First Grade Math Games

Unit 1 Lesson
Number Line Squeeze 1.2
Penny-Dice Game 1.3
Addition Top-It 1.6
Dice Roll & Tally Game 1.8

Unit 2
Rolling for 50 2.1
Two-Fisted Penny Addition 2.3
Penny Grab 2.8
Penny Cup 2.8
Penny-Nickel Exchange 2.10
Coin Top-It 2.10
Penny-Drop Addition 2.11
Nickel-Penny Grab 2.11
High Roller 2.12

Unit 3
Before & After 3.1
Coin Dice 3.12
Dime-Nickel-Penny Grab 3.12
Domino Top-It 3.14

Unit 4

Time Match 4.4

Shaker Addition Top-It 4.12
Unit 5
Secret Numbers Game 5.3
Animal Weight Top-It 5.5
Turn-Around Facts Game 5.10
Beat the Calculator 5.11
Penny-Nickel-Dime Exchange 5.13

Unit 6
Addition Top-It 6.1
Coin Exchange 6.10
Fact Power Game 6.4

Unit7
What’s my Rule? 7.1
Attribute Train Game 7.2
Guess the Rule 7.2

Unit 8
One Dollar Exchange 8.2
Base-10 Exchange 8.4
3,2,1 Game 8.5

Unit 9
Number Grid Game 9.2

Unit 10
$1, $10, $100 Exchange Game 10.3
Tic-Tac-Toe Addition 10.4
 Number Line Squeeze
Skill: Practice identifying numbers from 0 through 15 from clues.

Object: To identify a mystery number in as few clues as possible.

Materials: Number line

Two popsicle sticks to cover the numbers

Players: 2 – 4 players

Directions:

ƒ Player one chooses a number as the mystery number, for example,

5, and says “I am thinking of a number between 1 and 9. What’s
my number?”
ƒ The other student(s) act as bracket holders and covers the numbers
1 and 9.
ƒ The same student (or other student if there are more than 2
players) guesses a number; 7. Player one says, “No, my number is
smaller than (or less than) 7, or 7 is more than (or bigger than or
greater than) my number. The right bracket is then moved to cover
the 7.
ƒ Another player guesses 4. The leader says that the mystery
number is greater than 4. The left bracket is then moved to 4.
ƒ Players continue to guess. Eventually, the mystery number will be
“squeezed” between the two brackets. The player who guesses the
mystery number becomes the next leader.

Advanced Version: Students can extend the range of numbers used to

numbers greater than 15.
 Penny-Dice Game
Skill: Practice counting and comparing numbers.

Object: To be the player with the most (or fewest) pennies.

Materials: 1 die
10 pennies per player

Players: 2 or more players

Directions:

ƒ Players combine all their pennies into one pile.

ƒ Players take turns rolling the die and picking up as many pennies
as indicated on the die until all the pennies have been picked up.
To pick up the last pennies, the number on the die must match the
number of pennies remaining in the pile.
ƒ Either the teacher (or parent) chooses or the players flip a penny to
determine whether the player with the most or the fewest pennies
is the winner.
HEADS: The player with the most pennies wins.
TAILS: The player with the fewest pennies wins.
 Addition Top-It
Skill: Practice addition facts and comparing sums.

Object: To collect the most cards.

Materials: Top-It game board

Deck of cards with face cards removed
First grade: number cards 0-9, 4 of each
Second grade: number cards 0-10, 4 of each
Game Masters 5

Players: 2 – 4 players

Directions:

ƒ One player shuffles the cards and places the deck with the
numbers facedown on the playing surface.
ƒ Each player turns over 2 cards and calls out the sum of the
numbers. Players should check each other’s sums.
ƒ The player with the greatest sum takes all the cards. In case of a
tie, each tied player turns over 2 more cards and calls out the sum.
The player with the greater sum takes all the cards from both plays
and records a win in the score box on the gameboard.
ƒ Play ends when not enough cards are left for each player to have
another turn.
ƒ The player who collects the most cards wins.

Variations:

ƒ Players can toss a coin to determine whether the player with more
cards or fewer cards is the winner.
ƒ Each player turns over 3 cards and finds his/her sum.
ƒ To break a tie, each player turns over 1 more card to add to his or
her sum.

