Games for developing fluency in
primary mathematics
Having fun and mastering what’s important
Presented by Carole Fullerton
http://mindfull.wordpress.com
A selection drawn from BEAM – maths of the month
http://www.beam.co.uk/mathsofthemonth.php
Maths of the Month
Prizes for 2 players
When it’s your turn
Roll the dice and say the number.
Take that many of your counters and put
them on the circles on the board, wherever
you like.
you need:
• plenty of counters in
two colours
• 12 prizes (buttons, beads,
animals...)
• 1–6 dice
The end of the game
Go on until you have covered all
the circles.
Now play another game.
When all the circles in a box are covered in
counters in your own colour, take a prize.
5–7
© BEAM Education www.beam.co.uk
you need:
• 1 astronaut counter
• 1-6 dice
Maths of the Month
Sun or moon
a game for 2 players
How to play
Put the astronaut in the rocket.
Choose who is the sun and who is the
moon.
Take turns to roll the dice and say the
number.
Moon player, when it is your turn, move
the astronaut that many stars towards
the moon.
The player to get the astronaut to their
base wins.
Sun player, when it is your turn, move
the astronaut that many stars towards
the sun.
A 3–5
© BEAM Education www.beam.co.uk
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Maths of the Month
ZPVOFFE
…UXP°EJDF
…DPVOUFSTJOUXPDPMPVST
"EEBOEDPVOUGPSQMBZFST
8IFOJUµTZPVSUVSO
3PMMCPUIEJDFBOETBZUIFOVNCFST
$IPPTF0/&PGUIFOVNCFSTPSBEE
UIFNUPHFUIFSBOETBZUIFBOTXFS
5IFSFTUPGUIFHBNF
5IFXJOOFSJTUIF¾STUQMBZFS
UPHFUUISFFPGUIFJSDPVOUFST
JOBTUSBJHIUMJOF
'JOEBTRVBSFXJUIUIBUNBOZTQPUT
1VUBDPVOUFSUIFSF
5IFMJOFDBOHPTJEFXBZTPS
VQBOEEPXOPSEJBHPOBMMZ
5–7 May 2009
© BEAM Education www.beam.co.uk
you need:
Maths of the Month
Make 10
• counters
• 20 cubes or beans
for 2 players
Round 1
Take turns to put a counter
on one of the squares.
If you finish a line
of three counters where
the numbers total 10,
you win a cube.
Sample game
Lily put a counter
on 3 and finished
a line.
2 + 5 + 3 = 10
Take those three counters off.
Whoever won the cube
starts the next round.
She took the
counters off
2, 5 and 3 and
won a cube.
1
1
5
4
1
7
2
2
5
3
2
5
3
2
6
7
3
5
2
2
1
2
2
6
2
The end of the game
The winner is the first
person to collect 10 cubes.
7–9 May 2005
1
1
5
4
1
7
2
2
5
3
2
5
3
2
6
7
3
5
2
2
1
2
2
6
2
© BEAM Education www.beam.co.uk
Fabulous 5 Worm!
Terrific 10 snake!
Carole Fullerton 2010
February 25, 2011
37
51 78
25
22
10 75
57
43
14
90
63
52
48
86
49
40
68
15
32 85
60
Maths of the Month
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3PMMUIFEJDFBOETBZUIFOVNCFS
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BHBJO
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EPXOPSEJBHPOBMMZ
1VUBDPVOUFSPOUIFHSJEPOBOZTRVBSF
TIPXJOHUIBUBOTXFS
*GUIFOVNCFSZPVOFFEJTHPOFQVUB
DPVOUFSPOBTUBSJOTUFBE
10
11
14
15
18
19
12
13
16
7-9 March 2007
5IFSFTUPGUIFHBNF
5IF¾STUQMBZFSUPDPMMFDU¾WFQSJ[FT
XJOTUIFHBNF
12
13
16
17
10
17
11
14
15
18
19
© BEAM Education www.beam.co.uk
Maths of the Month
Three in a line for 2 players
1+1
3+3
you need:
• bean
• 16 counters (8 in each
of two colours)
3+3
6+6
2+2
5+5
4+4
2+2
4
2
8
10
6
4
2
6
8
12
4
6
6
4
10 12
First of all
Each player takes 8 counters in one colour.
Work out the answer where the
bean lands.
Put the bean on 6 + 6.
Put a counter on that answer on the grid.
When it’s your turn
Move the bean one or two steps round
the circle – you choose.
The end of the game
When both players have got three
counters in a line the game is over.
5–7
© BEAM Education www.beam.co.uk
you need, for each player:
Maths of the Month
Doubles and halves
• 1–20 dice or spinner
• 10 counters each, in your
own colour
for 2 players
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
When it’s your turn
Roll the dice and say the number.
Put a counter on:
• the number the dice shows, or
• double that number, or
• half of that number (if the answer is a
whole number).
Sample game
Paolo’s rolled a 7. He could cover 7 or 14,
but not 3₁" . He put it on 14, completed a
line of four, and won the game.
The end of the game
Go on until all the counters are used up.
Whoever makes the longest straight line
wins the game.
Rules
• Only one counter on a square
• If all the available spaces are full, roll the
dice again until you can find a space
• A line can go sideways, or up and down,
or diagonally
20 PART SPINNER
14
15
12 11 10
13
9
8
16
7
17
6
5
18
19
20
1
2
3
4
you need:
• counters in two
colours
• two 1–6 dice
Maths of the Month
Mice for 2 players
1
2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10 11
12
15 16
18 20
24 25 30 36
How to play
When it’s your turn
Roll both dice and say the numbers. You can choose
to:
• add those numbers
• or multiply them
• or find the difference between them.
Decide which to do, say the answer, and put a counter
on that number.
The end of the game
When somebody gets three of their counters in a line,
they win.
Rules
• If you can’t put your counter anywhere, roll the dice
again
• If you get a double, you may put your counter on
any of the mouse pictures
A 7–9
Sample game
Samira rolled 4 and 6.
She could add those numbers 4 + 6 = 10
or multiply them
4 ! 6 = 24
or find their difference
6–4=2
She chose to multiply them and put her
counter on 24.
1
2 3 4
5 6 7 8
9 10
12
15
18
36
25
That meant she won the game.
© BEAM Education www.beam.co.uk
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99 100
BLM 6—Hundreds chart
Ooooo! That’d be fun!
Tasks to try with my students…
Carole Fullerton 2010
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