A Halloween themed measuring activity/game. The children can use the broomstick images as non-standard units for measuring items, or estimate and then measure each broomstick in cm. Full activity details on the mathsticks.com website.

The download contains 4 Mathsticks’ Times Tables Games and Activities. Each game is a carefully focused multiplication resource. The games are ideal for whole-class, paired work or individual practice situations. Each is designed to offer practice with all of the multiplication facts from 2x to 12x (and a few that extend that range too). Children will find they are looking for patterns, comparing calculations and faced with multiple opportunities to practice and apply their Times Tables knowledge and develop excellent fluency in co-operative learning situations.

A large part of becoming familiar with multiplication facts (Times Tables) is using them regularly in different situations. This series of games makes use of a set of Function Machine cards, the children are thinking about factors while constantly reinforcing their knowledge of products. This resource consists of a carefully chosen set of 36 Machine cards, and 9 Multiplication cards which can act as labels. The Machine cards each depict a factor and a product. Think of these cards as function machines, where the function is always multiplication. The downloadable file explains how to play versions of Bingo, Happy Families, Top Trumps and a solitaire sorting game, Solo. It is an 8-page pdf file with full playing instructions, 36 Machine Cards and 9 Multiplication Cards.

Here are 16 matchstick puzzles to give children plenty of practice reasoning about and using Roman Numerals. There are four puzzles on each page making it easy to cut into smaller, individual, activity/puzzle cards. The puzzles are ideal if combined with real sticks (match or craft sticks), so the children can attempt each puzzle multiple times. Working with partner would also be beneficial. While an ideal in-class activity, I know of many teachers who have used these as part of homework or as activities for a Maths/Games Club.

This Times Tables game is based on connect four. Children roll a dice, multiply it by a given number and find the product on the game sheet. So far, so simple… However, there are a few MATHSTICKS tweaks. Firstly, the numbers aren’t random. We’ve made grids with products in families so children are encouraged to see the connections between the different multiplication ‘families’. For example, the first set of grids features multiples of 2x, 5x and 10x… This encourages the children to talk to each other about the different products they can see and how they are related. Another grid is formed from the 2x, 4x and 8x ‘family’. If children spend time looking for and discussing the connections and patterns, they will be better placed to think about larger numbers (see the last set of grids). This has a direct, positive impact on their understanding and fluency. Secondly, we suggest using a labelled tray in which to roll the dice. If the children are working with the 3x, 6x and 9x grids, a labelled tray (or box lid) enables them to roll an ordinary dice into the tray – where the dice lands is important! Players multiply the dice number by the number where the dice rests. Checkout the video to see how this works. Thirdly, the grids are ‘double-ended’ so children can play at opposite sides of a table. They colour their own grid, and the winner is the first with four in a row in any direction. Encourage the children to discuss how they know they are correct and what strategy they used to calculate. Have fun. o------o Please rate and comment if you use this and your children gain something from it. Thanks.

Here’s a ‘friendly’ way to count on Monster. This clean, simple, number resource is designed to enable young children to develop their understanding of number recognition and counting. It can be used as a display poster, desktop counting resource or a direct counting activity. This simple visual number line from mathsticks.com offers a wealth of maths activities and/or assessment opportunities. Combine the three pages to make one tall poster showing numbers from zero to 10. Cut each page into horizontal strips so children can sort or count the monster-lines. Children can match a quantity of counters to a monster-line. Cut away the digit labels and have the children put the monster-lines in order. Cut away the digit labels and ask the children to re-label the monster-lines. The monster-lines have been designed with a visual break after the fifth one. This makes number combinations easy to recognise: 6 is 5 and 1; 7 is 5 and 2; 8 is 5 and 3; etc

Like our other counting number resources this one is designed to help young children get to grips with number recognition and aspects of counting. We have a series of fun ‘superhero’ images which illustrate the numbers from 0 to 10. As usual, we have a built-in a break between the fifth and sixth image to better support counting and understanding. You can use this maths resource as a poster, or as a table activity. If you cut the pages into separate strips the children can sort, count and order them. If you remove the digit labels on the end of each strip, the children can… arrange the lines of superheroes in order, match them with counters, peg them onto a number line, or re-label them.

