Halves and Half Nots
The setup
Two players agree on a target number, say 20, set their running total to 0, and choose who will go first.
How to play
A turn starts by generating a number using one die or the sum of two dice. If the number is odd, the player must double it. If the number is even, the player may take half of it as many times as is desired as long as the numbers being halved are even. The player then adds that final result to the running total as long as that does not put the total over the target – if the final result cannot be used, the turn is skipped.
How to win
The player who brings the total exactly to the target number wins.
Variations
You can allow the player not to change the initial number. You can allow halving at most once. Finally, you can practice subtracting by starting at the target number and subtracting your way down to 0.
Helping your child
First and foremost, playing math games should be fun, like any other game your family plays together!
Please let your child make poor plays (mistakes) without correction, and resist the urge to tell them the best ways to play. Bit by bit, your child will get better at the game, and they will learn so much more if you let them figure things out. There is no hurry.
If you see your child make a mistake, ask them to describe why they decided to do what they did. If your child is stuck and doesn’t know which play to make, ask them to describe the pros and cons of their choices, or ask them about how they solved a similar situation in the past. If your child doesn’t remember how to do a calculation, discuss with them the methods they know for figuring it out. These conversations are important for helping your child to develop mathematically.
Through math game play and math conversations, you are helping your child learn to enjoy math and develop important problem solving skills!