Win 50

Here's an oldie, but a goodie.

Each player needs a handful of place value blocks, 10s and 1s.  Players will also need a place value mat and a shared set of 2 dice.

First player rolls the dice, adds the sum, and gets that many ones for his board.
Each player gets a turn to do the same.  I ask kids to play in groups of 2 or 3.  Larger groups work, but then the kids spend too much time waiting for a turn instead of using the manipulatives.
On the second turn, some children will have 10 or more in the 1s section of their place value mat.  They must trade 10 ones for a 10s rod any time they have more than 9.
Continue play until one player wins by reaching 50 first.

Pig

Pig

We are playing Pig this week.  I did not enter my game for last week, because I gave my kids  a Geoboard Challenge instead.  They like Geoboards, but were excited to play a new game this week.

Your students practice basic facts and 2 digit addition while playing Pig.  There is a variation for subtraction also.  I find it particularly interesting to observe the little gamblers in my class with this game.

Materials:

2-3 players
Math journals for keeping score
1 number cube for each group

How to Play:

1.  Roll die to see who goes first.

2.  The first player rolls the die.  If he rolls a 1, his turn is over and his score is 0.
If he rolls any other number, he begins scoring with that number.  The first player can
roll again or keep that score.  Add any additional rolls to the score.  (Most of my second
graders are adding these digits mentally.  However, a few are writing the numbers down to
help with addition.)  His turn ends when he stops rolling, calls Pig, and writes down his score for that turn, or... when he rolls a 1, and his score for the turn is 0.

3.  The second player goes next.  She rolls in the same manner, and writes down her score at
the end of her turn.

4.  Play continues in the same manner with players writing their new scores under earlier totals.
Remind the kids to write their scores carefully with tens and ones aligned to make addition easier.

5.  The first player to reach 100 is the winner.


Variations:
1.  Start the scorecards at 100.  Add the total on the dice in the same way as above.  Subtract
your score from the total.  First player to 0 is the winner.

2.  Play teacher against the class using a smartboard number cube if you have one.  Students
should all keep track of the score in their journals.  Students also take turns deciding when to
call Pig.

4 Strikes and You're Out

This is a great 2-digit addition game.  It's not mine originally, but I don't remember where I learned it.

Kids should play with a partner.
One partner (the builder) writes a secret math problem for 2-digit addition in his math journal.

The second partner (the guesser) draws a game board.

And writes the digits 0 - 9.

The game is similar to hangman.
The guesser chooses one digit and calls it out.
If the digit is part of the problem, the builder writes it into each square in which it belongs.
If the digit is not part of the problem, tally a strike at the top of the page.
Cross out the digit so that you know it has been played.

Here's an example:
  26
+37
  63

If the first digit chosen is 1, the builder marks a strike at the top of the page.  1 is crossed off the digit list so the guesser remembers that it has been played.
Assume the next digit chosen is 2.  The builder writes a 2 in the first square of the game board.  2 is crossed off the digit list.
If the guesser chooses 3 next, the builder writes it in two squares of the problem.

There are good strategies involved here.  Students will guess randomly at first, but soon, they are finding sums, missing addends, and deciding whether regrouping is involved.

After the game is over, switch parts and play again.


Variations:
If 3 players are playing together, one is the builder and 2 guessers take turns.

Problems and game boards can get bigger.  Try 3 digit addition.