Classroom Math Games That Will Have Your Students Begging For More!!

Classroom math games are one form of an education game that make learning and reviewing those math facts loads of fun!

Let's face it. Many students struggle with math, becoming frustrated when trying to learn and understand new math concepts.

But we all know how important mastery of math skills is for students and their future.

Whether you teach math to primary grade students, or are looking for 4th grade math games and higher for your junior grade students, finding motivating and fun ways to give students a solid grasp of the basics is not easy.

Here are a couple of my simple and fun classroom math games that are not only great fun classroom games but are also excellent classroom review games. Your students will be asking for a math lesson. Now there's a switch!!

First Classroom Math Game

A deck of cards will do the trick for this game (you don't need flash cards and parents appreciate the idea for home use).

Divide the deck in half and assign values to the Jack (11), Queen (12), King (0),Ace (1) and all other cards have face value.

Two students oppose each other and alternate turning two cards over at a time which they then each have to add, subtract, multiply or divide within a certain time limit (say 5 seconds).

They each create two piles of cards, one pile for those they got right and one pile for those they got wrong. The first student to get rid of his "wrong" pile wins the game.

This game is a lot of fun for learning basic mental math facts. Several students can play together or you can have a few games going on at the same time (using a few decks of cards). Use your imagination and vary the game as you see fit.

Second Classroom Math Game

Another classroom math game that I made up is based on a game we all know, "Bingo". I call my game "Lotto" and its a fabulous math game for students - an easy and educational game that all can play including yourself once your students have learned their multiplication facts up to 12.

Believe me that if some students haven't learned their facts fluently, they will want to learn them fast enough after playing the game just once - it's that contagiously fun and exciting!

I created Lotto cards, using various colors (not dark) of bristol board, about the size of a sheet of paper (8 1/2 x 11). With a permanent marker I drew in rows and columns (like a Bingo card) and randomly fill in all the squares with numbers from 0-144 (printing FREE in the middle square).

I made up about 40 cards and laminated them, so they last forever. It sounds like a lot of work, BUT what a fabulous and fun instructional classroom game that costs almost nothing to create.

So how do you play? Each student gets a Lotto card and a lot of plastic bingo coins (which I get at the $ store)and I then start to call out multiplication questions, such as 7 x6. Each student who has a card that has 42 on it, places a bingo coin on that number (or at least they should).

As you can see it's just Bingo using multiplication facts.

Give students 5-10 seconds between calling out each multiplication question.

Make sure to record the answers to the questions to verify the winning card.

Play games that require the winner to complete a row, column, diagonal,complete card,etc. as you wish. Then have students switch cards and you can start another game.

Can you understand how this great educational game would be a fun-filled classroom game and great for student motivation.

You can play for 10 minutes, 30 minutes, one hour and they would still want more!

No matter whether you teach Primary Division (Kindergarten to 3rd Grade) or Junior Division (4th Grade to 6th Grade), all your students will love these classroom math games!!

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