Related: Subitizing for Multiplication: Building Number Sense and Multiplicative Reasoning

Differentiation

There are many ways to differentiate these games to meet your learner where he/she is at.  If you have a young learner in Pre-K or Kindergarten, subitizing cards within 5, like five frame cards, would be more appropriate. For first and second graders, subitizing cards within 10 and 20, like ten frame and double ten frame cards, are a great fit! 

Do you have any subitizing games that you love? Share in the comments below! I’ll be sharing some more games for the next stages in the Early Number Sense Trajectory, so stay tuned! Always remember, we are better together.

Resources to Help

Grab and Go

Remember: Depending on what you are using the subitizing decks for, you may need to make multiple copies.

Five Frame Cards

Ten Frame Cards

Double Ten Frame Cards

K-2 Learning Trajectory Document

Deep Dive

Learning and Teaching with Learning Trajectories- This website will provide a wealth of information on specific learning trajectories for learners of all ages!

Learning and Teaching Early Math: The Learning Trajectories Approach by Clements & Sarama

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Games are a great way to incorporate learning into the classroom. It’s easier to learn when you’re having fun! Here are three low-prep, fun math games that you can use with your students to practice a variety of math concepts.

Math Game #1: Four Corners

Four Corners is an interactive game that involves critical thinking and collaboration.

What you will need:
large die OR small die on a projector
labels for corners of room (i.e. paper, marker, tape, sticky notes)
music

Here’s how to play:

1. Label the four corners or four designated spots in the classroom with the numbers 1-4.
2. Divide your students into four small groups. Your students will be placed in the four corners of the classroom.
3. Play upbeat or seasonal music to start the game. Students will walk around the classroom while the music is playing. When the music stops playing, students go to the closest corner.
4. Roll a big die in the classroom, or roll a four-sided die on the projector to determine which corner answers the question. For example, if the die lands on number 2, that corner will have the chance to answer the question.
5. Ask students math-related questions. You might choose addition problems, subtraction problems, or any other math-related questions! Give your students some time to answer.
6. If the students in that corner answer the question correctly, they stay in the game. If they don’t answer it correctly, their corner will be eliminated.
7. Continue this same process until you get to the last student. The last student is the winner!

Tips: Give your students a practice round, so they will have an idea of how the game works. Advise your students to walk and not run in the classroom.

Math Game #2: Partner Back to Back Game

The Partner Back to Back Game is a game where students use problem-solving skills and compare their strategies to their partner’s strategy.

What you will need:
whiteboard
dry erase markers

Here’s how to play:

1. Group students into pairs. They should stand with their backs towards each other and each student should have a whiteboard.
2. Next, the teacher will ask a math-related question. Write the problem on the board for the students to see.
3. Give your students time to work on the problem. Once your students have solved their problems, have them hold and hide their whiteboards.
4. After everyone is finished, count down from 5 with your students. When everyone counts to 1, have your students turn to face each other and reveal their answers to one another.
5. Students should compare solutions and show each other how they worked on that math problem. There’s always more than one way to solve a problem!

Tip: After everyone answers, have one or two students volunteer to demonstrate how they solved their math problems. Let your students be the teacher!

Related: Five Games to Practice Multiplication Facts

Math Game #3: Spin and Build a Problem

This game is an excellent way to reinforce addition, subtraction, or multiplication fact fluency. Solving equations with a partner makes it more fun!

What you will need:
spinners
recording sheet
pencil

Here’s how to play:

1. Group students into pairs.
2. Distribute spinners, recording sheets, and pencils.
3. Depending on grade level, determine whether math problems will be addition, subtraction, or multiplication.
4. Students spin two numbers to generate a math problem. For example, if a student spins a 2 and 6 and multiplication is being used as an operation, the student should figure out the answer to 2×6 and record the answer.
5. Then their partner will repeat the same steps.
6. The two partners will repeat this process for several rounds.

Tip: Consider setting a timer for a certain number of minutes.

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Looking for more fun math games? Revitalize your math classroom with these ten fun (and free) math games!

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Many math games can be played with a single set of cards as individuals, with a partner, or in small groups. Playing cards are a great tool to have available for extra practice, a fun math center, or even an enrichment activity. Here are five different math card games that will keep your students motivated, engaged, and, most importantly, having fun, all while strengthening subtraction skills!

