Simple Maths Games
It cannot be stressed enough how important playing games with your children is for not only
developing their mathematical skills but also their all round thinking, logic, strategy and problem
solving skills; as well as developing vital speaking and listening and social skills, such as turn
taking and learning how to win and lose. These can be played at home over a longer time or for a
few minutes whilst walking to and from school or on another journey. Most importantly,
however, they should be fun and chance to share time together. Most newspapers have some
form of maths problems or games in them also, such as Sudoku. Children seeing adults
modelling the playing of games or solving newspaper problems is the best way to encourage
positive attitudes towards anything, not just maths.
Classic board games
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such as monopoly, snakes and ladders, game of life etc are great for calculating money and
counting skills.
Chess, backgammon, and draughts are great for developing strategic thinking.
Pencil and Paper Games
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(see below)
noughts and crosses (extend it into connect 4)
boxes
battleships
function game
number probe
Walking / Travelling Games
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car number plates / door numbers – make new numbers from the numbers on cars or doors
by rearranging the order or adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing the numbers in
different combinations.
e.g. N536 HGK
5 + 3 + 6 = 14
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5 + 3 x 6 = 48
5 x 3 + 6 = 90
car cricket - score runs according to the colour of the cars seen on a journey.
red – 1 run
silver – no runs
blue – 2 runs green – 3 runs
any other colour – out
black – 4 runs
yellow – 6 runs
Obviously you can assign scores to any colour you wish!
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How many steps -
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Numbers - A variation on number plates. Find numbers in order on street furniture. Try
finding numbers up to 10, then backwards.
Practice x tables or give a specific question e.g. “Find a multiple of 8” or
“Find 3 x 5” This game obviously depends on how many houses are in the street!
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Street Shapes - Find simple shapes as you walk along the street. Play against each other
Just as it sounds – an estimating and counting game
e.g. How many steps to that red car / lamp post? etc
and keep score.
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Guess my number
- One person thinks of a number. The others ask questions to work
out what the number is.
e.g. Is it an even number? Is it bigger than 100? Is it a square number?
Games to play at home
Board games are a great way to be social and develop many mathematical skills, but they can
take a long time to play and we don’t always have the time to finish. There are still lots of maths
games you can play together (and while you are doing something else at the same time) that are
very quick and easy to play.
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The minute game
helps to develop a sense of time. Set a stopwatch for 1 minute and give
a challenge e.g. “How many times can you write one of your spellings correctly in a minute?”
or “How many numbers can you write in order in a minute?” Then do it again and try to beat
the score.
Card Games
Traditional card games such as snap, pontoon, patience, rummy, cribbage etc are fantastic
ways to encourage maths skills. There are several more that link to work done in school
below.
Computer Games
There are many excellent games available on the internet and a lot of software available in
school for children.
3D Noughts and Crosses
Players take turns in marking squares on a 4 x 4 x 4 grid. The first player to get four squares in a row
wins.
Description
One player first draws four 4 x 4 grids in a row, either horizontally or vertically. Imagine the four grids
stacked into a 4 x 4 x 4 cube:
One player is 'nought' and the other
is 'cross'. Players take turns in
drawing their symbol in one of the
cells on the grids. The first player to
make a line of four of their symbol in
a straight line wins.
Winning lines can be horizontal (A),
vertical (B), or diagonal (C) within one
grid, vertical between grids (D),
diagonal between grids (E), or
diagonal in all three dimensions (F).
Example
Here's a short game in which nought started, and won by making the line shown shaded:
The Function Game
One player tries to guess the other player's mathematical rule.
Description
The Chooser thinks of a rule that converts one number into another (a mathematician would call this
a "function"). The Guesser then tries to guess the rule by testing it with different numbers.
For example, if the Chooser thought of the rule "double it and add one", the game might proceed as
follows:
Guesser: "1" - Chooser: "3"
Guesser: "2" - Chooser: "5"
Guesser: "10" - Chooser: "21"
Guesser: "100" - Chooser" "201"
Guesser: "I think it's double and add one" - Chooser: "Correct!"
The rule can be anything you like, but sometimes the Guesser may have to guide the Chooser in the
right direction; for example: "Try something larger", or "Try a negative number".
Sample rules
Here are some other suggested rules:
 The number of letters in the word for the number (6 -> 3).
 100 minus the number squared (9 -> 19).
 Any random number I choose (5 -> anything)
 The number reversed (17 -> 71)
Boxes
Players take turns in drawing lines between dots on a grid. The player who completes the most
boxes wins.
Description
The game is played starting with a rectangular array of dots.
The two players take turns to join two adjacent dots with a horizontal or vertical line. If a player
completes the fourth side of a box they initial that box and must draw another line.
