Math Game Monday: Seek & Find

In the third-fifth grade classrooms, there is a big push to help students succeed in their times tables. That's why students need a lot of practice. They need various ways to practice, and one of the best ways I have found is through the use of games. Games engage them and get them excited about content that may otherwise be a bit...well shall we say it?...boring.

So, that is why I create these quick and easy to play center games for my students. I want them to practice and practice, but I don't want it to feel like work. 

Here's a fun Seek & Find game with a circus/carnival theme. To play, one student flips over a card. All the players race to be the first to find the product to the equation on the card. Whoever finds it will place one counter over it. 

At the end of the game, whoever has the most counters on the board is the winner. Simple, engaging, and highly competitive fun! What are you waiting for? Snag this one today. Click the link right here. 

Math Game Monday: Soccer Goal

In this week's edition of Math Game Monday, I am sharing another decimal game that is perfect for all those third graders out there. This one is a subtracting decimals center game that is soccer themed. Your fifth graders will love racing around the soccer field while solving equations to practice their subtracting with decimals. 

This game comes with set up directions for the teacher as well as directions for the students to play. You can play with up to four players. This game comes with three different levels of play for easy differentiation. Students can try the Warm Up level with cards that only subtract numbers into the tenths. The Game Time level kicks it up a notch with numbers into the hundredths. And, the Champion level has a mixture of tenths and hundredths. 

Your students will become decimal masters in no time through fun and engaging interaction with friends while enjoying a little competition with this soccer themed board game. 

Add this one to your cart today!  Click the blue link.

Math Game Monday: Fall Multiplication Games

With tomorrow being the first day of fall, this set of three multiplication games is very timely. They are not only easy to play and prep, but you have a variety of games for students to practice their facts with. These games are also easy to differentiate because students can use them to focus on the set they are on or review previous sets as well. 

You will receive a Four in a Row game, A Falling Acorns card game, as well as an In the Pumpkin Patch roll and cover game. 

Each game comes with instructions and is perfect to use in math centers. They are great for partners to play together. 

If you are looking to add a little pumpkin spice and fall vibe to your math centers, add these to your rotation. 

Find Fall Math Games Here

Math Game Mondays: Decimal Dunk

I am so happy to have gotten my 5th graders back this year after two years of teaching a 2nd-4th grade combo. 3rd-5th has been my sweet spot for a few years and I am so excited to be back. But, with that said, I needed to make my center activities a little more robust for the class. I needed to add in some activities that included some decimal math activities. Our second unit for the year involves addition and subtraction with decimals, so I have created an addition and a subtraction game that has the theme of sports. I am going to build this out with an entire series of games for the four basic operations all surrounding the theme. I am not going to tell you yet what all the sports themes are, but for now, let me introduce you to my first part of the series, my addition game.

Addition with Decimals Center Game

This game is simple to set up with very little cutting. It is mostly a print-and-go style game. The bright oranges really add to the overall basketball theme in the game 

Snag Decimal Dunk here.

Math Game Monday: Dots & Boxes Multiplication Edition

What's not to love about a traditional game of dots and boxes? This game, although a classic, is still a hit with my class. Students can practice one set of facts at a time for extra focused learning.

How to play Dots & Boxes

I like to either laminate or slip these into a sheet protector so I can use them again and again. Each student will use a different colored whiteboard marker.  They will select a set of multiplication facts to practice (number of fact set is located on the top left of each game board). Students roll a 12-sided die, multiply it with the number on the top of the sheet, and find that number on the board. They will draw a line between two of the dots that are around the product. Take turns rolling and connecting two dots. If you complete a square, write your initials inside it. That is one point for you. At the end, whoever has drawn the most boxes wins.

Tips and Tricks for Dots & Boxes

One thing I like to do is use this as a partner game. I find that if I have more than 2 students together, it can get a little bit noisier than I would like while I am working with small math groups.

Last Thoughts

You will have this game ready to go in no time. Just print and go. Your students will be practicing their math facts in no time with this easy-to-play game. What are you waiting for? Snag this one today and make your life a bit easier. You will no longer be asking, "What will my students do while I am in small groups?"

You can find it right here. You will also find a link to a short video that shows how to play.

 Happy playing!

Math Game Monday: Football Season Games

I don't know about you, but my students LOVE sports. And every fall, with the start of football season, I start thinking about how I can capture their love with some sports-themed activities. One easy way is through the use of football centers. 

