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FREE FUN LEARNING GAMES
Fun Maths Games For 1st and 2nd Grade 5-7 Year Olds
Children need to use concrete materials to develop a good understanding of mathematical concepts before they start substituting real things for visual representations or moving onto more abstract Maths. The following free fun learning maths games devised for 5-7 year olds can be played in isolation or revised as you see fit. There are also gradations of difficulty within each game.
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The Fun Learning Maths Games Page helps parents identify the concepts and mathematical language they could be using while playing the games to make the learning experience as rich as possible.
Scroll Down to see Fun Maths Games
or if you know the game you want click on the links below
MORE OR LESS
FIRST TO 30
Choose a range of small coloured items from around the house.
Guess which colour is the most common. Approximate the number of items. The winner is the player who either guesses the amount correctly or gets the closest.
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Roll one die. Count the number of dots. Put a counter on that number on your caterpillar. The next person rolls their die, counts the dots and puts a counter on the corresponding number on their caterpillar.
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Player 1 rolls the die again and counts the number of dots. They add that number onto the number on their caterpillar. HINT: See if they can bank the number they already have and count on using their fingers to guess where they will be up to on the caterpillar. Check as they count along their caterpillar.
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The process is repeated until someone gets to number 30. You can make this more difficult by making them roll the exact number to finish.
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To make it more difficult you can also subtract from thirty to zero.
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LARGEST NUMBER WINS
GO TABLES
my favourite game of all
This is a great game for travelling in the car.
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Make the largest number from the group of numerals on a number plate of the vehicle ahead of you. e.g. above DAZ 69 becomes 96.
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You will notice the skill you are trying to establish is greatest number first, smallest second.
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This game can be adjusted to include older siblings. As your child gets better at this game you can make the smallest number instead or use more than two numbers. e.g 749 would become 974
ADD IT
4
1
2
9
5
This is one of the best games I've known for revising tables.
To begin you write down the numerals from one to twelve around a circle similar to the clock face below, in random order. Then write 2x or 5x in the middle depending on which table you are wanting to revise.
This is a great game for travelling in the car.
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Make the largest number from the group of numerals on a number plate of the vehicle ahead of you. e.g. above 1 + 8 + 8 = 17
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The winner is the one that ads the numerals together the quickest. First to five and then start another round.
6
12
2x
11
3
7
8
BEANBAG MATHS
10
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You start the stopwatch. Beginning at the one position on the clock (where the star is) give just the answer to each number as quickly as possible going clockwise around the clock. For example 2x9 is 18 so you say 18. You continue around the clock until you reach the twelve o'clock position. You stop the stopwatch and see how long it takes you. The next player takes their turn and times themselves. The winner is the person who completes the circle in the least amount of time. If someone makes an error they need to repeat their answer correctly then continue.
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I've recorded an example of the clock face below to help you. You will notice the speed with which you go round the clock face will improve rapidly. Get the whole family involved and see how much you all improve over a week just playing five minutes a day.
Draw a series of six different sized circles on concrete. Put numeral 1 inside the largest circle, 2 in the second largest repeating the pattern until 6 is in the smallest circle.
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Children take turns throwing a bean bag (or stone) one throw at a time. They have the option to throw lots of smaller amounts or go for the smaller circles containing higher numerals.
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They add each of their scores together. The first to thirty is the winner.
ADDLED
Fold a piece of A4 paper from top to bottom (in half,) then half again, (into quarters.)
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Open the page back out. Fold the page into thirds across the page.
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You should end up with 12 squares on the paper. This is called the recording board. Get your child to record the numerals 1 through to 12 one in each box.
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Repeat the process for your own scorecard.
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Player 1: Throw two dice and add them together. Record the total by putting a coin or counter on the numeral representing that total on their numeral board. For example: 3+5 = 8. Put a counter on the 8.
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Player 2: Throw two dice and add them together. Record the total by putting a coin or counter on the 2nd numeral board representing that total.
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Repeat until the first player has five numerals covered.
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N.B. If you already have that number covered you don't get to record a numeral that go and it reverts to the next players go.
FLASH
Put a group of dominoes face down on a table.
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Player One picks one domino up and flashes the face to the other player for one second.
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Player Two guesses how many dots there were altogether on the face of the domino.
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Player One turns the face over and checks the number of dots. If Player Two was correct they get the domino. If not it's removed from the pile.
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The process is repeated as Player 2 flashes their domino.
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The winner is the first to five dominoes after both players have had equal turns. If there is a tie continue until one player misses.
COUNTDOWN
LOWEST WINS
The best die to use are numeral die but as children become more proficient they will know five dots represents five instantly so you can use dots instead.
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Player One rolls two die and makes the lowest numeral possible. e.g. 5 and 4 can be recorded as either 54 or 45 (45 being the lowest)
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Player Two rolls two die and makes the lowest numeral possible.
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The lowest number scores a counter.
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The winner is the first to five counters.
Begin with twenty counters each.
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Roll a die. Remove that many counters from your pile.
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Repeat the process for Player 2.
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The object of the game is to have no counters left.
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You can make the game longer by insisting the correct number has to be rolled to go out. E.g. If a player has five to go until they're out they would need to roll a five on their die to finish the game.
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MAKE TEN
Roll a dice. How many more do you need to make ten. Take that many counters from a pile.
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Repeat the process for Player 2.
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The object of the game is to be the first to thirty counters. You can use the caterpillar scorecard to keep score or alternatively get your child to put their counters into equal length rows of ten. Then it's obvious when they have three equal rows totaling thirty.
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BETWEEN ONE AND A HUNDRED
This is a really easy game to play in the car and it's highly effective for children revising learning the numbers through to 100
Player 1: Picks a number between one and a hundred.
Player 2: Tries to guess the number they feel could be the correct one.
Player 1: Says 'higher' or 'lower' depending on if the correct number is higher or lower than their guess.
Player 3: Using the additional information they try to guess the number they feel could be the correct one.
Player 1: Again says 'higher' or 'lower' depending on if the correct number is higher or lower than their guess.
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All players continue to repeat the process until the correct number is found.
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For More Fun Games go to the links below:
Best Parenting Advice.com is a high quality parenting website designed with child and family success in mind. This site provides free resources for busy parents who want the best practical advice possible on: effective child rearing strategies, easy healthy family meals, self-care tips for time-poor parents and fun learning games to help best educate children while also encouraging positive relationships within the family.
The best parenting advice regarding creating engaged learners is to make learning as much fun as possible. That's why games work best to revise new information. Children practise skills over and over in play situations, yet aren't even aware they're doing it. Best parenting advice.com provides many examples of quick and easy games to help develop both early reading and maths skills.
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This site provides examples of what worked for me over decades and you are welcome to use these ideas as you see fit but you do so at your own risk. This site does not provide any guarantee that this information will work in every circumstance with every family or every child. It is your responsibility as a user of this site to ensure that you adhere to any recommended safety suggestions either implicit or explicit on this site and supervise your children while playing any games suggested. Best Parenting Advice.com is not affiliated with any other groups, clubs, religious organizations or educational systems.
Best parenting takes time. The best parenting advice ever is simple: Do your best, don't give up and love your children, no matter what.