Dice Roll & Tally Game

Skill: Practice tallying numbers.

Object: To be the first player to have 5 tally marks next to each

of the numbers 1 through 6.

Materials: 1 die
Game Master 43 (1 per player)

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players take turns rolling a die and putting a tally mark next to
the appropriate number on their tally charts.
ƒ The first player to have at least 5 tally marks next to each number
is the winner.

Variation:

ƒ Players take turns rolling the die for 3 minutes. Before

they begin, have them predict which number or numbers
will come up most often.
 Rolling for 50
Skill: Practice counting by 1’s.

Object: To be the first player to reach the FINISH number.

Materials: 1 die
2 counters
Game Masters 130

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players agree on a FINISH number on Game Master 130. The

FINISH number can be any number 1 through 50.
ƒ Players put their counters on START on their own gameboards.
ƒ Players take turns. For each turn, a player rolls the die and looks at
the table shown below to see how many spaces and which direction
to move.

Roll Spaces
1 3 up
2 2 back
3 5 up
4 6 back
5 8 up
6 10 up

ƒ The first player to reach or cross the FINISH number is the winner.

Advanced Version:

ƒ Students can use the number grid on Game Master 174 as the
gameboard. Players start at 0 and can pick any number from 0
through 110 as the FINISH number.
 Two-Fisted Penny Addition
Skill: Practice finding complements of 10.

Object: To find combinations of 10.

Materials: Game Masters 156

10 pennies per player

Players: 3 – 5 players

Directions:

ƒ Students each place 10 pennies in front of them.

ƒ Each student grabs one or more pennies with one hand and picks
up the rest of the pennies with the other hand.
ƒ Students count the number of pennies they have in each hand.
Then they record each pair of numbers in the parts-and-totals
diagrams on the gameboard.

Total

Part Part

Variation:
ƒ Players predict the number of pennies in the second hand before
counting them. They write down their predictions and then count
the pennies to check them.
 Total

Part Part

Total

Part Part

Penny Grab
Skill: Practice finding the total value of coins and writing
number models.

Object: To write number models to compare 2 groups of pennies.

Materials: Game Master 122

40 pennies or other counters

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ The teacher (or parent) places a pile of pennies or other counters

on the playing surface between 2 players.
ƒ Each player grabs a handful of pennies and counts them.
ƒ Players record how many pennies they each have and the name of
the player that has more pennies on Game Master 122.
ƒ Players line up their pennies in side-by-side rows.
ƒ Players find the difference between the two amounts and write
number models to show the results.
For example: 9 – 6 = 3 or 6 + 3 = 9

Variation:

ƒ Students can play an easier version of the game by limiting the

number of pennies/counters to 20 and ending the game after they
have identified which player has more pennies/counters.

Penny Cup
Skill: Practice finding number combinations for 20.

Object: To identify the number of pennies hidden under a cup.

Materials: Game Masters 121

20 pennies per player

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Player 1 turns the container upside-down, hides some of the 20

pennies under the cup, and puts the rest on top of the cup.
ƒ Player 2 counts the pennies on top of the cup and figures out, or
guesses, how many pennies are hidden under the cup.
ƒ If the number is correct, player 2 gets a point.
ƒ Players trade roles and repeat steps 1 and 2.
ƒ Each player keeps a tally of his or her points. The first player to
get 5 points is the winner.

Variations:

ƒ Students can play an easier version of the game by limiting the

number of pennies to 10 and increasing the number of pennies as
they become more proficient at the game.
ƒ Students can play the game by working together. Players count out
a total number of pennies appropriate to their level of play. One
player grabs a bunch of pennies without counting them, puts them
under the cup, and puts the rest of the pennies on top of the cup.
Players work together to figure out, or guess, how many pennies
are under the cup. If the number is correct, the players get a team
point. The object of the game is to improve the team total.

Penny-Nickel Exchange
Skill: Practice exchanging 5 pennies for a nickel.
Object: To collect more nickels than the other players.

Materials: 1 die
20 pennies per player

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players put all of the nickels and pennies in a bank.