Football season begins around labor day and it is the perfect time to introduce these football activities to my class. 

Football Multiplication Worksheets

I love this set because it comes with some worksheets where students can practice basic facts, equal groups, arrays, commutative property, and more multiplication strategies as well. There are 17 different multiplication activities from cut and paste, to writing, to flip books, there is a lot of value. 

Football Multiplication Games

Also included are three different football multiplication games that are perfect for math centers. I love finding ways to keep my students learning while the other students are in small groups and the use of centers is the perfect activity. 

I love a quick and easy game of War, and this bundle includes that with a fun football theme. It also comes with a spinner bingo-style game that has students practicing different multiplication strategies. It includes another game that is a touchdown game that allows students to move back and forth on a board scoring touchdowns as they solve multiplication facts. 

All of these games are so easy to put together with minimal cutting. I would suggest that you laminate because it will highly extend the life of your games for years to come. 

More Football Multiplication Games

If you are interested in even more football games, I have this companion set that has three additional games. 

All the games are easy for students to learn and engaging to play. The first is a game one that is called Four Yards in a Row. It is played very similarly to Connect 4. The next game is a card game that has a few surprise cards thrown in and may have you giving a card to your opponent or losing all your cards, so be careful with that one. The final game is a dice-rolling game where students are racing to be the first to cover all the products on their team jersey. 

Where can I get These Games?

I'm glad you asked. I will leave the links below. Be sure to stock up for the season!

Football Worksheets and Game Bundle

3 Football-Themed Games for Math Centers

Print, Cut, Go

Math Game Monday: Find Five

If you are looking for a fun way for small groups or partners to work on multiplication skills, the game Find Five is a fun way to get in some practice. There are three different boards for different levels of play. Each board has just a few sets of the multiplication facts so students can review as they master the sets. The sets are 2-5, 6-8, and 9-12. 

If you like the game Sequence, you will love this game. It is based off of Sequence, but with a spy theme and multiplication facts. 

How to Play the Game Find Five

Students will shuffle the deck of cards, placing them upside down. Teams or players will take turns flipping one card over. If the team or player answers correctly, they can cover the product on the board with one of their game pieces. The other team or player will go and play will continue until one team or player covers five spaces in a row. The corners are free spaces and be careful of the word cards, they may remove one of your pieces or allow your opponent to add a piece anywhere. Each product is shown twice on the board, so players can choose the best spot.

Here's a look at the board game and you can find it in my TPT shop over here.  I bet your students will love it as much as mine do. 

How I Teach Students to Play Math Games Independently

Do you ever wonder how to teach students to play center games independently? It comes down to a few different things for me. Let me show you how you can easily and successfully train students to play center games independently. 

1. Teach the Game

When I introduce a new game, I try to give my students a little sample of it by playing through one round with them. I explain how to play and then actually play a quick round. If it is a longer game, I might just play for a few minutes until they get the hang of it. 

2. Include the Instructions

Including instructions for each game at the center is a good idea. Students will be able to refer to the instructions if they forget a rule. 

3. Partners are Best 

I especially like to have students play with one other person. It keeps things quieter during math rotations and the two of them can work out the rules if needed. 

4. Repeat Similar Games with Different Themes or Math Topics

I have a lot of games that follow the same instructions or style. It helps students play them even quicker and easier. I change out the math skill or the theme (for holidays or seasons). Keeping games of a similar style is great for independence. 

Those are a few of my favorite ways to keep things simple at my math rotations and help students be more successful with playing independently. 

If you are looking for some center games to get you started check out these links.

Place Value Game

Rounding to 10's & 100's Math Game

Addition & Subtraction Game

Multiplication Game

Division Game

Fraction Game

Math Game Monday: Tic Tac Toe War

I'm here with another fun and easy game to put in your math centers. This game is called Tic Tac Toe War and it combines the best of both Tic Tac Toe and War together in one game. In this game, students will practice multiplication facts to build fluency. 

How to Play Tic Tac Toe War

Choose one Tic Tac Toe War board to share between two players. Mix up the cards, deal them all out, and place them face down in two even stacks (one for each student). At the same time, both players flip one card and place it at the bottom of the board. Students will each solve the card they flipped over. Whoever has the highest product will place a counter on the board. I like to use two different colored army guys that I found at Dollar Tree. It makes it more fun and students stay with the theme of war. 

Students will continue to flip cards, solve, and place an army guy on the board. The first player with three in a row wins. 

