Kids have to know their math facts. Practicing them can be fun, even when flash cards are involved, when you use these math facts games and activities. Check out these ideas for engaging kids in practice with hands-on games, center activities, crafts, and online games.
This is a simpler version of Yahtzee, and it’s a cool way to practice multiplication. If you use two dice instead of one, kids can practice their facts up to 12.
If you’ve ever played Dots and Boxes, this will look familiar. Players roll two dice (try these polyhedral dice to expand the facts in play), and draw a line to connect two dots next to the answer. If they complete a box, they color it in with their own marker.
This free printable is completely editable, so you can use it for any type of math facts practice. Kids choose a problem and give the answer. If they get it right, they cover it with their marker. When they get four in a row, they win!
Don’t confuse Sticky Math with timed tests. The goal is just for kids to complete as many problems as possible in a set amount of time, then work to beat that record each time.
Dice games are fun and versatile! With this one, kids practice their addition facts and get a little work with subitizing too. The concept is so simple: Each player rolls the dice and adds up their numbers. The highest sum wins that round. This is three math facts games in one since you can use it for subtraction and multiplication as well as addition.
Fill a variety of bags with collections of small objects. Kids grab a handful from two different bags, then count and add up the results. Be sure they write it all down to get practice at setting up equations. (Try this with subtraction and multiplication facts too.)
This game has been played for hundreds of years, but it’s a fun and sneaky way to practice addition facts fluency. The goal is to “close” each of the numbers in the box from 1 to 9 by rolling the dice. For instance, if a player rolls 11, they may close 1, 2, 3, and 5, as these add up to 11. If no numbers are available to add up to the dice total, play passes to the next player and continues until someone finally “shuts the box” by closing the last available number. You can play this game as people have for centuries with a specially designed box. You don’t need the box, though; simply have kids write out the numbers 1 through 9 and cross them out as they play.
Each student flips two cards, then adds them (or subtracts or multiplies). The person with the highest total keeps both cards. For a tiebreaker, flip another card. See more rules at the link.
Using an egg carton, have students write the numbers 1 through 12 in the bottom of each depression. Place two marbles inside the egg carton and close the lid. Shake the egg carton, open the top, and then add, subtract, or multiply whichever two numbers the marbles have landed on.
Dominoes are perfect for math facts practice! Keep it simple by pulling a domino from a bag, then adding, subtracting, or multiplying the two numbers.
For even more fun, print the free puzzles at the link below. Then start filling in the puzzle one piece at a time by placing a domino that adds up to the number shown in each rectangle. The trick is that regular domino rules still apply, so each number must touch another domino with the same number on that end.
These number search puzzles are harder than they look. First, kids complete the addition facts. Then, they search for those equations in the puzzle. Get three free puzzles at the link, where you can purchase more if you like them.
When it comes down to it, flash cards are still one of the best ways to practice fact fluency. The goal of this flash-card game is to lay out 15 flash cards in a row by the total of their sums (or differences, products, or dividends), from smallest to largest.
All it takes is paper plates, glue, and a marker to help your students learn their math facts. Up the fun factor by having students decorate their plates any way their imagination can dream up!
You know your elementary math students are going to love this! Build your own whack-a-mole 10-frame with a shoebox and Ping-Pong balls. Then, have kids whack the balls to practice their subtraction facts. So fun!
Lay out a grid like the one shown that has the answers to whatever set of math flash cards you’re currently working with. (This teacher used masking tape; you could also do sidewalk chalk on the playground.) Two players face off, one on each side of the board. Show the flash card, and kids race to be the first to jump to the correct square with both feet inside the lines. Get all the rules at the link below.
Tape a series of flash cards to the floor and challenge kids to see who can correctly make their way from start to finish the fastest. They can call out the answers or write them down, but they have to get it right before they move on. Kids can race side by side or work independently to beat their own best time.
