Kids will have a blast practicing adding to 100 with this simple and fun card game!
Are you constantly looking for ways to make math practice fun and engaging? Or are you tired of the same routine with the same worksheets or flashcards?
Well, rest assured, math practice does not have to look like that! It can be fun and can even include the whole family. One of the easiest ways to do this is to play a math card game. Card games are beneficial because they are low cost (you can grab a deck of cards at the dollar store) and low prep.
Today, I'm sharing a super simple game for kids in first grade and second grade to practice addition to 100.
Card Games for Kids
This quick and easy game is from the book, Math in the Cards: 100+ Games to Make Math Practice Fun.
And as with most math card games, set up is easy: all you need is a deck of cards!
For this game, you can either remove the face cards and play with the numbers 1-10, or you can include face cards to represent the following values:
Jack-11, Queen-12, King-13, Ace-0.
Then shuffle the deck well and place it face down in the middle of the playing area.
How to Play "Quick Stop"
The object of the game is to be the first player to reach 100 without going over.
To begin, each player starts with a score of zero.
Then player one draws a card and places it face up in front of them. They then add the value of that card to their starting value (0).
Players then take turns drawing cards, on each turn adding the new value to their previous score.
Any player whose score goes over 100 is out of the game.
The first player to reach 100 exactly wins. Or, after all cards are drawn, the player with a score closest to 100 without going over wins.
(Note: If you're playing with a small number of kids, you may want to cut the deck in half before starting, or determine a set number of turns for each player, such as 15. Otherwise you may have every player go over 100 before depleting the deck.)
Variations to the Game
Depending on the age and ability of your kids, there are lots of different variations to this game that you can try. This might be a fun way to change up a family favorite, or a way to provide a greater challenge to older kids.
For example, you could add a Joker card to the deck to mean that a player must start over at zero.
Or you could practice subtraction by having each player start with a score of 100 and subtract the value of each card to be the first player to zero.
Or for older kids who need practice with multiplication, change the rules so that the goal is to reach 1,000 without going over. Then have kids draw 2 cards and multiply them, adding up the total as they go. (In this variation, all face cards are equal to 10).
Finally, challenge middle schoolers by making black cards equal to positive values and red cards equal to negative values. Then add/subtract integers on each turn.
I hope you found this to be a super easy way to practice important math concepts with your kids!
If you loved it and want even more math card games for your teaching arsenal, be sure to check out the new book, Math in the Cards, available now on Amazon!
Bethany is the mom behind the blog, Math Geek Mama, a website dedicated to making math fun and engaging, while building a strong conceptual understanding of mathematics. When she's not playing with numbers, she is exploring with her four little ones, drinking way too much coffee, or soaking up the chaos of everyday life. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