Teacher Prep for Tic Tac Toe War

It's a cinch to set up for this game. Teachers will print whichever boards they want. There are six different color options. There is even a blackline option for ink saving. Print and cut one set of multiplication cards. I like to laminate all my games so that I can use them year after year, but that is totally up to you. Add in some type of counters or mini erasers. I like to use two colors of army guys to make it more fun for my students. 

Give me the link!

If you have students who would love this game, look no further. Just click the link below to be taken to the game. You can find it right here. 

Math Game Monday: Place Value to the Thousands Place

I am always surprised each year at just how difficult students find place value to be. To me, it seems straight forward, but to them, well...they just struggle. That's why I LOVE to use learning games to get students engaged and practicing these important place value skills. This game is quick and easy, can be played multiple ways, and is very low prep. 

One way you can play this is as a scoot game. Place one card on each desk. If you do not have enough desks, you can place the rest around the room wherever you choose. Give each student a recording sheet. They will be given 30 seconds to 1 minute at each of the spots. As they rotate, they take their scoot sheet with them and record each answer on the matching spot. When the students have visited each spot, they are done. 

Another way that I love to play this is with whiteboards. I give each student a whiteboard, read the clues aloud, and have them try to figure out my mystery number. I love involving the whole class in this activity. It is fun and easy. 

You could also do this around the room (tape them to the walls and allow students to walk around answering and writing down their answers. You could have students work on these in centers or even small groups as well. There are so many ways you can use them.

This game comes with 24 mystery number cards. Students simply follow the clues, writing down one digit at a time until they have written the entire number. 

I love simple games that involve my entire class. This is one of those games. What are you waiting for? Give it a try this year. You can find it right here. 

Math Game Monday: Multiplication I-Spy

Need a fast-paced, competitive math game for your students to practice their multiplication facts? This I-Spy game is all of that! Your students will be racing to be the first to find the products to the equations on the card. Fact fluency is simple and fun with this easy to prep game. 

How to Play Multiplication I-Spy

Start by printing out the boards and cards. Arrange the boards to make a large rectangle. Shuffle and place the cards upside down. Take turns flipping a card for all to see. Everyone will race to be the first to find the product on the spy-themed board. When someone finds it, they will cover it with a counter. Each player will have a different color of counter. Students can play this with a partner or a small group. 

Continue taking turns flipping cards and covering products until all the cards are gone or time is out. Each player should count their counters. The winner is whoever has the most. It's as simple as that!

Where I can Find Multiplication I-Spy

If you would like to purchase this game for your own class, check it out at this link. This game comes in full color or blackline to save ink. 

Math Game Monday: Nacho Math-o

Are you struggling to get your students to master their multiplication facts? Try out this super fun, fact fluency game with your class. The colorful vibe and engaging theme help get students excited about learning. 

This is quick and easy to set up. Just print, cut out the boards, and you are ready to go. I would suggest laminating if you plan to use this from year-to-year. Once students are ready to play, they will each choose a board. Each board features one multiplication fact set. Students will spin the spinner, multiply by the number in the center of the board and place a counter on the board over the number that shows the product (I used these super cute taco erasers). Students will continue to take turns until one player fills up their entire board. Whoever fills their board first wins the game. 

Nacho Math-o is a fun game that can be played with partners or small groups. This makes them the perfect game to play for centers. While you, the teacher, works in a small group, keep your students learning with exciting games to hone their skills. 

Be sure to pick up your own copy of this game. You can find the link right here. 

Math Game Monday: Rounding Round Up

Rounding is a vital skill to math success. Beginning in third grade, students start to learn the ins and outs of rounding to the 10s and 100s places. One great way to get students excited to learn and keep them practicing and honing their skills is through games. Rounding games perfect for doing all of this. 

Rounding Games for Third Grade

Every time I have a challenging math skill, I love to create activities that bring it to life, make it hands-on, and help students enjoy learning. One of my favorite ways to do this is by creating math center games for different required math standards. 

In this set of math games, students will practice rounding to the nearest ten and hundred. This set of games has a cohesive theme (western/rodeo) making them fun to play. There are 5 different games to help students solidify this important skill. I find that even students in higher grades can benefit from this game. Rounding is a challenge for most students and that can happen in any level. 

Setting Up Place Value Games

You will need to print and cut out the games. I always suggest laminating because it can significantly grow a games' lifespan from just one or two years to many, many years. While this is not a requirement, and adds prep time, in the long run it will save time because you can use this game for many years to come. 