When all the boxes have been completed the winner is the player who has initialed the most boxes.
The game is surprisingly skilful, and even on a 4x4 grid there is plenty of opportunity for skilful play.
Example
The following game on a 3x3 grid is won by Blue, who scores 3 against Red's one:
Number Probe
Each player tries to guess the numbers in a square by asking questions about combinations of them
Description
One player, the Chooser, writes four numbers in a 2x2 square, and the other player, the Guesser, tries
to guess them.
At each turn the Guesser names an operation on at least two of the numbers, and the Chooser has to
give the answer.
For example, the Guesser could ask for "the difference between the top two numbers", or "the
product of the two numbers on the left", or "the sum of all four numbers".
Alternatively the Guesser can make a direct guess at the four numbers.
Example
As an example, if the Chooser had thought of:
the questions might proceed as follows:
Guesser: "The top two numbers multiplied together" - Chooser: "12"
Guesser: "The bottom two numbers multiplied together" - Chooser: "42"
Guesser: "The top two numbers added together" - Chooser: "7"
Guesser: "The two numbers on the left added together" - Chooser: "11"
Guesser: "I think the numbers are 3, 4, 7, 6". - Chooser: "Correct!"
Battleships
The game is played on four square grids, two for each player. The grids are typically square – usually
10 × 10 – and the individual squares in the grid are identified by letter and number. On one grid the
player arranges ships and records the shots by the opponent. On the other grid the player records
their own shots.
Before play begins, each player arranges a number of ships secretly on the grid for that player. Each
ship occupies a number of consecutive squares on the grid, arranged either horizontally or vertically.
The number of squares for each ship is determined by the type of the ship. The ships cannot overlap
(i.e., at most one ship can occupy any given square in the grid). The types and numbers of ships
allowed are the same for each player. These may vary depending on the rules.
After the ships have been positioned, the game proceeds in a series of rounds. In each round, each
player has a turn. During a turn, the player announces a list of target squares in the opponents' grid
which are to be shot at. If a ship occupies one of the squares, then it takes a hit. When all of the
squares of a ship have been hit, the ship is sunk. After the target list has been given, the opponent
then announces which of his ships have been hit. If at the end of a round all of one player's ships
have been sunk, the game ends and the other player wins.
The number of target squares that a player may shoot at in a given turn is determined by the
condition of the players' own ships at the beginning of the round. Each player has as many shots as
he or she has vessels afloat in each turn. Thus each time a player's ship is entirely destroyed, that
player has one fewer shot on all subsequent turns.
FISHY, FISHY ?
Learning Outcome I am learning my number bonds to ten.
Equipment
2 players and 2 packs of cards with the Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Give 7 cards to each player. The rest go in the middle of the table.
 Look at your hand and take out any pairs that add up to ten.
 Take more cards from the middle, so you have 7 cards once more.
 Chose one of your cards and ask your partner, ‘Fishy, Fishy I have __ Do you have __ to make it
ten?’
 If they have, they give you the cards to keep in a pile and you can try again.
 Top up your cards so you have 7 once more.
 The winner is the player with the most cards when you can’t make any more pairs.
FACTOR FACTS !
Learning Outcome I am using my basic facts to work out factors.
Equipment
2 players and 2 packs of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Place 2 packs of cards face down
 Turn over the top two card to make a two-digit number, (For example 24)
 The first player says a tables fact about the number (E.g. 12 x 2)
 The second player must top that by saying another fact (E.g. 6 x 4)
 Continue until you get to the last fact. The last person to say the fact keeps the cards.
 The first player to get 20 cards is the winner.
MEMORY BONDS
Learning Outcome I am practising my number bonds to ten.
Equipment
At least 2 players and 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Place all of the cards face down in front of the group, in a grid formation.
 The first player turns over two cards and adds them together to see if they make ten. If they do,
the player keeps them. If not, then they should be put back in the same place as before.
 The next player has a go (remembering what has been uncovered before)
 Keep going until all of the number bonds to ten have been found.
 The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
CHASE THE ACE
Learning Outcome
I am ordering numbers to ten.
Equipment
3-4 players and 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Sit in a circle and deal out the pack of cards.
 The first player with an ace puts it down in the middle of the circle.
 Players take it in turns to put down the next number.
 The player who puts the 10 down keeps the pile.
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards.
 The person with most piles of ten is the winner.
Play this game again, but starting with 10 and working backwards.
You could make the game harder by using different coloured cards (red or black) each time.
FASTEST HUNDRED
Learning Outcome
I am practising my number facts to 100.
Equipment
3 players, 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed and a calculator to check your answers.
