Operations Games (F-2)

4 Cards

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What number are you trying to make?”; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “What if you use multiplication (or subtraction) etc.?” (i.e. offer suggestions when students need help but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.); “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

5 in a Row

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: Deck of cards, paper, pencils

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you choose to cross out  __?”;  “Why didn’t you make __?”;  “Explain to me how you got __?”;  “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

100 Laughs

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards, paper and pencil

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What goes with __ to make 100?”; “What if you changed the first number to  __?”; “Why did you change the first number to __?”; “What would you do differently next time you play?”

Shout-out to James Russo for creating this game. 

Addition Golf

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Deck of cards, paper, pen

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Is there another combination of cards you could use to make a ten? Which do you think is the better option? Why?”;  “What goes with __ to make ten?”

Bankrupt

Concepts covered: Probability, addition, financial maths

Equipment: Six-sided dice (with coins marked on each face), paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you decide to stop when you did?/ Why did you decide to keep going?”; “Do the numbers you roll influence your decision on when to stop or not?  Explain why/why not.”; “What is the chance of rolling a $1?”; “What would you do differently next time you play?” 

Thanks to Paul Swan for teaching me this game.

Blackhole

Concepts covered: Addition/subtraction

Equipment: Paper and pen

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Is that the best order to add up your numbers? Is there an easier way that you could do it? Why is that way easier?”;  “What goes with __ to make ten?”; “Why did you place your ___ there?”; “What would you do differently the next time you play?”

Shout-out to Walter Joris for creating this game.

Closest to 10

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: deck of cards, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What other number could you make?”; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “What if you use multiplication (or subtraction etc.)?” (i.e. offer suggestions but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.)

This game is based on a game Rob Vingerhoets taught me.

Equationle

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: Paper and pens…that’s it!

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What do you now know that can help you for your next guess?”; “What operations have you not tried yet?”; “How did you know the __ went in the first column?”; “What would you do differently next time you play?”

Fishing for Tens

Concepts covered: Addition/subtraction, multiplication/division

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What goes with __ to make ten?”; “If I asked for a __, what card does that mean I might be holding?”; “What other operation could you try?”

Shout-out to Nash Minas for creating this game.

From Here to There

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards, paper and pencils

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What are you hoping to roll?”; “How did you work that out?”

Game of 31

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you pick up that card?”; “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Game, Set, Maths

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: deck of cards, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Are there any other ways to make __?”; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “What if you use multiplication (or subtraction etc.)?” (I.e. offer suggestions when students need help but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.)

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Deck of playing cards, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What’s the other number you can make?” (When kids start playing, they may only focus on what they can make by adding the two cards and fail to consider the subtraction option.); “Explain to me how you got __?”; “Do you think it is better to add or subtract the two numbers?  Why?”; “Is it a good idea to place lots of tokens on the one square?  Why/why not?”; “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Go Fish (Doubles/Near Doubles)

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What is double __?”; “How did you work that out?”; “If I asked for a __, what card does that mean I might be holding?”

Go Fish! (Make Ten)

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What goes with __ to make ten?”; “If I asked for a __, what card does that mean I must be holding?”

The Golden Number

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Deck of cards, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Explain to me how you got __?”;  “What card are you hoping for next? Why?”

Shout-out to James Russo for inventing this game.

Make 30

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Paper, pencils and counters (or any suitable substitute)

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What goes with __ to make 30?”; “How did you work that pair out?”

Shout-out to Alistair McIntosh and Shelley Dole who created this game. 

Magical Squares

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you put ___ there?”; “Why did you choose that combination of numbers?”; “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Shout-out to Walter Joris for creating this game. 

Make a Ten Memory

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What card are you hoping to turn over next?”; “What goes with __ to make ten?”

Matchmaker

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you choose to make __?”; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

Shout-out to Paul Swan for creating this game.

MathemaTic-Tac-Toe

Concepts covered: Addition/subtraction

Equipment: Paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you put the ___ there?”; “Who do you think has a better chance of winning- the attacker or the defender?”; “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Shout-out to Andrew Lorimer-Derham (Thinksquare) for creating this game. 

Math-ketball

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: Deck of cards, paper, pencils

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you choose to make that equation?”;  “Can you create an equation using subtraction (or multiplication or whatever)?”;  “Can you use your last equation to help you make your next one? Can you find another equation from the same fact family?”;  “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

Net Zero

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: Deck of playing cards, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Explain to me how you got __?”; “Can you make __ using multiplication/subtraction etc.?” (I.e. offer suggestions when students need help but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.); “Is there a way to make zero with four cards?”; “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Shout-out to Jennifer Bay-Williams and Gine Kling for creating this game. 

Number Sentences

Concepts covered: Addition & subtraction

Equipment: deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you choose to make that equation?”;  “What were your other options?”;  “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

Shout-out to James Russo for inventing this game (www.surfmaths.com).

Numbers in Your Nest

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Objects with clearly visible numbers on them (e.g. 1 - 12)

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Is that the best order to add the numbers in?”;  “Why did you run past the 4 block?”;  “How do you know your total is larger/smaller?”

