Numeracy Development - Addition and Subtraction

This is a game which can be played by kids from about 3 years to 13 years. Version A is for young children, preschool to middle primary. Version B works best for children aged 8 – 13.

It is designed

Version A

Get hold of to dice, large ones are good. You can make one using a cube of foam or a cube box, and just write the numbers on with a permanent marker. Another good one is to go to a car shop or a discount shop and get the fuzzy dice that you can hang from the rear view mirror. Cut the string between them and you have two dice! Of course, normal dice from a game you already have is fine.

To make this active game, you’ll need some something to mark out places on the ground. Cones, hoops, pieces or cardboard or boxes work well for outside. You can use masking tape on the floor if playing inside.

Mark out 15 spots on the ground in one line, one child size step apart. Number the markers from 1 to 15. The kid/s start/s on mark number 8.

Make one dice the ‘plus’ dice and one the ‘minus’ dice. (Having different colours helps here.) Roll the dice one at a time.

Move up the markers the number indicated on the plus dice, then move down the number of the minus dice. For example, if your child rolls a +3 and -5 they would go from 8 (+3) to 11 then from 11 (-5) to 6. Young ones can count the number of steps up or down instead ‘knowing’ the answer.

Then the next child rolls the dice and has a turn if there are more children. Game can be played with one child only as well. The game finishes when someone goes below one or over 15. If playing with one child, they need to try and get over 12 or below 1 in the shortest number of rolls. If playing with two or more children, the winner is the one who finishes first. Then play again!

Hopefully the kids should have fun; you can incorporate prizes if you wish. Usually stays fun for 10 or 15 minutes, so don’t push it past its limit or they won’t want to play again.

When they get good at it you can roll both dice at the same time and they can take short cuts. For example, if they roll +4 and -3 they can just move +1.

Good luck, and let me know how you go!

Libby

For more maths ideas check out www.makemathseasier.com/makemath