ƒ Players take turns rolling the die and collecting the number of
pennies from the bank that matches the number rolled. As a
player acquires 5 or more pennies, he or she says “exchange”, and
turns in 5 pennies for a nickel. At the end of any turn, each player
should have fewer than 5 pennies.
ƒ The game ends when the bank is out of nickels. The player with
more nickels is the winner. If players have the same number of
nickels, the player with more pennies is the winner.

Variation:

ƒ Students can play the game with a larger bank. For each turn, a
player rolls 2 dice. This variation allows players to exchange coins
more rapidly.

Coin Top-It
Skill: Practice finding and comparing the values of coin combinations.
Object: To collect more cards than the other player.

Materials: Top-It gameboard

Game Masters 39 (1 per player)

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players use the Money Card Deck, or each player cuts apart a copy
of Game Master 39. Players combine their cards.
ƒ Players mix the cards and place them facedown on the gameboard
between them.
ƒ Each player draws a card and says the total amount of the coins
shown on it. The player with the greater amount collects and
keeps both cards. In case of a tie, players take two more cards.
The player with the larger amount then takes all of the cards.
ƒ The game ends when there are no cards left to draw. The winner is
the player who collects more cards.

Variation:

ƒ Players use only the cards picturing pennies and nickels from the
money card deck, or each player cuts 7 index cards in half and
draws or stamps a combination of nickels and pennies on each
card. They should make a card for totals 7 cents through 20 cents.

Penny-Drop Addition
Skill: Practice identifying change-to-more situations.

Object: To identify the total number of pennies dropped into a cup.

Materials: paper cup for demonstration
15 pennies
scratch paper per player

Players: 2 players or whole class

Directions:

ƒ The teacher/parent drops 5 pennies into a container, one at a time.

He/she asks the class how many pennies are in the container.
ƒ The teacher/parent tells the students that their job is to figure out
how many pennies will be in the container after 3 more pennies
have been dropped into the container.
ƒ The teacher/parent drops the 3 pennies into the container. The
students write the total number of pennies on their slates.
ƒ If some students did not get the correct total, the teacher/parent
repeats the routine by first dropping 5 pennies into the container.
As the teacher/parent drops an additional 3 pennies, the students
count in unison: “6,7,and 8.”
ƒ The teacher/parent summarizes what took place with a change-to-
more diagram.

Start Change End

ƒ The teacher/parent repeats the routine using different numbers of

pennies.

Nickel-Penny Grab
Skill: Practice finding the total value of coins.

Object: To have the greater amount of money.

Materials: Game Masters 114
16 nickel, 40 pennies per player

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players mix the coins together.

ƒ One player grabs a handful of coins; the other player takes the
coins that are left.
ƒ Players help each other count the coin collecti8ons and determine
which player has more money.
ƒ The player with more money wins the game.

High Roller
Skill: Practice Addition Facts

Object: To roll the highest number

Materials: 2 dice
Players: 2-4 players

Directions:

ƒ One player rolls the dice. The player keeps the die with the larger
number (the high roller) and throws the other die again.
ƒ The player counts on from the number rolled on the first die to get
the sum of the 2 dice.
ƒ Each player repeats Steps 1 and 2. The winner is the player with
the highest number after 2 rounds.

Before & After

Skill: Practice identifying numbers that are “1 less” and “1 more” than a
given number.

Object: To have fewer cards left than the other player.

Materials: Deck of cards with face cards removed

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ One player shuffles the cards and deals 6 cards, one at a time, to
each player.
ƒ Each player places 2 cards side by side and faceup in front of
himself/herself on the playing surface. Each player holds the
remaining 4 cards in his/her hand. The dealer puts the rest of the
cards facedown in a stack.
ƒ Players take turns. For each turn, a player looks for any number in
his or her hand that comes immediately before or after any faceup
numbers on the playing surface. The player pouts the card on top
of the faceup number. The player puts down as many cards as
possible in this way.
ƒ The player draws as many cards as needed from the stack so that
he/she is holding 4 cards again.
ƒ If a player can’t place any cards when it is his/her turn, the player
takes 2 cards from the stack and places them faceup on top of a
card a second time. If a player still can’t place a card, his/her turn
is over.
ƒ The game is over when:
There are no more cards left in the stack
No player can place any more cards
ƒ The player holding fewer cards at the end wins.

