Fun Math Games

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Home : 2002 : February : 12

Fun Math Games
By Caitlin

Here are a couple of my students favorite math games:

1. Wild West Addition/Subtraction: You need a deck of cards, with all the face cards taken out. Two students go up in front of the class and stand back-to-back.
You put a card on each students forehead (without them seeing the card). Then the students take three steps away from each other and turn and face the class. The whole class then looks at the sum or difference of the two cards that are on the students' foreheads and tell them the sum or difference. Then, using the sum or difference, and looking at the card on the other person's

forehead, they have to figure out the card on their forehead. Whoever shouts out the correct answer first wins that round. Play again and again. This can be done with multiplication and division too.

2. Facts of Life: You will need a deck of cards, with the face cards taken out. This is a card game that the kids can play in groups of two to four. It is a lot like the card game WAR. You put down a basecard and that card stays throughout the game. Then each kid flips over a card from his/her pile. Let's say the basecard is a 4 and you flip a seven and I flip a five. You would say 7 + 4 = 11 and I would say 4 + 5 = 9. Then, you would take the cards because you had the higher sum. Keep playing until you have a winner. I have my kids play this game when they are done with their independent work.

3. Beachball Math: My kids LOVE this one. You need a beachball. Once you get your beachball, write numbers ALL over it with permanent marker. Then have the kids toss it to each other. Which ever two numbers their thumbs land on, they have to add together. Then, pass it on.