What You Get in the Rounding Game bundle

You will get 5 games for just $5! That's $1.00 each, just a tiny investment with a huge payoff. 

 Here are the games you will receive.

•  Rounding Round UP
• Rounding Race
• Round 'em Up
• Round Up Four
• Rounding Rodeo: An I-Spy Game

For more information, and to get your students growing in their place value skills, follow the link here. 

How I Get my Students to Master their Multiplication Facts

Every single teacher in the upper elementary classroom has a common struggle, and that is getting students to memorize their multiplication facts. We KNOW the difference it will make in the long term, but lets face it, it is laborious and in many cases BORING for your students. 

Memorizing multiplication facts does matter in the long run. I know that some people are on team "just build understanding" and don't worry about team "memorize your facts". But...I am here to tell you that if your students memorize their facts, it will be a game changer for them in not only multiplication but also division, fractions, decimals, algebra, and more throughout their schooling. 

Here's what I like to do that builds success in my classroom. 

Build Understanding of What Multiplication is

If you have third graders, but this could also apply to any grade level with weak multiplication skills, you should definitely build an understanding of what multiplication is and how it works. Some great ways to do this are by using the following strategies:

• Arrays
• Equal groups
• Repeated addition
• Skip counting
• Number lines

Teach Multiplication Fact Families in a Strategic Order

One way you can do this is to begin with the simpler facts first. This is a good way to order the facts as your students memorize them. 

• x0
• x1
• x2
• x10
• x5
• x11
• x9
• x4
• x3
• x6
• x8
• x7
• x12

Zeros are the easiest because anything times zero is zero. After that, 1's are next because whenever you multiply by one, the answer is always the other factor in your equation. Most students who are coming into third grade already have some knowledge of counting by 2's, 10's and 5's, so that makes these facts easier to target near the beginning of the order. Then I slowly build. Another thing to point out here is that when your students are learning their facts, another way you can do it is to introduce the fact with the factors in both orders. For instance, if a student is learning their 2's facts, they can learn that 2x3=6 and that 3x2=6. This is an example of the communitive property and can lesson the amount of facts they have to learn when they get to the higher numbers, because they will have already memorized several just by focusing on the communitive property as they go along. 

Practice for a Short Amount of Time Each Day 

Here's what this can look like. 

• 1 minute fact sheet timing (most of my students really love these, but for those who do not, that is OK, because this is just one part of how we practice.) 
• Partner practice (I have my students practice a facts list aloud with a partner. They say the facts and answers in order as many times as they can in one minute. The partner acts as a checker and stops and corrects them as they go along. Then they switch.)
• Multiplication Games (During small groups, my students practice multiplication games with a partner or in small groups. They can practice while focusing on just one set of multiplication facts or as they build their skills, I have games that have a mixed group of facts.) 

The key is to be consistent in your routine. A consistent time each day can build skills faster and help students retain them as well. Be sure to revisit previously learned sets. A good way to do this would be to keep fact cards for each set that has been memorized in a file box or baggie for each student. Every day they can go through those quickly in 2-5 minutes and with an answer on the back of each card, they can self-check.

Focus on the Hard Facts

Students often struggle most with these facts:

• x6
• x7
• x8

A great way to motivate them to memorize their 6s and 7s is to use the current 6-7 trend. There's just something about that that just gets kids excited. You could challenge students to memorize those two sets in just 6-7 days. Have a fun little party at the end for those who make it. Here are some easy (and cheap) 6-7 party ideas.

• Get giant 6 and 7 balloons. Have students take their picture with the 6 and 7 for the 6-7 multiplication hall of fame. Be sure to post their pictures and send one home. 
• Serve Sixlets as a snack
• Make trail mix from 7 items
• Drink 7UP

To make the 8s facts easier, you can build on the previous knowledge. If they know their 4s times tables, they can simply double those answers. For instance 4x4=16. 8X4 =16 doubled, which is 32. 

Celebrate Growth Instead of Perfection

• Personal best charts
• Class goals
• Sticker rewards
• Mystery prizes
• Fact master certificates

Celebrate improvement, not just speed. Some of my students really struggle with speed and can get discouraged. So don't forget those who are improving. Maybe last time they solved 25 facts in the minute timing and this time they solved 30...that is worth celebrating!