Subtraction to Zero

Number of players – 2+

Each player starts the game at 100. Each player can take one card per turn and subtract the number they get from 100. To win the game, a player must be first to reach zero. If all the cards have been drawn from the deck, the player who is the closest to zero wins. Jacks are worth 11, Queens are worth 12, Kings are worth 13, and Aces are worth 0, or whatever number is agreed upon.

This game can be made more challenging and involve addition, too. Simply have each player draw two cards per turn, adding those numbers together, and then subtracting that total from 100. Adjusting the value of the face cards can also increase the difficulty of the game.

If you are working with upper grades, students could start the game at 500, choose two cards per turn, multiply them, and then subtract that total from 500. The options are endless!

Related: Here’s a Multiplication Game Your Students Will Love!

Nifty Fifty

Number of Players – 2+

This game is perfect for practicing multi-digit subtraction problems. The goal for each player is to generate a subtraction equation with a difference that is closest to 50. For example, if you are practicing subtracting 3-digit numbers, each player would draw six cards per turn. Whoever can create an equation with a difference closest to 50 earns one point. If a player can create a difference of exactly 50, they receive two points. The first player to reach five points wins. Pencils and paper or whiteboards and markers will most likely be needed.

This game requires many cards per turn, so once the deck is gone, just reshuffle and continue until there is a winner. Face cards are advised to be taken out of the deck for this game, but if you’d like to add a fun twist, you could assign a value to each face card. Or, consider removing the face cards but keeping Jokers. Jokers could be a wild card, and students may choose it’s value if they happen to draw it.

Regroup Troop

Number of Players – 1+

This is the perfect game to practice regrouping and could easily be completed as an individual center activity instead of a game. Begin by removing all of the face cards and 10s from the deck. Aces are worth 1. The players each draw two cards, placing the smaller number on top and the larger number on the bottom. Next, each player draws another two cards. This time, the larger number goes on top, to the left of the first number. The smaller number goes on the bottom, to the left of the second number. Now the student is presented with a 2-digit by 2-digit subtraction problem and must practice regrouping!

You could declare the winner by whoever has the smallest or largest difference, or even by whoever has an even or odd difference and award points accordingly. If this activity is completed as an individual center, multiple students can share the same deck of cards.

Multi-Digit Subtraction War

Number of Players – 2+

With two players, begin by removing all face cards and 10s. Aces can be worth 1 or 0. Split the deck in half and give each player their own stack. Together, players turn over their first four cards to create two 2-digit numbers. They may put the cards in any order or position they choose, with the goal being to create the greatest difference. The player with the greatest difference takes all 8 cards.

You can simplify or increase the difficulty by turning over fewer or more cards. When working with larger numbers, this is a great opportunity to practice place value!

Related: Revitalize your math classroom with these ten fun (and free) math games!

Race to 27

Number of Players – 3+

The more, the merrier with this game! It can be played with 2 players, but students will have more fun in groups of 3-5, as it makes it more exciting! Jacks are worth 11, Queens are worth 12, Kings are worth 13, and Aces are worth 0 or 1.

The dealer will exhaust the deck to all players. Players keep their cards in a small stack in front of them facing down. The dealer gets to start by turning over 1 of his cards and placing it in the center. He then subtracts his card from 100. The next player flips over her top card and puts it in the center on the dealer’s card. She now subtracts her card from the new total.

For example, if the dealer flipped over a 7, the total is at 93. If the next player flips over a Queen, the new total is 81. The player who subtracts the card that gets the total to 27 or less, takes all the cards from the center and adds them to their deck. The game continues until someone is out of cards. Whoever has the most cards wins!

This game can be more challenging by increasing the starting amount from 100 to a larger number. Also, players’ cards can increase in value. For example, a 2 could be worth 22, 3 = 33, 4 = 44, and so on!

I hope you can use some of these subtraction card games in your classroom! Card games are easy to differentiate to ensure that each student is appropriately challenged. So don’t be afraid to change the rules, values, etc. to ensure that students can experience success but also be challenged.

PIN FOR LATER

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