Mega-Fun Math Games and Puzzles for the Elementary Grades: Over 125 Activities that Teach Math Facts, Concepts, and Thinking Skills

Introduction 01

Mathematics Games and Puzzles: Why Use Them? 01

Mathematics Content and Process Standards 07

Practical Considerations 11

Part One: Math Skill Development Games 23

1. Paper-and-Pencil Games 25

Count 25

Capture the Fort 26

Foreheaded 27

Googol 29

Number-Tac-Toe 30

Ask and Give 33

Hangmath 34

Factors 35

Get One 38

Write It 38

Coordinate Tic-Tac-Toe 39

2. Egg Carton Games 42

Egg-O 42

Egg Race 44

More or Less 46

Egg Bump 48

Egg-a-Round 49

Place-an-Egg Value 50

Bing-Egg-O 51

Three Hundred 53

Egg Throw 56

Divide and Move 58

Egg-Cala 59

3. Cube Games 62

Nines 62

Roll It 63

Cardinal-Ordinal 64

Product Shot 67

Rectangles 69

Off the Board 72

Number Grid 74

Try It 75

Numbers 77

What’s Up? 78

Roll ’n Add 80

Roll Away 83

4. Tongue Depressor Games 86

Risk It 86

Pick 88

Right On 89

Flip 90

Slide 92

Togol 93

Guess It 94

Get Seven 95

Equato 96

Ladders 98

5. Card Games 100

Operations War 100

Bongo 101

Little Shot 103

Place-a-Bet 106

Running Sum 108

Slap It 109

Call It 110

What’s Next? 111

Two Numbers 113

Mathino 115

Mathominoes 116

Pass It 119

Measure 120

Bluff 123

Geo 20 Questions 124

6. Board Games 130

The Great Trading Game 130

0 to 99 Guess 133

In the Basket 135

Race to the Nineties 137

Checker Math 140

Down the Tubes 142

Hit 144

Drop the Die on the Donkey 46

Divi 148

Race 151

Coordinate Submarine 153

Off the Grid 154

7. Physical Education Games 156

Jump the Answer 156

Math Ball 158

Simon Says Math 159

Number Calisthenics 160

Fingers 161

Hands In 162

Twist-’em 163

Math Rover 164

Operation Hopscotch 165

Bean Bag Toss 167

Math Jacks 168

Math Marbles 169

Bounce 171

Number Race 172

Part Two: Problem-Solving Mathematics Puzzles 175

8. Number Puzzles 177

Magic Circles and Squares 177

Hundreds Chart Problems and Puzzles 178

Magic Circles 180

Magic Squares 182

Hundreds Chart Explorations 184

Discoveries 187

9. Algebra and Logic Puzzles 191

Mystery Monsters 191

Penny-in-Pocket Puzzles 192

Mathematical Magic Tricks 193

Mystery Monsters 197

Pockets Full of Pennies 200

More Pockets, More Pennies 202

Magical Math! 204

More Magical Math! 208

10. Geometry Puzzles 212

Visual Estimation 212

Line Designs and Shape Designs 213

Triangle Trouble and the Magic Tile 214

Visual Estimation 217

Line Designs: From Straight to Curved 221

Shape Designs: From Straight to Curved 225

Triangle Trouble! 231

The Magic Tile 234

11. Transformational Geometry 238

Crayon Digits and Crayon Constructions 239

Coin Challenges 240

Mirror Puzzlers 240

Crayon Digits 242

Crayon Constructions 245

Coin Challenges 248

Mirror Puzzlers 251

12. Modular Arithmetic Games 254

Mathematical Structure and Strategy 255

Instructional Considerations 258

Modular Arithmetic Games for Two Players 260

Count Up 260

Dicey Count Up 260

Fill Up 261

Pick Up 261

Run the Track 262

Calculator Countdown 262

Odds 263

13. Network Puzzles 264

History of Network Theory 264

The Isomorphism 266

Instructional Considerations 269

I’ll Cross That Bridge When I Get to It 271

More Bridge Crossing Puzzles 274

Bug Problems 276

Tracing Puzzles 280

Geometric Travels 282

Line Crossing Puzzles 284

14. Topology Puzzles 286

Puzzle Structure 286

Solutions and Issues Relate to Solving Problems 288

Puzzle Construction 292

People Puzzles 294

Scissors Puzzles 297

Household Puzzles 299

Selected Solutions 303

References 309