math games
Looking for a way to practice math facts, but hate that daily battle with your student about doing MORE school work?
Research shows that playing games is a great way to practice skills and facts in a way that students remember them.
Here are some great games you can play with materials you have around the house:
Rock, Paper, Scissors MATH!
-Best when played with 2 players, but can be adapted for 3.
-Materials: Hands =) and thinking hats!
-Say Rock Paper Scissors Math and on "Math" each player holds out a number of fingers with their palm facing down so everyone can see how many fingers each player has. Each round can be played with a different operation (multiplication, addition, subtraction- division is a bit more challenging and will have remainders or decimals), or you can play a whole game with an established operation. The first person to call out the correct answer to the equation, wins! It can be played best out of 5, 10, or as many rounds as you like.
Math War
-Best when played with 2 players, but can be adapted for 3.
-Materials: A deck of playing cards, or numbered cards. If using playing cards, decide if the face cards should be worth 10 each, or Jacks worth 11, Queens worth 12, Kings worth 13.
-After dealing out the cards in equal amounts, each player turns over a card from their pile and places it face up in the middle of the players. The first to call out the correct answer to the equation, based on the pre-determined operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication- again division is more challenging and requires remainders or decimals), wins the cards and gets to keep them. First person to collect all the cards wins!
Dice Roll:
-Any number of players
-Materials: 2 Dice per player, or 2 dice total*, pencil and paper
-Version 1:Choose an operation. Each player rolls their 2 dice and writes the number sentence as well as the answer (ex: 2x4=8 if multiplying, if adding 2+4=6) on their paper. The goal is to add the answers of the equations down the page and see who gets to 100 first. (ex: 2x4=8, 3x2=6, 5x10=50---- so 8+6+50= 64 and so on...) This can be adapted in a number of ways too (multiplying answers instead of adding them, first person to 500 wins etc.) Each player must check the other person's number sentences before they can be officially declared the winner!
-Version 2*: Same as Version 1, but players take turns rolling the dice and checking each other's answers as they go. First to 100 (or 500) wins.
-Version 3*: Choose an operation. Each player rolls 1 dice and the first to call out the correct answer wins!
**The dice can be 6 sided or as many sides as you choose. The more sides and higher the numbers, the more challenging the game will be!
Research shows that playing games is a great way to practice skills and facts in a way that students remember them.
Here are some great games you can play with materials you have around the house:
Rock, Paper, Scissors MATH!
-Best when played with 2 players, but can be adapted for 3.
-Materials: Hands =) and thinking hats!
-Say Rock Paper Scissors Math and on "Math" each player holds out a number of fingers with their palm facing down so everyone can see how many fingers each player has. Each round can be played with a different operation (multiplication, addition, subtraction- division is a bit more challenging and will have remainders or decimals), or you can play a whole game with an established operation. The first person to call out the correct answer to the equation, wins! It can be played best out of 5, 10, or as many rounds as you like.
Math War
-Best when played with 2 players, but can be adapted for 3.
-Materials: A deck of playing cards, or numbered cards. If using playing cards, decide if the face cards should be worth 10 each, or Jacks worth 11, Queens worth 12, Kings worth 13.
-After dealing out the cards in equal amounts, each player turns over a card from their pile and places it face up in the middle of the players. The first to call out the correct answer to the equation, based on the pre-determined operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication- again division is more challenging and requires remainders or decimals), wins the cards and gets to keep them. First person to collect all the cards wins!
Dice Roll:
-Any number of players
-Materials: 2 Dice per player, or 2 dice total*, pencil and paper
-Version 1:Choose an operation. Each player rolls their 2 dice and writes the number sentence as well as the answer (ex: 2x4=8 if multiplying, if adding 2+4=6) on their paper. The goal is to add the answers of the equations down the page and see who gets to 100 first. (ex: 2x4=8, 3x2=6, 5x10=50---- so 8+6+50= 64 and so on...) This can be adapted in a number of ways too (multiplying answers instead of adding them, first person to 500 wins etc.) Each player must check the other person's number sentences before they can be officially declared the winner!
-Version 2*: Same as Version 1, but players take turns rolling the dice and checking each other's answers as they go. First to 100 (or 500) wins.