This is a creative way to teach math facts. Start by drawing the center of a flower and write any number from 1 to 9 in the middle. Next, draw 12 petals around the center, labeling them 1 through 12. Last, draw another 12 petals and write the sum or product of the center number and the petal adjacent to the new petal.
Draw a winding path and fill the spaces with math equations. Kids roll the dice and move from space to space (have them jump, skip, or twirl to mix things up). If they get the answer right, they move to the new space. If not, their turn is over. Customizable math facts games like this can be used at any level.
Math facts bingo is so easy to set up and play. Give kids empty grids and ask them to write various sums, differences, products, or quotients, depending on what you’re working on. Then call out math problems and have them cover the answers. First to fill in a row wins.
Label a checkerboard with math facts. Play checkers as usual, following the traditional rules. The twist is, you must solve the math problem you land on.
This is so clever. Grab some name tags and write math facts on each. Give a tag to each of your students. For the remainder of the day, everyone will refer to one another by the answer to the equation on their tag (e.g., the student with the name tag that says 7×6 would be referred to as “42”).
Who doesn’t love to play Twister? Use stickies to place answers to addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division problems on a standard Twister mat. Write numbers used in the problems on stickies and place them on the spinner. Your students will love getting out of their seats to place their hands or feet on the correct answer!
Here’s another great activity for your students who like to learn on the move. Prepare a game board with the answers to the math facts you want to review. Call out the problem, and your students will enthusiastically swat the answer. This can be played with individual students or with two or more as a competition.
This exciting game combines strategic thinking and fact mastery. Students roll a die and decide if they want the digit to count as a 1 or a 10, i.e., a roll of 3 could be used as 3 or 30. Students add their results as they go. The winner is the student who gets closest to 101 without going over.
In this activity, the teacher sets up a class “toy store” and prices each type of item. Students get to shop and fill out an order form, on which they write the unit price and number of items they wish to purchase. Finally, they multiply the number of items by the price, add it all up, and come up with a grand total.
Get 10 empty toilet paper rolls, a ball, and a pencil and paper for keeping score. After setting up the “lane,” students roll the ball, knock down as many pins as possible, then record the result on their scoresheet. For example, 10 – 3 = 7. On the second roll, they start with 7 and subtract the number of pins they knock down on their scoresheet.
This is another great game that combines strategy with mastery of addition and subtraction facts. Students begin by writing a number line from 0 to 20. The first player circles two numbers, then circles the sum or difference of the first two numbers. Player 2 takes the first player’s result, circles another number, then circles the sum or difference of those two numbers. The winner successfully blocks their opponent from being able to complete another problem.
This exciting competition is for the entire class. Two students stand back-to-back and write a number on the board that they can see but their opponent can’t. A third student calls out the answer to a math problem using the two numbers, like “the product is 30” or “the sum is 11.” The first student to identify their opponent’s number is the winner!
Set up little targets with math facts to enrich your students’ knowledge of the topic. Then students get to shoot the targets that have the correct answer with a Nerf gun!
As long as your classroom doesn’t get too rowdy trying to mess around with these cootie catcher activities, this is one of the perfect math facts games to get your entire classroom involved, from setting up the actual cootie catchers to playing multiple different games with them.
Write answers to math facts on the sidewalk. Give students water bottles and tell them a math fact. Students say the answer and spray the number to erase it. A great activity for a sunny day.
Make these DIY pancakes and have your students serve up addition problems to one another. The possibilities for these math facts games are endless with this fun format of addition problems.
Cut out pieces of paper with addition and subtraction problems on them, and spread them across the floor of your room so your students can hop from problem to problem.
Answer eight multiplication problems before aiming and shooting cannonballs at targets. Students will get their math fact practice in and sharpen their aim.
Aim and shoot dinosaur eggs in a line to solve multiplication problems in this game. The faster you clear the line of balls by solving problems, the more points you earn.
This game is for more advanced mathematician gamers. The evil Horrefedous has hidden four mythical creatures in a castle. Players defeat enemies to get to the creatures using multiplication and division skills.
