Math Games for All Ages

Marilyn L. Brown

Math games are a fun way to learn, develop, and reinforce math skills. Math skills are life skills, and successful students must master them.

These games can be adapted for multiple age groups. Have the more advanced student multiply, divide, or square the number while the less advanced student may add or subtract, and an even younger student may identify the number.

So here is a sampling of math games.

TEACHER’S PET NUMBER

Supplies: timer, paper and pencil

Directions:
1.Say a number. 12
2.Give students 20 seconds to try to write as many unique combinations as they can that equal that numbers. 11+1 13-1 12*1 1+1+1+9 6+6
3.The student with the most unique combinations chooses the next number. A unique combination is one that no one else in the class has.

GUESS IT

Supplies: paper, pencil

Directions:
1.One player chooses a number and writes it down
2.Other players ask questions that can be answered with “yes” or ”no” to try to figure out the number
3.The player that guesses correctly chooses the next number. An incorrect guess means one is out for the rest of that round

Is it even?
Is it odd?
Is it more than?
Is it less than?
Does it have a _ in the one’s place?
Does it have a _ in the ten’s place?

SECRET SEVEN

Supplies: paper, pencil

Directions:
1.Each player chooses any seven numbers between 0-1,000 and writes them on his paper.
2.One player describes numbers. The other players mark off the numbers as they are described.
3.The first player that marks off all of his numbers may describe the number for the nest round.

Mark off all...

...even numbers.
...odd.
...more than.
...less than.
...a _ in the one’s place?
...a _ in the ten’s place?

WHITEBOARD BASEBALL

Supplies: flashcards, whiteboard, dry erase markers

Directions:
1.Draw a baseball diamond on the board.2.Divide the students into two teams-home and away.
3.A player from both teams comes to the board. Give a problem. If the batter finishes first then he goes to base. If the fielder finishes first, he caught a fly ball and the batter is out.
4.Three outs and the teams switch. Play 9 innings.

NUMBER MATCH

Supplies: slips of paper and pencil

Directions:
1.Have the children write numbers from 1-18 on their slips.
2.Announce a number from 0-24.
3.Have the children pair numbers to make a combination that equals that number given.
4.Encourage use of addition and subtraction.

SPECIAL NUMBER

Supplies: Counters, coin, tape, dice or number cards

Preparation: Tape a plus sign to one side of the coin and a minus to the other

Directions:
1. Choose a number, this becomes the goal number.
2. Issue 20 counters to each child to use as counters to help figure out solutions.
3. In turn, draw (or roll) a number and flip the coin. Add or subtract that many.
4. The first player to get to the goal number wins.

Adaptation: Play with fraction pieces to get to a whole

MATH IN A BAG

Supplies: Counters, paper bags

Directions:
1. Count a certain number of counters as a group and place the full number in the first bag.
2. Have one student move a handful of counters to bag 2.
3. Have a student count and announce counters in bag 2.
4. Have students figure out counters left in bag 1.

Adaptation: Have more advanced students figure the amount remaining in fraction form or as a per cent.

BUZZ NUMBER MATH GAME

Supplies: None

Directions:
1. Choose a number from 3-9. (Such as 3.)
2. Have students begin counting in turn. (1,2.)
3. When a student would say the number or a multiple of it say “buzz” instead. (Buzz, 4, 5, Buzz, 7, 8, Buzz…)

TIC TAC TOE

Supplies: Flashcards, chalk and chalk board

Directions:
1.Divide students into two teams if necessary
2.Draw a large Tic tac toe board on the board
3.Assign one team to be x and the other o
4.Show a flashcard to the first player from the first team. If he gets the correct answer he may put an x/o.

Three in a row wins

TIC TAC TOE VARIATION

Supplies: Paper and pencil

Directions:
1.Make the tic tac toe board
2.Write one thing in each square--the numbers 1-9/the vowels/ or certain blends.
3.Show flashcards or say words have students put a marker on each answer that they have.
4.Any three in a row wins
5.(hint: play like bingo but much faster)

HOLD UP

Supplies: Flashcards, paper

Preparation: Have students cut squares of paper and write 0-9 or 18 on them one number to a square.

Directions:
1. Have students place squares number up in front of them.
2. Show a flashcard.
3. Have students hold up the correct answer.

Adaptation: May be used with long and short vowel sounds

Many life situations include math skills. Situations such as the number of people eating dinner and the amount of silverware being used, sports statistics and shopping all are great times to apply math.

These math games can be used for groups of any size, if needed you can divide your students into groups. These math games will improve the way you and your child look at math. It's no longer just a subject. Now it's a math game!

We hope these math games help you make schooling more fun for your family.

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