Coin Dice
Skill: Practice making money exchanges with pennies, nickels,
and dimes.

Object: To have more money than the other player.

Materials: 2 dice
60 pennies, 12 nickels, and 6 dimes
Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players put all the coins in a bank.

ƒ Players take turns. For each turn, a player rolls both dice and takes
as many pennies from the banks as the total number on the dice.
ƒ At the end of each turn, a player makes any possible exchanges
from the bank – 5 pennies for a nickel, 5 pennies & a nickel for a
dime, 2 nickels for a dime, or 10 pennies for a dime.
ƒ To pick up the last pennies, the total number on the dice must
match the total value of the remaining coins.
ƒ The winner is the player who has more money.

Dime-Nickel-Penny Grab
Skill: Practice addition and number comparison

Object: To have the greater amount of money.

Materials: Game Masters 45

10 dimes, 8 nickels 20 pennies

Players: 2 players
Directions:

ƒ Players mix the coins together on the gameboard.

ƒ On player grabs a handful of coins; the other player takes the coins
that are left.
ƒ Players help each other count the coin collections and determine
which player has more money.
ƒ The player with more money wins the game.

Domino Top-It
Skill: Practice addition facts and comparing sums.

Object: To collect more dominoes than the other player.

Materials: Top-It Gameboard

Game Masters 48 & 49

Players: 2 players
Directions:

ƒ Players put all the dominoes facedown on the gameboard.

ƒ Each player turns over a domino and finds the total number of
dots.
ƒ The player with the larger total takes both dominoes. In the case of
a tie, each player takes another facedown domino. The player with
the larger total then takes all the faceup dominoes.
ƒ Play continues until all the dominoes have been played. The player
who has more dominoes wins.

High Roller
Skill: Practice addition facts

Object: To roll the highest number.

Materials: 2 dice

Players: 2 - 4 players

Directions:
 ƒ One player rolls the dice. The player keeps the die with the larger
number (the high roller) and throws the other die again.
ƒ The player counts on from the number rolled on the first die to get
the sum of the 2 dice.
ƒ Each player repeats Steps 1 and 2. The winner is the player with the
highest number after 2 rounds.

Time Match
Skill: Practice telling time.

Object: To collect more cards than the other players.

Materials: Game Masters 151 - 153

Players: 2 players

Directions:
 ƒ One player removes the digital clock cards from the deck and
places the remaining 36 cards facedown in a 6-by-6 array.
ƒ Players take turns turning over 2 cards at a time. If they match, the
player keeps them. If they don’t match, they are returned
facedown to their original positions.
ƒ When all of the cards have been collected, the player with more
cards wins.

Shaker Addition Top-It

Skill: Practice addition facts

Object: To collect the most counters.

Materials: Game Master 132

2 dice
20 counters

Players: 2 – 5 players

Directions:
 ƒ For each round, players take turns. Each player does the following:
~Shakes and rolls the dice
~adds the numbers shown on the dice using any method
~except a calculator
~says the sum aloud
ƒ Saying the wrong sum disqualifies a player for that round
ƒ The player with the highest sum for each round takes a penny or a
counter from the pile. If there are ties, each winning player takes a
penny or a counter.
ƒ The player with the most counters at the end of a given time or a
given number of rounds wins.

Advanced Versions:

ƒ Students can play the game using 2 ten-sided dice, marked 0-9 to
practice all basic addition facts.

Secret Numbers Game

Skill: Practice comparing numbers

Object: To compare two numbers

Materials: 2 calculators

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Each player secretly enters a number less than 100 on his/her

calculator.
 ƒ Players show each other their numbers and take turns comparing
them, using phrases such as less than, smaller than, larger than,
greater than, more than, same as, is equal to and equals.

Variation:

ƒ Players use 3 index cards, one with the greater than symbol, one
with the less than symbol, and one with the equal to symbol. After
players compare their numbers verbally, they put down their
calculators and place the correct symbol card between them.

