NUMBER
FACTS
GAMES
Games to help children learn number facts
We have collected together some simple games and ideas that help children learn and apply
their knowledge of number facts in many different ways.
Often the basic game can be altered in all sorts of ways to make the learning more
challenging, so feel free to experiment with different numbers, cards or dice!
Most importantly, HAVE FUN!
What are Number Facts?
Number facts are the ones you know without really thinking about them, e.g. 2 + 2 = 4, 10 x 10 =
100.
Once we’ve learned them and used them, we never really forget them. They come in useful all of the
time and we combine them so that we know other facts, e.g. 20 + 20 = 40.
In YR and Y1 children learn the number facts for numbers up to 10. They learn them in a way that
helps them learn the addition and the subtraction e.g. 3 + 6 = 9 so I also know 9 – 3 = 6.
In Y2 we extend this to all numbers up to 20 and knowing times tables facts for 10x, 2x and 5x. By
the end of Y4 children should know all of the times tables up to 10 x 10. In Y4 they also begin to
work out the division facts e.g. 3 x 7 = 21 so 21 ÷ 3 = 7
Dotty 6
A game to play with a friend, a 3 x 3 grid and a six-sided die.
Take turns to throw the die, then draw that many dots in one of
the boxes on the grid. You can’t split them up and a box can’t
have more than six dots in.
The person who completes a line of three sixes wins!
Variations
You may split your score across a range of squares.
Play dotty 8 or 10 or any number you want to practice.
Play with a 1-4 die or 0-9 die.
The Grid Game
A game to play with a friend, a 3 x 1 grid and a six-sided die.
Agree whether highest or lowest wins.
Take it in turns to roll a die and place the result in one box in the grid.
After four rounds the winner is the person with the highest or lowest number!
Variations
Change the number of places on the grid, 2-digit numbers? 5-digit numbers?
Add a decimal point!
Roll three 0-6 die, total and halve answer to give you each digit (rounding up any halves!)
Change the die e.g. 0-9 die
Have two (or more) grids running at the same time and find the total of the two numbers.
Find the difference between the two numbers – winner could have greatest/smallest difference
Shut the Box
A game to play with a friend, number cards 1 – 12 and two dice.
Player 1 rolls the dice. If a double is rolled their turn ends.
They can turn over the cards with the same values as the dice or the card with the total of the two
dice e.g. roll 3 and 5 turn over 3 and 5 or 8. They roll again until they can’t go anymore. Their score
is the total of the cards left.
Player 2 then rolls the dice.
The winner is the player with the lowest score.
Variations
Turn over a combination of cards that has the same total as the dice e.g. roll 5 and 4, turn over 1, 2,
7.
Turn over a combination of numbers that adds up to the product of the two dice e.g. 4 x 5 = 20,
turn over 8, 12.
Ring a ring of Numbers
A game to play on your own, with number cards 1 – 9
Choose four of the number cards. Put one in each square so that the
difference between the joined squares is odd.
Variations
Make the differences even.
Change the ring so that there are 3 squares or 5 squares…
Join the squares across the middle.
Got It
http://nrich.maths.org/1272
A game to play with a friend, paper and pencil OR against a computer!
Start with a GOT IT target e.g. 23.
The first player chooses a number from 1 to 4.
Players take turns to add a number from 1 to 4 to the running total.
The player who hits the target of 23 wins the game.
To change the game, choose a new GOT IT! target or a new range of
numbers to add on.
.
Nim
A game to play with a friend, with ten counters.
Place the 10 counters in a pile or a row and decide who will go first. (In the next game, the other
player will have the first turn.)
Each player takes turns to take away either one or two counters.
The player who takes the last counter wins.
Variations
The loser is the player who takes the last counter.
Tug of War
http://nrich.maths.org/5897
A game to play with a friend with paper, pencil, a counter and
two dice OR against a computer!
Draw and mark off a number line from 1 to 27.
Decide who is Plus (+) and who is Minus (-)
Plus moves from left to right and Minus moves from right to
left. Place the counter on 14 to start.
Take it in turns to throw the two dice and add the scores. Move
that number of places in your direction.
If the counter reaches 1, Minus has won. If the counter reaches 27, Plus has won.
Magic V
A game to play on your own, with paper and pencil.
Put the numbers 1-5, one in each circle on the V shape so
that both 'arms' have the same total.
Variations
Use five different consecutive numbers e.g. 3-7
Add another circle and make it a Magic Triangle – use 6 consecutive numbers so that each side of the
triangle have the same total.
Oddly
A game to play with a friend, with an odd number of counters
Arrange the counters into as many rows as you like.
Take turns to remove 1 or 2 counters from a row.
The winner is the player who ends up with an odd number
of counters.
Variations
Start with more rows. Change the number of counters you
can remove.
Number Pairs
A game to play on your own or with a friend using number cards 0 – 10
Decide how many rounds will be played e.g. 3
Player 1 chooses a number between 1 and 10 e.g. 7. Then they find all the pairs of cards that make
that total i.e. 0 and 7, 1 and 6, 2 and 5, 3 and 4. Player 1 scores a point for every pair they make.
Replace the number cards.
Player 2 now chooses a different number between 1 and 10 and finds all the pairs for that number.
The winner is the one with most points after the number of rounds you chose to play.
Fifteen
A game to play with a friend, with paper & pencil or number cards 1 – 9.
Take it in turns to choose three numbers between 1 and 9 that add up to
15. Each number can only be used once. The winner is the last one able
to go.
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
5