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.

Evens or Odds

This game will appeal to fans of Rock, Paper, Scissors.  The boys in my room are loud when they play this game, and they love to be loud.

Here's how to play.  Pair up your students.  One group may have 3 kids, but make sure those kids are able to add 3 numbers together.

1.  Players decide who will be "odds" and who will be "evens".  Each creates a score card in their journal.  A simple T chart will work fine.

2.  Both players bounce their fist on their legs or tables 3 times saying "Evens or Odds, Shoot".  When they say "Shoot", both players should shoot out any number of fingers between 0 or 5.  

3.  Players add together the numbers from each player's hand.

4.  If the sum is odd, the "odd player" adds the sum to his score.  If the sum is even, the "even player" adds the score to her score. 

5.  Repeat steps 2 - 4 until one player reaches 50.

Challenge Version

Play the same game, except each player uses 2 fists.  Add together the fingers from all 4 hands to get the sum.  This version will require some double digit addition.

 

Place the Value

Place the Value

I made this game years ago.  However, I realize now that we could have played with a deck of cards and saved myself all that time cutting out number cards and creating game boards.

Here's what you need:
playing cards with 10's, jacks, queens, kings and jokers removed.
Math journals or notebook paper for recording sheets
pencils

How to play:
Deal the cards out face down on the table to create a pool for drawing cards.

Children need to draw a large place value chart with labels "hundreds", "tens" and "ones" across the top.  Each column needs to be large enough to hold one playing card.

Draw cards to decide who goes first.  Highest card drawn begins play.

Player 1 chooses a card and places in in one of the place value windows on the chart.  Once placed, the card may not be moved.

Player 2 repeats that action.

Players take turns repeating the draw and place step until both place value charts are completed.

Each player reads his number.  The greater number wins the hand.

Players record a number sentence comparing the results in their math journals, i.e. 253<984.

Advanced Versions:
1.  Players subtract the smaller total from the greater total.  Winner adds the difference to his score.
2.  Players add more places to the place value chart.  Game boards can be created with infinite number of places.  I have boards with windows up to millions place.

Win 25

This week we are practicing building numbers with 10's and 1's.  I have each child keep a baggie of 10's and 1's with their supplies for the year.  At the end of the year, I collect them all and sterilize.

Materials:

Place value blocks (10's and 1's)

Place value mat (with hundreds, tens and ones)

die

1.  Each child needs a place value mat and a bag of tens and ones.  Each team of 2 or 3 needs 1 die.

2.  The first player rolls the die.  He places that many ones in the ones section of his mat.

3.  The next player repeats.

4.  Play continues until one player has 10 or more in the ones place.  That player must trade 10 ones for a 10, which she places in the 10's place.

5.  Continue until one player reaches 25 or higher.

Variations:

This game becomes too easy quickly for some students.  Because there is not much strategy involved, I offer variations to those kids.

1.  The first variation is the same game with 2 dice.  Roll both dice, add them together and get that many cubes.  Make trades when necessary.  Play this game to 50 instead of 25.

2.  Reverse the game.  Begin with a 100's block in the hundreds section.  Roll 2 dice, and subtract the sum from the 100.  The first play of the game can be very challenging.  Take turns and play until one player reaches 0.

Foreheads

Foreheads

This one is a challenging game. Children practice addition facts with missing addends. It helps children understand the relationship between addition and subtraction. I play this game repeatedly throughout the year. It's a great refresher for basic facts.

Also, some of my children are not ready to understand the relationship between addition and subtraction until later in the year. It's very exciting when a child runs over to me after playing this game in April and excitedly explains the connection he just noticed between addition and subtraction.

Supplies

1 deck of cards for each group of 3 children

How to Play

1. Remove all face cards from the deck.
2. Choose one player to be the "teacher" first. (All children will get a turn.)
3. The "teacher" hands one facedown card to each contestant. Children are not allowed to look at their own cards.
4. The contestants hold their cards on their foreheads WITHOUT EVER LOOKING AT THEIR OWN NUMBER. The cards are held face out so that the opponent can see the number.
5. The "teacher" quickly adds the two numbers together and calls out the sum.
6. The two contestants race to identify their own number using the sum and the card they can see on the opponents head.
   1. For example, in this hand, the host would call out the sum, 13.
      
   2. The player on the left knows that his opponent has a 4, so he subtracts 13 – 4 to identify his number, 9.

7. The first contestant to identify his own number collects both cards.
8. Play continues until the deck is gone. The winner is the contestant with the most cards.
9. Play again, and choose a new game show host.