Animal Weight Top-It

Skill: Practice adding and comparing numbers

Object: To collect more cards than the other player.

Materials: Top-It Gameboard

Games Masters 14 & 16

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players combine their decks of animal cards, shuffle them, and

place them in a stack on the gameboard, weight side down.
 ƒ Player 1 turns over the two top cards from the stack. Player 2 turns
over the next card from the top of the stack.
ƒ Player 1 finds the total weight of the animals on his/her cards and
tells whether these 2 animals together weigh more or less than
player 2’s animal. If they weigh more, player 1 takes all 3 cards. If
they weigh less, player 2 takes them.
ƒ Players trade roles. The game is over when all cards from the stack
have been played.
ƒ The player who collected more cards is the winner.

Variation:

ƒ A version of the game comparing the lengths of animals can be

played by using the cards from Game Masters 15 and 17.

Turn-Around Facts Game

Skill: Practice identifying and finding the sums for turn-around facts

Object: To collect more pennies than the other players.

Materials: Game Masters 155

20 pennies per player
2 dice

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players take turns. At each turn, a player does the following:

~Rolls the dice and finds the total number of dots on the
 2 dice.
~Writes the total in an appropriate box in the table in the
journal, then writes the sum in the box for the turn-around
facts, if there is one
ƒ If the box has already been filled in, the player takes no pennies
from the banks and loses the turn.
ƒ The game is over when all the pennies have been taken. The player
who took more pennies wins.

Beat the Calculator (Addition)

Skill: Practice addition facts

Object: To beat the calculator in finding the answer to an addition basic fact.

Materials: Game Master 29

Deck of cards with face cards removed
1 calculator

Players: 3 players

Directions:

ƒ One player is the “caller,” one is the “calculator” and one player is
the “brain”.
 ƒ One player shuffles the cards and places them with the numbers
facedown on the gameboard.
ƒ The caller draws 2 cards from the number deck and asks for the
sum of the numbers.
ƒ The calculator solves the problem using a calculator. The brain
solves it without a calculator. As soon as a player has found the
sum, he/she says it aloud. The caller decides who got the correct
answer first.
ƒ Players trade roles every 10 turns or so.

Variations:

ƒ Player limits the facts used to those with sums through 10 or to the
facts in the unshaded section of Game Master 29. The caller
selects one of the facts in the unshaded section of Game Master 29
rather than drawing 2 cards.
ƒ Groups of students are the calculators and the brains. The
calculators hold up their calculators with the answer showing as
they say the correct answer. The brains say the answer aloud as
soon as they have it.

Penny-Nickel-Dime Exchange
Skill: Practice exchanging 5 pennies for a nickel, and exchanging
values of 10 cents for a dime.

Object: To collect more dimes than the other players.

Materials: 1 die
20 pennies, 10 dimes, 10 nickels

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players put all of the dimes, nickels, and pennies in a bank.

ƒ Players take turns rolling the die and collecting the number of
pennies from the bank that matches the number rolled. Whenever
 a player acquires 5 or more pennies, he/she says “exchange” and
turns in 5 pennies for a nickel. Whenever a player has at least 2
nickels or 5 pennies and 1 nickel, he/she says, “exchange” and
trades the coins for a dime.
ƒ The game ends when there are no more dimes in the bank. The
layer with more dimes is the winner. If player have the same
number of dimes, the player with the greater amount of money is
the winner.

Variation:

ƒ Students play the game with a larger bank. For each turn, a player
rolls 2 polyhedral dice. This variation allows players to exchange
coins more rapidly.

Coin Exchange
Skill: Practice making money exchanges

Object: To have more money than the other player

Materials: 2 dice
20 pennies, 10 nickels, 10 dimes and 2 quarters

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Players place all the coins in a bank.

ƒ Players take turns. At each turn, a player rolls both dice and
collects from the bank the amount shown on the dice.
 ƒ Whenever a player can, he or she exchanges 5 pennies for a nickel
from the bank; 2 nickels, or 5 pennies and 1 nickel for a dime; and
a combination of nickels and dimes for a quarter.
ƒ The game ends when there are no more quarters in the bank. The
player who has more money wins.