-Version 3*: Choose an operation. Each player rolls 1 dice and the first to call out the correct answer wins!
**The dice can be 6 sided or as many sides as you choose. The more sides and higher the numbers, the more challenging the game will be!
22 Fun, Hands-On Ways to Teach Multiplicationby Elizabeth MulvahillWhat's the best way to teach multiplication? The answer is different for every student.
1. Start by talking about things that come in groups. Two legs on a chicken, for example, five fingers on a hand, etc. Go up to 12. Then make groups with counters on small paper plates—three plates, two counters on each. Write 3 groups of 2, then 3x2, etc. Have them get the concept before working on facts. —Merry P.2. Gather big groups of similar objects. I want the kids to know what 100, 1,000, 10,000 and so on looks like so I have them collect pull tabs from pop cans. I’ve also had them collect paper clips and popcorn. —Patricia F.
3. Make arrays. In 2nd grade we teach arrays using Cheerios! --Abbie T
.
Other items to use for arrays: paper clips, pretzels, M&Ms, crayons, tiles, blocks, buttons, popcorn kernels, rice, washers, chocolate chips, pom-poms, cheese balls, jewels, Smarties, pennies, raisins, pistachios, lentils, counters, Lego bricks...
4. Play an easy bottle top game. I collected bottle tops and bought some colored dot stickers at The Dollar Tree. Put one dot on top for the multiplication sentence and one dot on the inside of the top with the product! I use it as a center game. Students lay all the tops with the multiplication sentence showing. They take turns and have to say the sentence and the answer before turning the top over to check their answer. If they get it right, then they keep the top. If they get it wrong, then they put it back. Whoever has the most at the end wins!—Jasmine A.
5. Try multiplication war. We LOVE multiplication war with a deck of cards. Just flip two cards and multiply. Whoever has the highest product keeps the cards. I also make them give me the inverse division problem. —Stacy M.
6. Have a back to back challenge. We played multiplication back to back! Two students stand back to back and each write a factor on the white board (you can set limit, usually 1-9) and a "caller" announces the product. The two students have to try to solve the others factor, knowing their factor and the product. The person who wins stays and the next class member takes the other space. Whoever wins 3 rounds In a row gets to be the new caller. This is typically a whole class game.
7. Play a round of baseball. Use one set of multiplication flashcards to play math baseball in the classroom. Put a flashcard down on the floor in a path. Kids take turn hopping on the cards saying the answer and see how far can they get. Stop when they make a mistake and see who gets the furthest.—Sunny S.
8. Put a new twist on an old favorite. We play rock paper scissors but they put up fingers instead with a partner. First partner to multiply those together gets a point. —Maura L.
9. Line up some dominoes. We use dominoes for multi-digit problems. For example, take two dominoes. Line them up horizontally and that's their problem. A 2 and 3 on one, and a 5 and 2 on the other would be 23x52. —Caroline P.
10. Circle them up. There's a game called Countdown (or Buzz) that helps the kids practice skip counting. They circle up and you set a number and range (skip count by 5 up to 50) the student who says 50 is out and you keep going until there's only 1 left standing. —Matt S.
11. Practice Vegas style. I love to use a deck of regular cards to play Multiplication Top-It (kids draw 2 cards as factors and multiply; highest product wins the hand). Dice are also good to play Multiplication Roll 'Em, a similar game. —Zarina M.
12. Play a game of Slap. We play a game called Slap. I have made small cards with single numbers on them. I place down 2 cards at a time. The student that can answer with the correct answer wins the 2 cards. For example, one card with an 8, one card with a 7. Student slaps (softly) the table and answers 56 wins the cards. The winner is the one with the most cards. —Jo H.
13. Call out those bingo numbers! We play times table bingo. Students all have different cards, each with times table answers. You call multiplication problems, for example 7x9... they figure it out and cover that number. Kids can make their own cards using the back-side of any paper. Even have the kids help fill in the numbers. That way they can all be different and the kids take pride in helping to create a game for you! —Dawn B.
14. Repurpose an everyday item. Use an egg carton and write a number in the bottom of each depression. Put a marble inside. Students shake it up and whatever two numbers they land on they multiply together. —Cami B.
