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Friday, August 10, 2012

Math Games for the New School Year

My Math Games Posts Part 1 and Part 2 are some of my most visited posts on my blog. I love math games! My kiddos last year loved them too! They begged to do Math Games! I knew that I would need to reorganize my games for the new school year. It was one of those items on my to do list that was important but not quite as important as making name tags and planning for the first week.

So it got pushed back until after school started. One afternoon I went through my cart and pulled out the games that we won't use until later in the year and organized. Here's what the cart looks like now:


Our first unit for math is numbers in base ten/place value. So all of my games that are currently out are place value related. Here's what I have out currently:

Swinging Around the 100's and 200's Chart - Free on TPT from Fourth and Ten

Flash Cards - of course. Such an easy bin. I took out the time and money ones and just stuck with addition and subtraction. Dollar Tree has great flash cards.

Race to 100 - Free on TPT from Primary Graffiti

The ever popular Bump from Sunny Days - My kiddos love, love, love this game! For student led conferences last year they had to show their parents how to play one math game - this was a popular choice!

Addition Jenga - Picked up this original Jenga set at the flea market for $3 and then downloaded the free labels from Minds In Bloom. I printed the labels onto adhesive backed paper and then laminated it. Yep, you got that right - they were sticky and laminated! I wasn't sure if you could do that but it worked out great - I wanted the durability of laminating but didn't want to have to tape or glue each strip. 

The kiddos simply build the jenga cube as usual and then when they remove a piece they have to solve it. Simple, yet fun!

Place Value Bulls Eye from What The Teacher Wants - I think this is my personal favorite because it helps the kiddos practice expanded form and because it's so fun! It reminds me of skeeball - who doesn't love skeeball?

Slides and Ladders from First Grade a la Carte - To practice doubles facts! This isn't a place value game but addition is coming up next and this game is simple so I threw it in there. 


Last but certainly not least in my kiddos' eyes is Power Towers - They absolutely love this!  The original idea comes from Teacher Tipster

That's the beginning of the year line up. I've shown my kiddos the games and now we are beginning to practice playing them. They are already excited!

14 comments:

  1. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting this all in one place with the links. So many of these games I already had as well, but hadn't thought of using. You just helped me do my math workshop lesson plans in like 5 minutes! now I just need a laminator. We're doing base ten as well.
    Do you mind sharing your labels for your baskets? Or did I miss that post? I'll keep looking. And I don't understand the jenga sticky back paper. I wish I could do it on avery labels, but think I will have to tape over it any way. Let me know if you have tips. sydcohn@gmail.com Thanks again!

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  2. Love all the games! Thanks for sharing! Would you be willing to share your labels for the game baskets! They are awesome!!

    lisadaniels67@sbcglobal.net

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  3. Thanks for a very interesting blog. What else may I get that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I’ve a undertaking that I am simply now operating on, and I have been at the look out for such info. free word games

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  4. would you be willing to share your labels? caitlinchurchillsmith@gmail.com Thank-you

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  5. Thank you so much for this amazing post!! I can't wait to try these with my second graders!

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  6. Oh my! you're so helpful! It's my first year teaching and honestly I've spent so much money already, I gave up on everything I have to pay for. Thanks for being so considerate!

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