Variation:

ƒ Players use a money cube with two sides each marked with 1, 5,
and 10 cents. Players roll the cube and select a coin from the bank
that matches the value rolled. The bank is limited to pennies,
nickels, and dimes. The game ends when players have used up all
of the dimes in the bank. To adjust the game to include quarters,
replace one of the 1 cent sides of the cube with 25cents. Play ends
when all the quarters in the banks have been used up.

Advanced Version:

ƒ Students play the game with a larger bank and 2 polyhedral dice.

Fact Power Game

Skill: Practice addition basic facts

Object: To have the greatest number of marked spaces.

Materials: Game Masters 51

1 die
1 counter per player

Players: 2 - 4 players

Directions:

ƒ Players place their counters on START. They take turns rolling a

die and moving their counters the correct number of spaces across
the rows, as indicated by the arrows on the game mat.
 ƒ When players land on a space, they say the sum. The other players
in the group check that the sum is correct. If it is, the player marks
the space with his/her color or initials. Players who land on a
marked space skip over that space as they mover their counters.
ƒ A round is over when a player reaches or passes the space marked
END. At that point, there will be some spaces marked and some
spaces unmarked. Players than start again at that beginning.
ƒ When time is up or when all spaces have been marked, players
count their marked spaces. The player with the greatest number of
marked spaces wins the game.

Variation:

ƒ For an easy version of the game, students use only the first 6 rows
of the game mat. The number of rows can be increased as
students increase their knowledge.

What’s My (Attribute) Rule?

Skill: Practice identifying a rule used to sort a set of attribute blocks

Object: To be the first player to identify a rule used to sort a set

of attribute blocks.

Materials: Game master 157

1 die
blank paper
attribute blocks cut out

Players: 3 or more players

Directions:

ƒ Players label one sheet of paper: These fit the rule and the other
These do NOT fit the rule
ƒ Players take turns. Each player rolls the die once and the player
with the lowest number is the first “rule maker”
ƒ The rule maker mixes the attribute rule cards and then stacks them
facedown
ƒ The rule maker turns over the top rule card but does not show it to
the other players or tell them what the rule is
ƒ The rule maker chooses 3 or 4 attribute blocks that fit the rule on
the card and puts them on the sheet labeled these fit the rule
ƒ The rule maker chooses 3 or 4 blocks that do not fit the rule and
puts them on the sheet that says these do NOT fit the rule
ƒ The other players are the “guessers” and take turns choosing a
block that he or she thinks might fit the rule
ƒ The rule maker tells each guesser yes or no. The guesser puts the
blocks on the correct sheet. The guesser suggests what the rule
might be and the rule maker tells him/her is he/she is correct
ƒ The guessers continue until someone figures out the rule. That
player is the winner and becomes the rule maker for the next
round.

Attribute Blocks
 Attribute Train Game
Skill: Practice identifying shapes that differ by just 1 attribute.

Object: To be the last player able to put a block in the train, or

to be the player with the fewest number of blocks left.

Materials: 1 set of attribute blocks

Players: 3 – 5 players

Directions:

Game 1

ƒ The blocks are placed in the center of the playing surface.

ƒ Player 1 takes a block and puts it down to start a train.
ƒ Player 2 chooses a block that is different in ONLY ONE WAY-in
shape, size, or color-from the first block. The second player adds
that block to the train.
ƒ Players take turns until no more blocks can be played.

Game 2

ƒ The blocks are shared equally among all the players in the group.
ƒ Player 1 begins the train by laying down a block on the playing
surface.
ƒ Player 2 adds a block that is different in only one way.
ƒ Players take turns.
ƒ Any player who does not have a block that is different in only one
way loses that turn.
ƒ Players continue until no more blocks can be played.
ƒ The player with the fewest number of blocks left wins.

Guess the Rule

Skill: Practice identifying the attributes of a block.

Object: To be the first player to guess the rule.

Materials: 1 attribute block per student

Players: whole class

Directions:

ƒ Each player chooses an attribute block.

