Want a fun way to practice math facts for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division? Try this simple dice game called 12 Squares. It’s perfect for a quick review any time and can be played several different ways! I have found that it not only helps with math facts, but it requires some logic as well!
Last year, I made some Christmas-themed dice games for our homeschool group and this activity was such a hit with our elementary kids. The younger kids {mainly Kindergartners and 1st graders} played it with addition and subtraction, while the older kids {2nd through 3rd grades} played it with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division!
To download, click on the oval button towards the end of this post. Directions to each game are included in the download.
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Fun Game for Math Facts
My son {4th grade} is in an amazing private school for kids with learning differences this school year. One of his assignments each night is to practice his math facts for 5 minutes. I don’t know about you, but drilling math facts with flash cards is far from my idea of fun. We’ve done different things to practice his facts and this game is one of those.
It might seem simple since it’s only using two dice, but if you add a timer or another player to the mix, the game quickly becomes challenging.
And I love that it requires kids think out of the box a little by stretching their thinking about the two numbers they’ve rolled on the dice. Depending on what kids roll, there could be multiple answers. It’s the child’s job to figure out which operation he wants to use to uncover {or cover} the numbers from his 12 squares.
For example, if a child rolls a 6 and a 3, he could add them to equal 9.
Or he could subtract the 3 from the 6 to equal 3.
Or he could even divide 3 into 6 to equal 2.
There are several versions in the download. I have found that it works best to use transparent manipulatives when uncovering so kids can see the numbers easily, like transparent counters.
One version of the game asks kids to cover their board. You can use snap cubes for this game and stack {snap} them when the same answer is rolled. It’s fun to see which “tower” will grow the highest.
When kids work on things independently, it’s nice to have an accountability piece so that you can “see” what the child has done. Since this game doesn’t have an accountability piece built in, I created one! Kids record the number sentences they create on a recording sheet.
And if you have two students who are about equal in their knowledge of math facts, there’s a version for two players that makes the game a little more competitive.
More Math Activities:
- Learning to Add and Subtract
- Mystery Letters for the Hundreds Chart
- Read, Build, and Write Pattern Block Mats
- 12 Free Multiplication Games
~Becky
Renee' says
November 4, 2015 at 5:59 pmThank you so much for the addition/subtraction games.
thisreadingmama says
November 4, 2015 at 8:50 pmYou are very welcome!