Making Math Fun and Boosting Numeracy for Your Child with Playing Cards.
Would you prefer to sit in a lecture and listen to the theory of playing tennis or football, or would you prefer to play and learn on the job? Well, children are no different. They would prefer to play a game rather than sit and listen to boring explanations of maths.
Furthermore, research has proven that playing games and laughter melts any anxiety or resistance to learning boring information. Below are 5 maths playing card games that will transform your child’s love of numbers. Maybe, even improve your own mental arithmetic skills and have a laugh at the same time!
1️⃣ Maths Games : ❻ + ❹🎓
Adding up to 10:
Teachers will focus on this for a couple of weeks at school, but often children find adding up to 10 much harder to remember in their long-term memory than adults can possibly imagine.
Often, children resort to using their fingers to count, which, unless stopped early, continues into their teenage exam years. Research has demonstrated that this use of counting on fingers greatly reduces children’s processing speed and hinders them in tests and exams.
If your child uses fingers to count, head over to Fables World, as they have an incredibly effective and long-lasting way of remembering addition and subtraction that has children rolling on the floor laughing.
1.Deal out 16 cards in a grid.
2. Each player has to look for cards that ADD UP TO 10. If they find two cards, e.g., 6 + 4, they pick them up and keep them in their pile. 3. Replace new cards where ones have been taken up.
4. No. 10 cards can be picked up without finding another card.
5. Jack, Queen, and King cards = 12. They can only be picked up with a 2, e.g., introducing taking away e.g., 12 – 2 = 10.
6. The person with the most cards at the end wins.
2️⃣ Maths Games : ❼ + ❹🧠⭐️
Addition Snap:
Ensure children are good at adding up to 10 before attempting this.
1.Split the deck of cards into two.
2. On the count of 3, both players place a card in front of them.
3. The first player to add the two cards together and answer wins the cards.
4. The adult player has to count to 5 in their head (or more if children are struggling) before they are allowed to answer.
5. The winner = the player with the most cards in their pile.
*Jack, Queen, King cards = 12
3️⃣ Maths Game : ❽ ✕ ❾🧠♣️
Times Table Snap:
If children struggle with the multiplications, first join Fables World which teaches multiplication and division in one month, yes it’s true! They use funny cartoons and games to teach so learning is effortless and fun.
1.Split the deck of cards into two.
2. On the count of 3, both players place a card in front of them. 3.The first player to MULTIPLY the two cards together (e.g., 8 x 9 = 56) and shout the answer out wins the two cards.
4. The adult player has to count to 5 in their head (or more) before they are allowed to answer.
5. The winner = the player with the most cards in their pile.
*Jack, Queen, King cards = 12
4️⃣ Maths Game : ❾ − ❸🧠💡
SUBTRACTING GAME:
Subtracting numbers for some can be challenging. If children struggle, ask them to walk down the street for 10 (or more) paces then they have to walk backwards and count down. Research has demonstrated that counting backwards is very good for calming anxious children and also works to reduce stress in adults!
- Split the playing cards into two piles
- On the count of,3, both players turn over a card.
- The first person to SUBTRACT the lower card from the higher card wins the two cards and puts them in their pile.
- The adult player has to count to 5 (or more) before they are allowed to answer.
- Jack, Queen, and King cards = 12.
- The winner = the player with the most cards in their pile.
5️⃣ Maths Game : 🔠🧮
MATHS WORD GAME
Maths words can seem impossible for both children!! When children are faced with the question, ‘What is the sum total of these sweets?’ Does ‘Total’ mean add or multiply. What about factor, product or difference. Children often panic in tests as they don’t know if they are adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing. It’s confusing for adults never mind children, this game helps.
Email info@fables.world for a sheet of the maths words to print out and use for the game.
Teenagers also love this one, and it’s great for keeping adult mental arithmetic skills in good working order!”
- Print out the sheet of maths words, cut out and place in the middle facedown.
- Discuss meanings of the maths words.
- Divide deck of playing cards into two.
- Turn over the first word card, e.g., Total.
- On the count of 3, each player turns over a playing card.
- Then add, subtract, multiply or divide. For example, if it’s ‘Total’, then the first person to add the two cards wins.
- If the word card says ‘Product’, then the first player to multiply the two cards wins (Jack, Queen, and King = 12).
- For division, the cards often produce remainders e.g., Queen (12) ➗ 5 = 2 with a remainder 2. So ensure the child is confident enough to do this or take out the ‘Division word cards’.
- The adult player has to count to 5 or more before they are allowed to answer.
- The winner – is the person that has the most cards at the end of the game.