Instructions
 Chose one player to be the judge. The other two players are opponents.
 The judge turns over two cards to make a two-digit number.
 The aim is to be the first person to shout out what has to be added to that number to make 100.
 If you are the first to answer and you get it right, you keep the cards.
If you are first to answer but get the answer wrong, the cards go to your opponent.
So, think carefully before you answer!
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards in the pack.
 The winner is the player with the most cards.
SPEEDY THREES
Learning Outcome
I am practising adding three single digits.
Equipment
2 players and 2 packs of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Make 3 piles of cards, face down.
 The first player turns over the top card from each pile and adds the numbers together as quickly
as they can.
 If they are correct, they keep all three cards. If not, the second player adds them together to
work out the correct answer.
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards.
 The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
THREE UP
Learning Outcome I am practising adding a single digit to a two-digit number.
Equipment
2 players and 2 packs of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Make 3 piles of cards, face down.
 The first player turns over the top card from each pile and places the first two cards together to
make a 2 digit number.
The player adds the single digit as quickly as possible.
 If they are correct, they keep all three cards. If not, the second player adds them together to
work out the correct answer.
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards.
 The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
THREE, TWO, ONE !
Learning Outcome I am practising subtracting a single digit from a two-digit number.
Equipment
2 players and 2 packs of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Make 3 piles of cards, face down.
 The first player turns over the top card from each pile and places the first two cards together to
make a 2 digit number.
The player subtracts the single digit as quickly as possible.
 If they are correct, they keep all three cards. If not, the second player adds them together to
work out the correct answer.
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards.
 The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
QUICKEST ADDER
Learning Outcome I am practising adding 2 two-digit numbers mentally.
Equipment
3 players, 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed and a calculator to check your answers.
Instructions
 Chose one player to be the judge. The other two players are opponents.
 The judge turns over four cards to make 2 two-digit numbers.
 The aim is to be the first person to add the numbers together and shout out the correct answer.
 If you are the first to answer and you get it right, you keep the cards BUT if you are first to
answer but get the answer wrong, the cards go to your opponent.
So, think carefully before you answer!
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards in the pack.
 The winner is the player with the most cards.
TWO PLUS TWO
Learning Outcome I am practising adding 2 two-digit numbers mentally.
Equipment
2 players and 2 packs of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Make 4 piles of cards, face down.
 The first player turns over the top card from each pile and positions the cards so they make 2
two-digit numbers.
The player adds the numbers together as quickly as they can.
 If they are correct, they keep all four cards. If not, the second player adds them together to work
out the correct answer.
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards.
 The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
FASTEST THOUSAND
Learning Outcome I am practising my number facts to 1000.
Equipment
3 players, 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed and a calculator to check your answers.
Instructions
 Chose one player to be the judge. The other two players are opponents.
 The judge turns over two cards to make a three-digit number.
 The aim is to be the first person to shout out what has to be added to that number to make 1000.
 If you are the first to answer and you get it right, you keep the cards.
If you are first to answer but get the answer wrong, the cards go to your opponent.
So, think carefully before you answer!
 Keep going until you have used up all of the cards in the pack.
 The winner is the player with the most cards.
TERRIFIC TABLES
Learning Outcome
I am practising my times tables facts.
Equipment
2 players and 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed.
Instructions
 Split the cards into two piles, face down.
 The first player turns over the top two cards and multiplies the numbers together.
 If they get the answer right, they keep the cards. If not, return them to the bottom of the pile.
 Take it in turns to turn over the cards and answer the question. Keep going until you have used
up all of the cards.
 The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
RUNNING FORWARDS
Learning Outcome
I am practising my speedy mental addition.
Equipment
2 players, 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed and a clock/timer.
Instructions
 Place the pack of cards, face down, in front of the first player.
 They have 30 seconds to add as many cards together as they can, making a running total.
(Eg 3+4=7, 7+5=12, 12+5=17)
 Once the time is up, give the cards to the second player to check the answer is correct.
 Swap over.
 Whoever added the most cards gets 5 points.
 Play again, until one player scores 25.
RUNNING BACKWARDS
Learning Outcome I am practising subtracting from 100.
Equipment
2 players, 1 pack of cards with Jack, Queen & King removed and a clock/timer.
Instructions
 Place the pack of cards, face down, in front of the first player.
 They have 30 seconds to subtract as many cards as they can from 100, keeping a running total.
(E.g. 100-5=95, 95-3=92, 92-7=85)
 Once the time is up, give the cards to the second player to check the answer is correct.
 Swap over.
 Whoever subtracted the most cards gets 5 points.
 Play again, until one player scores 25.