Count Your Sheep Before You Sleep!

Thursday, February 19th from 6:30-8:00 PM we will be having a math night for students and their families. We invite you to come and enjoy participating in make-it-take-its, games, Promethean activities, drawings, prizes and much more! We look forward to seeing you!
Some of the math games that we will have to play are games that you can play at home with your child to practice counting, greater than and less than, addition, and more. Here are examples:

Addition Top-It
You will need: one deck of cars with the jokers, jacks, queens, and kings taken out, two players
To Play:
• This game is very similar to the card game known as "war," but we call it "Top-It." To begin play, divide the cards equally between two players.
• Each player turns over two cards. Each player then adds the two cards together and tells their opponent the sum, checking each other for accuracy.
• The player with the highest sum gets all four cards!
• REPEAT!
• If the sums are equal, then each player lays three cards face down on the pile. Then they turn over two new cards, add the numbers, and announce the sum. The player with the highest sum wins all the cards in that pile. That's a lot of cards!

Making the Greatest and Least Number
You will need: three dice, paper, and pencil.
To Play:
• Roll three dice to get three digits. (example: 3,6,1)
• On your paper, write the greatest (biggest) number you can using those two digits. Next to that number, write the least (smallest) number you can write with those two digits. (example: 631 , 136)
• Check your partner's paper to see if you got the same answer. If you didn't, explain why you made the numbers you did. See if what you did made sense. Fix the numbers if they don't make sense.
• REPEAT!

Cast Off
This game gives children practice in making the biggest number out of a group of digits, working with place values, and thinking strategically. We play it with our white boards in class.
You will need dice, paper, pencils. (or a white board and marker, or a chalk board and chalk)
To Play:
• Set up your game board. Draw two boxes connected to each other, one for the tens place and one for the single ones place. Under the boxes, draw a box that will be your trash can. Make sure your boxes are big enough to write a single number inside. Your children can show you what it should look like.
• Roll one die. Write the corresponding number in one of the boxes. You get to decide where the number goes.
• Repeat two times until you have rolled a number for each box. Once all the boxes are filled, the person who has the greatest number in the top boxes has won!
• Clear or redraw your boxes, and play again!

Comparing Numbers Game
When learning about greater than >, less than <, and equal to = Here is one of the games we can play to practice.
You will need dice, paper, pencils.
To Play:
• Divide your paper into two columns, one for each person. Write each player's name at the top of a column.
• Each person rolls one die to find out what number they get to write in the ten's place. Write the number in the ten's place of the column.
• Roll again to get a number for the single one's place and record it next to the ten's place in your column.
• Now, compare the two numbers, putting a >, <, or = sign in-between the two numbers.

Counting On Game
This game helps children to count through two and three digit numbers. First graders often can get stuck when transitioning between tens (for example, 39, 40) and hundreds (199,200). This game can also help for those who need handwriting practice.
You will need: two dice, lined paper, a pencil.
To Play:
• Designate one die for the one's place and one die for the ten's place. Roll the dice to get a starting number. If the "ten's die" rolls a 6 and the "one's die" rolls a 3, then your starting number would be 63.
• All players write the starting number at the beginning of a line on their paper. Then, they each write the next nine numbers, separating them with commas. For example, if you start with "63," on your paper you would have "63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72."
• The players then check to see if they got the same thing. If they did, they roll again!

Tally Mark-Dice Game
Aside from learning to write amounts in tally marks, this game can help children practice counting and counting-on by tens, fives, and ones. It also gives them practice in grouping amounts. In class, we usually try to circle two sets of tally marks to make groups of tens as well as groups of fives.
You will need: two dice, paper, pencil.
To Play:
• Designate one die for the one's place and one die for the ten's place. Roll the dice to get a starting number. If the "ten's die" rolls a 6 and the "one's die" rolls a 3, then your starting number would be 63.
• Once you have a number, each player makes that many tally marks on their paper. Encourage your child to make them neatly and of an appropriate size (some first graders either like giant tally marks or itty-bitty-teensy-weensy ones.)
• Trade papers. Each player counts another player's tally marks to make sure they were accurate. Then, roll again!

Odds and Evens
Skill: Identifying even and odd numbers
Materials: 1 die to share

1. Each player takes 5 counters and puts the rest in a pile between them.
2. Player 1 predicts whether he will roll ODD or EVEN and then rolls the die.
3. If he is correct, he takes that many counters from the middle. If he is not correct, he has to pay that many counter.

Example: I predict odd, roll a 5, and then collect that many counters.

Play until time is up. The player with the most counters wins.

Roll and Tally
Skill: Using tally marks to record data and counting by 5’s
Materials: 1 die to share, 1 pencil and piece of paper for each player
Players take turns rolling the dice and recording the number they rolled using tally marks.
Play until time is up. Skip count by 5’s to see how many tallies each player has. The player with the most tallies wins.

Subtraction Track
Skill: Subtraction facts
Materials: 1 gameboard for each player, 2 dice to share, counters
1. Players take turns rolling the dice and subtracting the smaller number from the larger number. They then cover the number rolled on their own gameboard using a counter.
2. If a player can’t cover a number because it is already covered, the player covers up one of the strikes on the board. Three strikes and the player is out!

The player who crosses off all of his or her numbers first wins the game. If all players strike out before someone wins (or if time is up), the player with the most covered numbers wins.

The PV Game
Skill: Place value
Materials: game board, die, paper and pencil to record points

1. Roll the die.
2. Record each number you roll in one of the spaces or the reject box. The object of the game is to make the LARGEST number.
3. Take turns rolling and recording until all spaces are filled.
4. Compare numbers. The player with the largest number wins a point.

Keep playing until time is up. The person with the most points win.