Pairs to Ten

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What goes with __ to make ten?”; “Are there any other pairs you can see?”

Shout-out to Paul Swan for creating this game.

Part-Part-GRAB!

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Was there any other combinations of cards you could have used to make __?”; “What goes with __ to make __?”

Part-Whole Triangles

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, part-part-whole

Equipment: deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you set your triangle up like that?”; “What card are you hoping for?”; “What about if you rearranged your cards/triangle?”; “Do you have to have the __ card at the top? What are your other options?”; “Can you check if I have won?”

Shout-out to James Russo for inventing this game (www.surfmaths.com).

Poison Numbers

Concepts covered: Addition, variety of vocab (e.g. prime numbers, multiples, odd/even, square numbers)

Equipment: Deck of cards, paper, pencils

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Is that a (multiple of 6)? How do you know?”; “Explain to me how you got __?”;  “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

Shout-out to Paul Swan for teaching me this game.

Road to 35

Concepts covered: Subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards, pens & paper

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you play that card next?”;  “How did you work that equation out?”;  “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

Shout-out to Paul Swan and David Dunstan for creating this game.

The Rollercoaster Game

Concepts covered: Addition/subtraction

Equipment: Dice, game board, counters/tokens, tens frames

Good questions to ask while playing:  “How many counters do you have now? Can you work this out without counting the whole collection”

ROWCO 2.0

Concepts covered: Addition

Equipment: Deck of cards

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you choose that card?”; “Why didn’t you choose the __ card?”; “How can we organise our cards so they will easier to add up at the end?” (This might lead to kids placing them in pairs that make ten, or finding pairs of cards that they can easily double, etc.); “What would you do differently next time you play?”

Shout-out to Paul Swan for teaching me the original version of this game. 

Strawberry vs. Dinosaur

Concepts covered: Addition/subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards, counters/tokens, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “How did you know that was 7?”; “Can you work out what number you will land on without counting along the numberline?”

Shout-out to Jennifer Bay-Williams and Gina Kling for creating the game on which this version is very closely based.

Strike!

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: Deck of playing cards, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What number are you trying to make now?  Why?’; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “Can you make __ using multiplication/subtraction etc.?” (I.e. offer suggestions when students need help but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.); “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Shout-out to Paula McMahon for creating this game.

The Sum Game

Concepts covered: Addition and subtraction

Equipment: Paper/pencils, counters or tokens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you choose to make __?”; “Why didn’t you make __?  That seems like it would have helped you?”; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “What would you do differently the next time you played?”

Target Os & Xs

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: 1-10 dice (or deck of playing cards), paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What number are you trying to make now?  Why?’; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “Can you make __ using multiplication/subtraction etc.?” (I.e. offer suggestions when students need help but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.); “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Shout-out to Ann Downton for sharing this game. 

Ten Frame Filler

Concepts covered: Partitioning, addition

Equipment: 1-10 dice (or deck of cards), paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “How did you know that was 7?”; “Can you work out how many are coloured in without counting them?”; “What number are you hoping to get?  Why?”; “What would you do differently next time you played?”

Shout-out to Di Siemon for teaching me this game. 

Ten Frame Filler (Nash’s Version)

Concepts covered: Partitioning, addition

Equipment: 1-10 dice (or deck of cards), paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Which frame are you hoping to get?  Why?”; “Why did you fill that frame in?”

Shout-out to Nash for creating this version of the game.

Terminator 2

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: six-sided dice, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What number are you trying to make now?’; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “What if you use multiplication (or subtraction etc.)?” (I.e. offer suggestions when students need help but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.

Shout-out to Leicha Bragg for introducing this game to me.

Three Little Pigs vs. the Big Bad Wolf

Concepts covered: Addition, ordering numbers

Equipment: three 6-sided dice, 20-sided dice, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Explain to me how you got __?”;  “What is the best order to add these numbers in? Why?”; “How do you know you won this round?”

Shout-out to James Russo for inventing this game.

The Tower of 40

Concepts covered: Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Equipment: deck of cards, paper and pens

Good questions to ask while playing:  “What other number could you make?”; “Explain to me how you got __?”; “What if you use multiplication (or subtraction etc.)?” (I.e. offer suggestions when students need help but DON’T tell them how to arrive at a number.)

Shout-out to Nash Minas for inventing this game.

What’s the Difference?

Concepts covered: Subtraction

Equipment: Deck of cards, pens, paper, 2 x sets of maths cubes (or unifix or centifit cubes etc.)

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Whose number do you think is larger? How do you know?”;  “Can you check? Were you right?”

Zoo Rescue

Concepts covered: Subtraction

Equipment: 2 x six-sided dice, pens, paper, 2 x sets of 6 counters (or figures/lego blocks etc.)

Good questions to ask while playing:  “Why did you set your pieces the way you did?”;  “What are you hoping will appear on the dice?”;  “What would you do differently the next time you played?”