ƒ One player is the “rule maker”. The rule maker picks groups of
students using a secret rule based on attributes. For example, the
rule maker could choose players with circles.
ƒ The rule maker tells players who follow the rule to stand or go to
the front of the room and holdup their attribute blocks for the
class to see.
ƒ The first player who guesses the rule becomes the new rule maker.

One Dollar Exchange

Skill: Practice counting and exchanging money

Object: To be the first player to trade coins for a $1 bill.

Materials: Game Masters 119

Game Masters 161 & 162
20 dimes, 20 pennies
2 dice

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ The bank starts with 1 dollar, 20 dimes, and 20 pennies. Both

players use the same Place-Value Mat on the Exchange Games
Gameboard.
ƒ Players take turns. For each turn, a player does the following:
~Rolls the dice and announces the total number of dots.
~Takes that number of cents from the bank and places the
coins on the mat. Whenever possible, a player exchanges
10 pennies for a dime.
ƒ The player not rolling the dice checks the accuracy of the
transactions.
ƒ The first player to make an exchange for a dollar wins the game.

Base-10 Exchange
Skill: Practice counting and exchanging with cubes and longs.
Object: To be the first player to make an exchange for a flat.

Materials: Game Masters 23

2 dice
base-10 blocks: 1 flat, 20 longs, and 20 cubes

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ The bank starts with 1 flat, 20 longs and 20 cubes.

ƒ Players take turns. A player rolls the dice, announces the total
number of dots, takes that number of cubes from the bank, and
places the cubes on the mat. Whenever possible, a player
exchanges 10 cubes for 1 long.
ƒ The player not rolling the dice checks on the accuracy of the
transactions.
ƒ The first player to make an exchange for a flat wins.

3,2,1 Game
Skill: Practice subtraction
Object: To be the first player to reach exactly 0.

Materials: 2 sheets of scratch paper

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ Each player writes 21 on a sheet of paper.

ƒ Players take turns. For each turn, a player subtracts 1,2, or 3 from
21.
ƒ Players continue to take turns subtracting 1, 2, or 3 from their
previous differences until one player reaches 0.

Variation:

ƒ Players use a calculator to subtract.

ƒ Players choose a different starting number.

Number Grid Game

Skill: Practice counting by 1’s and 10’s and identifying place-value
patterns
Object: To be the first player to get to at least 110 on a number grid.

Materials: Game Master 174

1 die
1 counter per player

Players: 2 or more players

Directions:

ƒ Players put their counters at 0 on the number grid.

ƒ Players take turns. For each turn, a player does the following:
o Rolls the die.
o Uses the table to see how many spaces to move the marker.
ƒ The winner is the first player to get at least 110 on the number
grid.

$1, $10, $100 Exchange Game

Skill: Practice counting and exchanging money

Object: To be the first player to trade for a $100 bill.

Materials: Game Masters 120

 48 - $1 bills
20 - $10 bills
4 - $100 bills
2 dice

Players: 2 players

Directions:

ƒ The bank starts with one $100 bill, twenty $10 bills, and twenty $1
bills. Both players use the same place-value mat.
ƒ Players take turns. For each turn, a player does the following:
o Rolls the dice and finds the sum of the dots.
o Takes that number of dollars from the banks and places the
dollars on the mat. Whenever possible, a player exchanges
ten $1 bills for one $10 bills.
ƒ The player not rolling the dice checks the accuracy of the
transactions.
ƒ The first player to make an exchange for a $100 bill wins the
game.

Tic-Tac-Toe Addition
Skill: Practice adding 3 numbers

Object: To find the sum of 3 numbers.

Materials: Game Masters 150

Players: 2 players
Directions:

ƒ Players use the 4 number grids at the top of the record sheet.
ƒ They draw a straight line through 3 numbers on a grid if they get
equal the sum in the square. There is more than one combination
for each sum.

Variation:

ƒ At Grade 1, players use the grids in Exercises 5-8 on Game Master

150. Players first draw straight lines through any combinations of
numbers whose sum is equal to the number in the square. They
also fill in missing numbers on the grids so that they create new
combinations whose sum is equal to the number in the square.
ƒ Players make up their own puzzles using the blank grid on the
record sheet.