Salute - KS1 maths card game

Get ready to engage their mathematical skills in this fast-paced and interactive math card game.

This game of Salute will challenge addition abilities, help improve number recognition, and enhance critical thinking skills. It promotes quick thinking, decision-making, and collaboration, making it a perfect activity to strengthen mathematical foundations while having fun.

This activity could be used as a starter activity covering learning from the previous lesson, a plenary activity reinforcing learning that has just taken place, or as one of several activities within a wider scheme of learning focusing on addition and subtraction.

The rules
Form groups of three and get ready for an engaging activity. Here’s how it works:
Players 1 and 2 each select a numbered card from a pile and hold it against their forehead, facing outward. Make sure they cannot see their own number.
Player 3 adds the two numbers together and announces the total.
Players 1 and 2 use their deduction skills to guess the numbers on their cards based on the total announced by Player 3.
Rotate the roles, with each player taking turns as Player 1, Player 2, and Player 3, and repeat the game.
This entertaining game will challenge your observation and mental calculation abilities while providing a fun opportunity to collaborate and strategise with your group members.

For added competition, a time limit could be set on how long learners have to answer each question.

The game can be played until all learners have had a go in the different roles or as many times as required.

How long will this activity take?
This activity will take approximately 25-40 minutes to complete. Download our free, printable numbered cards below to begin. The numbers 1-20 are provided in line with the KS1 curriculum, but if extra challenge is required, these can be added to.

The engineering context
Engineers must regularly use mathematics knowledge and skills as part of their everyday job. For example, adding up how many parts are needed to build an aeroplane, calculating how strong a bridge needs to be or working out how much material is required to make the surgical gown for a hospital.

Suggested learning outcomes
By the end of this activity, students will be able to read the numbers 1-20, solve addition problems using the numbers 1-20, and they will be able to add one and two-digit numbers up to 20.

Download the free activity sheet!
All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable so that you can tailor them to your students and your schools’ needs.

The activity sheet includes teacher notes, guidance, helpful web links, and links (where appropriate) to the national curriculum in the four devolved UK nations; England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

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