Three in a row bingo!

This week we are featuring a game which builds place value knowledge.  

The best thing is that it uses no special materials, just things you can find around the house.   W3 T2

Three in a Row Bingo

You will need a tape measure (over 100cm is best) some paper clips and a deck of cards.

* Shuffle your deck of cards.  

* The first player chooses two cards to make a two digit number.

* Player one may then use this number, or a number ten more or ten less than the number.

* Player 1 then finds the number on their tape measure and marks it with a paperclip.   

* Player two confirms that the clip is in the right place.  

Play alternates until one player places the third paperclip in a row (like connect four).  They are then the winner!

With your cards

Kings & Jacks =0

Queen = wild card (your choice)

Make the rules easier by throwing out the picture cards and drawing one at a time. Use 1 more one less rather than ten.

Make the game harder by making a custom tape measure (number line) and allowing negative numbers or decimals.

Love the game?  Made a modification of your own?  Share on the St Matthew’s Facebook page!

Array Games

Warm Up Games - Times Tables  

Being able to quickly recall times tables is an essential skill for solving mental maths questions. However, the importance is not on being able to recall rote learnt facts but to understand what the fact means.  The following array activity can help children to remember and understand times table facts in  a visual way.

You will need

2 or more players, a selection of counters or small items (pasta is great) and a dice.

How to play

- Each player rolls a die and makes that many rows (e.g. 6)

- Roll the die again and place that many counters in each row (e.g. 5)

- How many counters all together?  Invite your partner to check.  (e.g. 30)

- Extension - write / say / chant the multiplication or division fact that matches the array.  (e.g. 6x5 = 30  5x6 = 30    30 ÷ 6 = 5    30 ÷ 5 = 6).

- The player with the most counters wins the round and the point.  The first to five points wins!

Make it a challenge by using a die with more than 6 sides.  There are lots of websites and apps that feature random dice spinners.  Try googling ‘virtual dice’ to get started.

More or less snap - A great at home game

This week our numeracy focus is on a game that you can play at home to develop mental computation skills.

More or less snap!

You will need a deck of cards and two players.

As usual in this game of snap you are looking to win the pile of cards on the table by snapping onto a 'match'.  However, in this game the rules have changed.  Try snapping if the card placed on top of the pile is one more or one less than the one underneath it.  

You could make this game harder by making the difference between the cards greater e.g. Three more or three less

Make the game easier by removing the picture cards.

This game helps with concepts of place value,  as well as addition and subtraction.

Happy Snapping!

Double, Half, Stay? Games for at home

Double? Halve? Stay?

At St Matthew’s we have been very lucky to have some amazing visiting teachers from different universities.  Here is a game Miss Van Der Berg has introduced to us which you might like to play at home.

You will need - Two dice (a spinner or dice app works just as well)

Two or more players

How to play  

Choose a starting number between 6 and 132

Player 1 rolls their dice to find out their number (e.g. One dice represents the tens digit and one the units digit.  e.g. 3 and 4 makes 34 or 43)

They can then choose to double it, halve it, or leave it as it is to get the closest to they can to the chosen number.

Each player has a turn.  

The person with the number closest to the starting number scores a point.

Everyone chooses a new starting number.

The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.  

Make it easier - Use only one die or a 10 sided die / spinner

Make it harder - Use three dice, one for a whole number and two for tenths and hundredths.

What a great game for a rainy day!

Mrs Usher

Battleships - Learning on a number line

Here is a  new game we have invented at St Matt’s. This game helps players to visualise numbers on a number line.  Remember to keep playing maths games often to keep your numeracy skills in top shape!

BATTLESHIPS!

Mark out your playing field - we used a strip along the tables 150cm long. Younger students could use a shorter length based on the numbers they are familiar with.

Sit alongside your partner so you are both visualising 0-150 in the same orientation.  Remove any tape measures from the field of play.

Player 1 gives three target numbers. Player 2 has to use a counter to 'bomb' those ships by placing them where they believe the number would be. When all three bombs are placed the tape measure is brought back in to check. A direct hit is 5 points and a hit within 5cm each side of the number gets 2 points. The player with the most points at the end of time wins.

Make the game more challenging by playing with tenths. Mark out 1-15 (making each multiple of 10 equal 1) and the number between become the tenths!

Enjoy!