Would you like 50 Free Math Games? – Join our Free Games 4 Learning Club
Did you know that with a simple deck of cards you have many, many different math games that you can use with students of varying abilities and ages?
Here are 5 of my favorite card games that will get kids thinking math and having fun while they do! The best part is that all you need to play is a deck of cards. Just remove the picture cards from the deck and use the aces as ones.
Pick Three
a game for 2 – 4 players
Spread the cards out in rows face down.
The players then take turn to turn over 3 cards. If the player can create an accurate number sentence with the numbers on the three cards, the player can keep the cards, e.g. with 2, 3 and 6 a player could make, ‘2 x 3 = 6’.
Players can make a +, -, x or ÷ number sentence. If a number sentence can’t be made the cards are turned face down again.
Play continues until no cards remain or only a few cards remain and a number sentence can’t be made with those cards. The winner is the player with the most cards.
Closest To …
a game for 2 – 4 players
Select the number of digits to be in the numbers for this game, e.g. 2 digit numbers, 3 digit numbers, 4 or 5 digit numbers. Each player is deal that number of cards.
The aim of the game is to make a number as close as possible to 50 if making 2 digit numbers (or to 500 for 3 digit numbers, 5000 for 4 digit numbers or 50,000 for 5 digit numbers.)
The players arrange their cards to make a number as close as possible to 50 (or 500, 5000, or 50,000).
The player with the closest number wins the round and scores one point. The winner is the player who scores the most points.
Ten or Twenty
a game for 2-4 players
Each player is dealt 4 cards to hold in their hand. The remaining cards are placed face down in a pile in the center. The top card is turned over and placed beside the pile.
To play the game the players take it in turn to pick up the top card off the pile or the top card off the discard pile. If the player can make a set of 3 cards that total 10 or 20 in value, the set is put down face up in front of the player. The player finishes the turn by discarding a card face up on the discard pile. If the player has made a set of 3 on their turn they also pick up three more cards from the pile to restore their hand to 5 cards. The winner is the person who has made the most sets when all of the pile is gone.
Make a Prime
a game for 2-4 players
Spread the cards out in rows face down. Players take turns to turn over two cards and find the total. If the total is a prime number they can keep the cards. If it isn’t a prime number, the cards are turned face down again.
Play continues until no cards remain or only a few cards remain and players are unable to make a prime number with the cards that are left.
Addition or Multiplication Odds
a game for 2 players
Addition Version – Shuffle the cards and place them face down in a pile in the center.
Players take turns to draw two cards from the center pile. The player adds the two numbers together. If the total is an odd number the player keeps the cards. If the total is an even number, the cards are placed face down in a discard pile.
When no cards remain in the original pile the discard pile is shuffled and placed in the center to become a new playing pile.
When this pile is used the game ends and the winner is the player who has collected the most cards.
Multiplication Version – This game is played in the same way but the numbers on the cards are multiplied together instead of being added together.
I hope you find these math card games!
Want more math games? Be sure to check out more math games posts at www.games4learning.com/category/math/
Tina parent says
I love your ideas!!! I am new to third grade and these would be great center activities!!!!
Kristin says
Thanks for sharing these fun math games! I am teaching summer school with students going into 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. I needed some new ideas. I can’t wait to play these games with my students.