Back and Forth – 20
Math Concepts
Counting, Add/Subtract numbers from 1-10
Materials
Paper, 2 colors of markers, Deck of playing cards
Players
2
Set up
Each player starts with an empty board from 0 to 20. Remove the face cards from the deck and treat aces as 1’s.
Start by placing red markers (the targets on any three numbers, and a black marker (the player) at 0.
Play
On a turn, draw a card and move your black marker either forward or backward that many spaces. If you land on a red marker, remove it from the board and keep it.
Goal
First player to remove all three red markers wins.
Example move
Here is a first move using a draw of 8. If the player draws a 5 after that, they could move from the 8 to 3 or 13.
Discussion and Tips
After playing a few rounds, discuss ideas on where the red markers should be placed.
Variations
Free Move: If a player lands on 20 exactly, they get to roll again.
Number Line: Use a number line with tick marks if you want something simpler to draw.