Back and Forth to 100

Skill: Using a hundreds chart
Materials: Hundreds board, marker for each player, 2 dice, 1 green and red die

1. Each player takes a turn rolling all 3 dice. Add the 2 numbered dice together and move that many space on the board. The colored dice tell you whether to move forward or backwards.

Green= forward
Red= backwards

The first person to reach 100 wins. If time is up, the person closest to 100 wins.

Top It

Skill: Comparing numbers
Materials: 1 deck of cards (Ace=1) or one deck of double digit number cards

1. Each player gets half of the deck of cards.
2. Each player calls out, “One, two, three, top it!” and then flips over the top card.
3. The player who flipped over the HIGHEST card wins both cards. If there is a tie, 2 more cards are flipped over and compared. The winner takes all 4 cards.

Play until time is up. The person with the most cards wins.

Addition Battle
Skill: Addition facts
Materials: 1 deck of cards (Ace=1)

1. Each player gets half of the deck of cards.
2. Each player calls out, “Ready, set, battle!” and then flips over the top card.
3. The first person to ADD up the total of both cards wins the cards. If there is a tie, 2 more cards are flipped over and compared. The winner takes all 4 cards.

Play until time is up. The person with the most cards wins.

Subtraction Battle

Skill: Subtraction facts
Materials: 1 deck of cards (A=1)

1. Each player gets half of the deck of cards.
2. Each player calls out, “Ready, set, battle!” and then flips over the top card.
3. The first person to SUBTRACT the smaller card from the bigger number wins the cards. If there is a tie, 2 more cards are flipped over and compared. The winner takes all 4 cards.

Play until time is up. The person with the most cards wins.

2 Digit Big Man

Skill: Comparing numbers
Materials: One deck of cards (ace=1), hundreds chart

1. Each player gets half of the deck of cards.
2. Each player flips over his or her TWO top cards and tries to make the BIGGEST number possible.

Example: If you get a 5 and a 9, you could make 59 or 95. You would want to make 95 because it is the bigger number.

3. The player who makes the BIGGEST two-digit number keeps his cards and the other player’s cards. Use the hundreds chart to check if you are not sure whose number is bigger.

Play until time is up. The person with the most cards wins.

2 Digit Little Man

Skill: Comparing numbers
Materials: One deck of cards (ace=1), hundreds chart

1. Each player gets half of the deck of cards.
2. Each player flips over his or her TWO top cards and tries to make the SMALLEST number possible.

Example: If you get a 4 and a 7, you could make 47 or 74. You would want to make 47 because it is the smaller number.

3. The player who makes the SMALLEST two-digit number keeps his cards and the other player’s cards. Use the hundreds chart to check if you are not sure whose number is smaller.

Play until time is up. The person with the most cards wins.

More or Less Train

Skill: Comparing numbers
Materials: Dominoes

1. Each player chooses 10 dominoes. One domino that if left over is placed in the middle.
2. Player 1 places one of his or her dominoes next to the domino that is in the middle. It must be either TWO MORE or TWO LESS than the other domino.

Example: If there is a 3 domino down, you must put down either a 1 (because that is 2 less than 3) or a 5 (because that is 2 more than 3).

Keep playing until one player runs out of dominos. Mix the dominoes up and play again.

50 Wins
Skill: Place value (trading ones for tens)
Materials: Place value blocks, dice

1. Players take turns rolling the die and taking that number of blocks. Each time a player gets 10 ones, he or she must trade the ones in for a ten.

Keep playing until someone gets 90. Play again.

Mystery Number

Skill: Number Sense, Problem Solving
Materials: 2 hundreds boards, 2 dry erase markers, eraser
1. Player 1 chooses a mystery number and circles it on his or her hundreds board but does not let Player 2 see it.
2. Player 2 then asks questions to try to figure out the mystery number. She or he crosses off any numbers that could not be the mystery number.

Good questions to ask……..Is the mystery number:

-Less than____?
-More than ___?
-Even or odd?
-A number you would say if you skip counted by 2? (or 5, or 10)
-Between ___ and ___?

3. When Player 2 figures out the mystery number, both players erase their boards and switch roles.

Keep playing until time is up.

CHOP

Skill: Fact families
Materials: snap cubes

1. Player 1 is the Chopper and counts the cubes out loud as she or he snaps them together.
2. The Chopper then breaks the cube stack in half. He or she puts one half in the right hand and one half in the left hand.
3. The Chopper puts his or her hands behind his or her back.
4. Player 2 picks a hand for the Chopper to show. Player 2 must figure out how many cubes are in the other hand that is not showing.

Example: If there are 10 cubes and the Chopper is showing 9 in one hand, there must be 1 cube in the other hand because 9+1=10.

5. Take turns being the Chopper and guessing how many cubes are hiding.

Keep playing until time is up.

FACTO

Skill: Addition and subtraction facts
Materials: 1 FACTO board, 2 dice, counters

1. Each player chooses whether to use the yellow or red side of the counters.
2. Take turns rolling the dice and combining the two numbers together to make a new number. You can add or subtract the numbers.

Example: If you roll 4 and 2, you can add 4+2=6 or subtract 4-2=2.

3. Decide which number you will make and cover it on your board. If the only numbers you can make have already been covered on your board, your turn is over.
4. Be sure to cover the number using your color counter. If you make a mistake in your addition or subtraction, the other player can flip the counter over and put it on his or her color.

Keep playing until someone has covered 4 in a row. If the whole board is filled, the person with the most counters on the board wins. Play again if you have time.


Speed

Skill: Addition facts
Materials: 2 dice, paper and pencil to keep score

1. Each player rolls a die at the same time.
2. The first player to correctly add the two dice together gets a point

Keep playing until time is up. The person with the most points wins.