Dealer's Choice

Shuffle up a deck of cards and deal them out:

• Have children clap, snap, or jump the number on their card.
• Have children make up a number story to go with the number on their card. Children tell the story to classmates who try and guess what their number is.
• Have children put their card with a friend’s and add them up.
• Who has more than seven? Who has less than seven?
• Mystery number - Whose card is more than three and less than five?
• Ten - Teacher gives every child a card. Teacher turns over a card that children can use to try and make ten. Who can get the closest without going over?
• Have children sort themselves by suit.
• Have children try and find someone with the same number.
• Let children make up their own card games.

Fist Fast Math

This game is similar to “rock, scissors, paper.” Each child will need a partner. Children face their partner and open their left palm. Children make a fist with their right hand and place it on the left palm. Children count, “one, two, three” as they tap their fist on the palm. On the word “three,” each child sticks out 0-5 fingers. They add up their fingers with their partner. Children continue tapping their fists and adding up fingers.

Hint!
    Have children write down number sentences.
    Play with two fists.
    Subtract, multiply, etc. with fingers.

Who's Got the Penny?

One person is “it.” “It” chooses three friends to leave the classroom. While the three are out of the room, “it” walks around the room and places a penny in one child’s hands. All the children cup their hands as if they are holding the penny. The three children are then called back in the classroom. The three walk around the room opening hands until one finds the penny and says, “Penny, penny, I found the penny!” That child then becomes “it” and the game continues.

Hint! Let children hide a seasonal toy, such as a bunny, pumpkin, etc.

Quiet Touch

This is a great game to quiet children and build memory skills. The first child gets up and touches an object and then sits down. The second child gets up, touches the first object, then touches an additional object. The third child touches the first object, second object, and adds a third object. The game continues as classmates touch what the previous children have touched in sequential order and then add a new item. When a child forgets, simply begin the game all over again.

Hint! Children will enjoy counting to see if they can beat a previous record.

Download these activity cards:

Dealer's/Fist Fast and Penny/Quiet