15. Make your own flash cards: I attended a brain based learning workshop about 6 years ago and one of the main things that stuck with me was having students put an artistic drawing to their flashcard answers so the brain makes a connection between the answer and the drawing. I teach fourth grade and the last two years the kids have been very eager to make the cards (at home). They keep them in their binders so that any time we have five minutes they can practice. They take a lot of pride in them so they aren't just another set of flashcards. —Jen W.
16. Practice with Whisper Drills. We also do whisper drillsany time we are going somewhere in the halls. We have designated stops (like traffic stops) the kids see how many facts they and their partner can get right between stops. —Jen W.
17. Make a deck of triangle flash cards. They're great—kids can make their own for the multiplication facts that continue to be difficult for them! —Ann-Marie H.
See examples: http://bit.ly/1IgN4tr
18. Construct Array Cities. To help students understand arrays in a real world way, we made Array Cities. Students had to make at least 3 buildings, use rulers to make straight lines, and write the multiplication facts. I was really able to see who understood the concept, and I love how they turned out! -—Melissa A.
See examples: http://bit.ly/1Xr0D0x
19. Make Math Power Towers. You write a problem on the outside of the cup, then inside you write the answer. If the student gets the answer correct, they may begin making a tower. Each time a correct answer is given, they add to the stack. This can be done with partners or individual for early finishers. Pringles cans are great for storing.”--Angie P.
See examples: http://bit.ly/1XqZKVL
20. Other ideas for manipulatives you can make to help with independent practice:
Multiplication circles
Multiplication stars
Multiplication lace-ups
21. Practice online. Some of the favorite resources our Facebook fans mentioned include:
- KenKen Puzzles
- Wuzzit Trouble
- Math-Aids.com
- Xtramath
22. Sing to learn. Our community members love Schoolhouse Rock! and the "Learning Is Fun" series on YouTube.
For more ideas for multiplication games:
http://bit.ly/1IgN4tr
For more sing-along videos:
http://bit.ly/1kTMwoE
Other online resources:
www.multiplication.com
www.factmonster.com
www.mathisfun.com
www.mathplayground.com
www.coolmath4kids.com/times-tables/
www.webmathminute.com
/http://www.math-salamanders.com/online-multiplication.html
http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/multiplication.html
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/math_multiplication_games.html
1. Start by talking about things that come in groups. Two legs on a chicken, for example, five fingers on a hand, etc. Go up to 12. Then make groups with counters on small paper plates—three plates, two counters on each. Write 3 groups of 2, then 3x2, etc. Have them get the concept before working on facts. —Merry P.2. Gather big groups of similar objects. I want the kids to know what 100, 1,000, 10,000 and so on looks like so I have them collect pull tabs from pop cans. I’ve also had them collect paper clips and popcorn. —Patricia F.
3. Make arrays. In 2nd grade we teach arrays using Cheerios! --Abbie T
.
Other items to use for arrays: paper clips, pretzels, M&Ms, crayons, tiles, blocks, buttons, popcorn kernels, rice, washers, chocolate chips, pom-poms, cheese balls, jewels, Smarties, pennies, raisins, pistachios, lentils, counters, Lego bricks...
4. Play an easy bottle top game. I collected bottle tops and bought some colored dot stickers at The Dollar Tree. Put one dot on top for the multiplication sentence and one dot on the inside of the top with the product! I use it as a center game. Students lay all the tops with the multiplication sentence showing. They take turns and have to say the sentence and the answer before turning the top over to check their answer. If they get it right, then they keep the top. If they get it wrong, then they put it back. Whoever has the most at the end wins!—Jasmine A.
5. Try multiplication war. We LOVE multiplication war with a deck of cards. Just flip two cards and multiply. Whoever has the highest product keeps the cards. I also make them give me the inverse division problem. —Stacy M.
6. Have a back to back challenge. We played multiplication back to back! Two students stand back to back and each write a factor on the white board (you can set limit, usually 1-9) and a "caller" announces the product. The two students have to try to solve the others factor, knowing their factor and the product. The person who wins stays and the next class member takes the other space. Whoever wins 3 rounds In a row gets to be the new caller. This is typically a whole class game.