Not your usual 'Follow Me&' cards! These are top quality images to really engage your children. The activity/game works in the usual way, but the resource itself is second to none (think 'Marks & Spencers'). Give it a go - quality resources = quality learning!

Here are four MathDoku, or KenKen type puzzles. We've simplified the more traditional version so that this only includes addition. The idea is for the children to work in pairs to complete each 5x5 grid, following the simple rules: - the numbers entered into each 'cell' (squares marked out by darker lines) should total the clue number in the top left-hand corner; - only the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are used; - like Sudoku, numbers only appear on each row or column once. The worksheet here includes four KenKen puzzles (together with answers).

One of our favourite resources - high quality images make this a very engaging game. The children have to match 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p 20p and 50p coin values to the prices on stamps. Can be used as an assessment activity or as a full-blown bingo game. Take a look at it, I'm sure you and your children will love this. Please rate it and let me know how it works out for you.

Gold, Silver and Bronze 'Maths Champion&' medals - perfect as reward stickers, either for a wall display; or for children to wear, stick in their books or take home.

A simple board game for two players to reinforce number bonds to 10. Ideal partner activity or as a fun homework 'task'. If you find this useful please comment. Cheers.

A set of 20 multi-step written problems, designed to offer appropriate challenge for Y2 and Y3 children. An excellent activity when children work together on mini whiteboards. The focus is on 'mathematical talk' and the decisions the children make. Print the file and cut into strips - each containing one problem. Give each child a slip, and ask them to take turns to read their problem and discuss how it could be attacked. Encourage them to explain what mathematical functions they think they need in order to solve the problem, and to decide on the order of those functions.

This Pirate-themed addition game was designed to give young children plenty of opportunities to reason mathematically and add numbers. The players have a Pirate game board between them and a pile of 10 coloured counters each. They take it in turn to roll three dice. The player who rolled now works out the sum of the three numbers and looks for this number on the board. If the number is available he/she can cover it with one of their own counters. Play passes to the next player who does the same. This is repeated until one person has managed to use all 10 of his/her counters… or until the board is full. Where’s the learning? The mathematical learning is in the repeated addition and (importantly) in the sharing of strategies. See the mathsticks site for fuller information about the pedagogical teaching behind this activity.

This fun game uses ‘Top Trumps’ style cards to enable children to practice addition and multiplication strategies while reinforcing correct mathematical vocabulary. There are 36 cards; each featuring an image of a mathsticks figure and two mathematical statements. The first statement on each card is an addition and the other a multiplication. While playing a Top Trumps type game, the children challenge each other as to whose card displays the higher value – product or sum! However, the educational value doesn’t end there… The statements offer four different mathematical elements (or categories): product sum factors addends This game is ideal for Key Stage 2 children who have a reasonable understanding of multiplication facts and addition strategies. The download features extensive teacher notes and a set of 36 printable cards.

‘Top Trumps’ meets Times Tables in this Buildings-themed game. The download contains instructions and 27 different cards. Each card features four Times Tables calculations. Children play, using normal Top Trump rules, by choosing a calculation - the larger product wins the cards. How many different buildings can you collect?

The Mathematics Medicine booklet consists of 8 pages of maths problems suitable for Year 3 children. The booklet uses the idea of a weird ‘medicine’ recipe from Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine. In this maths resource, George’s teacher has designed his own weird medicine and the ingredients are all hidden inside this book of problems. The children are presented with a series of problems and puzzles, each of which is based on a calculation skill linked to the National Curriculum. As they solve the problems they will reveal the strange ingredient’s in their teachers recipe. Have fun. Note - this works best when printed as an A5 (folding) booklet - there are instructions on the pdf for this. Alos see mathsticks.com for more information. Please rate!

This is a very useful maths games based on ‘number properties’. It’s an ideal activity because it puts the learning in the hands of the children and encourages good language (speaking and listening) skills and cooperative ‘play’. The download includes a set of ‘clue cards’ and a set of 1 to 25. Children work in pairs to use the clue cards to help them identify a single number from within the 1-25 set. Great for logical thinking.

Children have to identify numbers from the Christmas labels and select them from a list. A useful assessment activity.

27 cards featuring shape related words. The game is for two players, a 'reader' and a 'guesser' The object of the game is for the 'reader' to help his/her partner to identify the correct vocabulary word on the card by describing th