rolling the number cube and subtracting each time. The first player (or team) to reach 1 wins. Players (or teams) must land exactly on 1 to win.
Spinnin’ Secret Codes
Give each student a game marker. Next, write a secret code on the board that corresponds to directional movements on the mat.
Example: 23
Challenge students to determine what number they would reach by following the secret code’s directional arrows. Have students answer by placing a game marker on the number that they think will solve the code. Work with students to verify that the code has been solved.
Change game play by placing rings around two different numbers, such as 15 and 42. Have students draw the arrows and create the code to show how to move from one number to the next, or vice versa.
For an additional challenge, create codes involving numerical steps such as +2 or -3.
Picking Out Patterns
Pass out a game marker to each student. Place several game markers around some numbers that begin a skip-counting pattern. For example, place markers around 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 to begin skip counting by 3s. Have each student place a game marker on the next number that would continue the skip-counting pattern.
For a higher-level activity, create more challenging skip-counting patterns. For example, start by placing a marker around the 5 square. Then, place a marker on 9, 13, 17, and 21. Increase the difficulty even further by creating a skip-counting pattern in the middle of the mat. For example, start on the number 56 and place game markers on 58, 60, 62, and 64. Challenge students to place game markers to continue the pattern in both directions–after 64 and before 56.
Just Ring It!
Number of players: Two players or two teams
Game components: Game mat, green markers, orange markers, 1 inflatable number cube
Place the mat on the floor where all players can see it. Divide the class, or group, into two teams. All players of Team 1 will use a green-colored marker and all players of Team 2 will use an orange-colored marker. Team 1 starts by having a player place a marker on any number on the mat. Team 2 will then do the same. The next player from Team 1 must add or subtract the two marked numbers and place a marker around that answer. The next player from Team 2 chooses any two numbers that are “ringed” and either adds or subtracts those numbers to “ring” a new number. Play continues with each team’s next player choosing any two ringed numbers to either add or subtract. If an answer is incorrect, the player must remove the ring and play