7. Play a round of baseball. Use one set of multiplication flashcards to play math baseball in the classroom. Put a flashcard down on the floor in a path. Kids take turn hopping on the cards saying the answer and see how far can they get. Stop when they make a mistake and see who gets the furthest.—Sunny S.
8. Put a new twist on an old favorite. We play rock paper scissors but they put up fingers instead with a partner. First partner to multiply those together gets a point. —Maura L.
9. Line up some dominoes. We use dominoes for multi-digit problems. For example, take two dominoes. Line them up horizontally and that's their problem. A 2 and 3 on one, and a 5 and 2 on the other would be 23x52. —Caroline P.
10. Circle them up. There's a game called Countdown (or Buzz) that helps the kids practice skip counting. They circle up and you set a number and range (skip count by 5 up to 50) the student who says 50 is out and you keep going until there's only 1 left standing. —Matt S.
11. Practice Vegas style. I love to use a deck of regular cards to play Multiplication Top-It (kids draw 2 cards as factors and multiply; highest product wins the hand). Dice are also good to play Multiplication Roll 'Em, a similar game. —Zarina M.
12. Play a game of Slap. We play a game called Slap. I have made small cards with single numbers on them. I place down 2 cards at a time. The student that can answer with the correct answer wins the 2 cards. For example, one card with an 8, one card with a 7. Student slaps (softly) the table and answers 56 wins the cards. The winner is the one with the most cards. —Jo H.
13. Call out those bingo numbers! We play times table bingo. Students all have different cards, each with times table answers. You call multiplication problems, for example 7x9... they figure it out and cover that number. Kids can make their own cards using the back-side of any paper. Even have the kids help fill in the numbers. That way they can all be different and the kids take pride in helping to create a game for you! —Dawn B.
14. Repurpose an everyday item. Use an egg carton and write a number in the bottom of each depression. Put a marble inside. Students shake it up and whatever two numbers they land on they multiply together. —Cami B.
15. Make your own flash cards: I attended a brain based learning workshop about 6 years ago and one of the main things that stuck with me was having students put an artistic drawing to their flashcard answers so the brain makes a connection between the answer and the drawing. I teach fourth grade and the last two years the kids have been very eager to make the cards (at home). They keep them in their binders so that any time we have five minutes they can practice. They take a lot of pride in them so they aren't just another set of flashcards. —Jen W.
16. Practice with Whisper Drills. We also do whisper drillsany time we are going somewhere in the halls. We have designated stops (like traffic stops) the kids see how many facts they and their partner can get right between stops. —Jen W.
17. Make a deck of triangle flash cards. They're great—kids can make their own for the multiplication facts that continue to be difficult for them! —Ann-Marie H.
See examples: http://bit.ly/1IgN4tr
18. Construct Array Cities. To help students understand arrays in a real world way, we made Array Cities. Students had to make at least 3 buildings, use rulers to make straight lines, and write the multiplication facts. I was really able to see who understood the concept, and I love how they turned out! -—Melissa A.
See examples: http://bit.ly/1Xr0D0x
19. Make Math Power Towers. You write a problem on the outside of the cup, then inside you write the answer. If the student gets the answer correct, they may begin making a tower. Each time a correct answer is given, they add to the stack. This can be done with partners or individual for early finishers. Pringles cans are great for storing.”--Angie P.
See examples: http://bit.ly/1XqZKVL
20. Other ideas for manipulatives you can make to help with independent practice:
Multiplication circles
Multiplication stars
Multiplication lace-ups
21. Practice online. Some of the favorite resources our Facebook fans mentioned include:
- KenKen Puzzles
- Wuzzit Trouble
- Math-Aids.com
- Xtramath
22. Sing to learn. Our community members love Schoolhouse Rock! and the "Learning Is Fun" series on YouTube.
For more ideas for multiplication games:
http://bit.ly/1IgN4tr
For more sing-along videos:
http://bit.ly/1kTMwoE
Other online resources:
www.multiplication.com
www.factmonster.com
www.mathisfun.com
www.mathplayground.com
www.coolmath4kids.com/times-tables/
www.webmathminute.com
/http://www.math-salamanders.com/online-multiplication.html
http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/multiplication.html
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/math_multiplication_games.html