Addition and Subtraction Math Game

This fun Math game will allow your young learners to practice their addition and subtraction skills.
Note* This is aligned with Ontario Curriculum expectations for Grade 3 students.
The specific steps of the game and how to set it up are provided on the document.

Materials

• 1 standard deck of playing cards.
• Cards labelled 10-30.
• Spoons (other materials can be substituted) (*Note: the number of spoons should be 1 less than the number of players in order to eliminate 1 player every round). X-1 = # of spoons, where ‘X’ = number of players.
• Some sort of surface (e.g. table, carpet)

Ontario curriculum expectations:
Strand B: Number
Math Facts

• “B2.2 recall and demonstrate multiplication facts of 2, 5, and 10, and related division facts” (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2020, Section Math Facts).
  Mental Math
• “B2.3 use mental math strategies, including estimation, to add and subtract whole numbers that add up to no more than 1000, and explain the strategies used” (OME, 2020, Section Mental Math).
  Addition and Subtraction
• “B2.4 demonstrate an understanding of algorithms for adding and subtracting whole numbers by making connections to and describing the way other tools and strategies are used to add and subtract” (OME, 2020, Section Addition and Subtraction).

Game Instructions
Objective: Be the first player to get a sum of a number between 10-30 as shown on the card displayed in the middle of the table. Players have to decompose the number shown on the card using a combination of up to 4 numbers (up to 4 cards) as fast as possible. (E.g. If the number shown in the middle is “12,” players can choose to represent that with 2 cards of ‘6,’ or 3 cards of ‘2,’ ‘6,’ and ‘4’ or ‘3,’ ‘4’, ‘2,’ and ‘3.’)