The Resource that Saves Me Time

A few years ago, I sat down and created a system for teaching my students that included lots of different ways for them to practice. I kept the learning styles in mind when creating this and focused in on different styles for the different activities. I also wanted it to be a fun theme that students could really get excited about. So, I created a resource that is a Multiplication Spy School Challenge. Students work to master their facts, set-by-set, with a fun set of spy activities, earning badges along the way to solve a mystery. At the end we have Spy School graduation with certificates for all the multiplication spies. It truly is a lot of fun and it saves time in planning out the activities or having to create them. If you want to save yourself the time and trouble, check out the resources by clicking on the links below. 

Multiplication Spy Academy Learning System - 

Comes with a free multiplication center game (Find Five)

I-Spy Multiplication Game

Math Game Monday: Multiplication Draw and Trace

Welcome to Math Game Monday!

If you are anything like me, you realize that students learn best when they are actively engaged in their learning. That's the main reason why I am excited to introduce my Math Game Monday - a weekly series that will be filled up with fun, easy to prep math games for students in 3rd-5th grades. These games will help students practice and review important skills and they can actually start enjoying math.

Each Monday I will share a classroom-tested game that is perfect for not only math centers, but can be used in small groups, with a partner, or for early finishers. You will find out just how easy these games can be to set up, encourage meaningful math conversations along the way, and give students plenty of opportunities to build confidence in their math skills.

In whatever you are teaching, whether it is place value, multiplication, division, fractions, or decimals, my goal is to give you engaging activities that will save you time and keep your students excited about math. 

So, grab a drink, bookmark this series, and check back each and every Monday for a new game your students will ask to play again and again. Here's to making math the most anticipated part of the week!

This Week's Featured Math Game:

Multiplication Draw and Trace

This is a really simple game that is highly engaging and easy to differentiate. There are lots of options for this game. 

How to Play Multiplication Draw & Trace

Committing the multiplication facts to memory is so important for math. There are many ways you can play this game. The game comes with all the different multiplication sets form 1-12. Each board focuses on one set. 

1. Play Independently

This is a perfect game for students to play alone, making it great for early finishers. Students choose the set of multiplication facts they are currently working on memorizing, add a one minute timer (I like the little sand timer that I purchased in the Target Dollar Spot) and they are ready to go. The student will mix up the cards, flip their timer, and begin flipping cards one at a time. Each card has an equation and when flipped, the student should locate the product, to that equation, on their board. When found, they will use a whiteboard marker to trace over that product. The student will continue to flip and trace until the timer runs out, or they complete their entire board. If they can complete the whole board before the timer runs out, the student wins. 

2. Play with a Partner

When playing with a partner, it is easy to differentiate. Students can each choose the board of the multiplication fact set they are working on. The sets can be different, or they can even work on the same set if you print multiples of each set. Both students will mix their own stack of cards, placing them upside down. On "GO" students will begin flipping one card at a time, finding the product and tracing it. Students continue to flip and trace until one student completes their entire board. The student who completes their board first is the winner. 

3. Play with a Group

To play with a group, each student will choose their own board. Choose the multiplication set they ware currently working to learn. Different students can have different sets or the same (if you have multiples of each set). Each student will mix up their cards, placing them face down. On "GO" each student will flip their top card and work as quickly as possible to find the matching product, trace it, and continue flipping and tracing until one student finishes their board. That student is the winner.

4. Play with your Whole Class

This version is great as a review when students have a good understanding of the basic facts 1-12. Students will each be given a game set (board with matching cards) and a marker. The teacher will set a 1 minute timer. Students will mix their cards and on "GO" everyone will race to flip and trace the products on their board. The goal of this version is to finish before the timer runs out, so you can have multiple winners. If you choose, you could have students slide around the classroom from seat to seat playing multiple times with different fact sets. 

Why Multiplication Draw and Trace is a great classroom game

This game is super simple for students to learn. There are multiple ways to play. You can fully differentiate this game to meet the needs of your students, making it the perfect level for all. 

How to Prep the Game: Multiplication Draw and Trace

First, print out each board and set of cards. I made the cards in a grid, so they are quick and easy to cut apart. This saves time for busy teachers. I printed two sets of each so two students could work on the same set of multiples if needed. One tip I would give is to laminate if possible. This will allow your game to last for years, saving a lot of time in the long run. Place each game set in its own large one-gallon bag to keep them organized. I store mine in hanging folders in a crate for easy access. I sort my games by multiplication fact and store each fact set in a separate folder that is labeled with the fact number. 

To view a small video of this game or to purchase it, follow this link.