Math to Make Them Think!

UPDATE: Games 4 Learning has a new home and we have some great giveaways for you! 

Visit us at Games4Learning.com

If you love using games for learning then you will love our FREE Games 4 Learning Club! 

We have 50 Free Math Games to get you started and you will receive regular freebies too! 


Join us now for FREE at  - Games 4 Learning Club

____________________________________
I love the thinking involved in this simple math challenge.
I call it 'Can You Make It?'

Here is what the game might look like. And yes those were the digits (4-9) that the children chose randomly.


You can use this with a variety of grades and ability levels.

Here are the instructions for this simple but challenging activity.

Can You Make It?

Need: small number cards with 0-9 (2 sets), large number cards with random 2 or 3 digit numbers (about 12 cards)

Activity: Without looking at the numbers have a child select and display 6 small cards and 1 large card.


Now challenge students to use the digits on the small cards to create an equation that equals the number on the large card. They can use some of the digits or all of the digits in their equation but can only use each digit once. 
 
You can score their equations by giving -
1 point for each addition used in an equation
2 points for each subtraction used in an equation
3 points for each multiplication used in an equation and
4 points for each division used in an equation.
 
Doing this encourages them to create more complex equations.
 
Here is a 3 digit game that we played.

 
I hope you and the children enjoy the game. 

New Math Magazine for You!

My new Let's Make Math Magazine is now ready for you to download.
You can download it from my news page at my MakingMathMoreFun site!

www.makingmathmorefun.com/magazine/Volume18SO2012.pdf
          

     


It's a dots and dice edition! Not sure why but it just seemed to end up with lots of dots and dice in it!

You'll find
Great Math Ideas from Alison Hislop (her blog is at http://MathsWithMeaning.blogspot.com)
Roll and Write Place Value Activities
Dots Games for Fact Practice
Halloween Math Puzzles
Pumpkin Track Board Game
and more!

It is loaded with games and ideas for making math fun and printable math games and math puzzles.

Halloween math features in this edition but if you don't celebrate Halloween or use Halloween resources in your classroom, you'll find some of these still suitable as they are adaptable or contain no direct Halloween reference - just cute bats or pumpkins!

Hope you enjoy the magazine and find it useful!