3 In A Row
The setup
Use a deck of cards with Q’s (as 0’s), A’s (as 1’s), and 2-9, or use four sets of Number Cards from 0 to 9. Use a 4 by 5 grid on a paper with 20 spaces randomly filled out with multiples of 5 and 10. Have a set of tokens for each player.
How to play
Select a random card and put your token on that number times 5 or 10 – your choice. Once occupied, the other player cannot move there.
How to win
The first player to get 3 in a row wins.
Variations
The numbers 5 and 10 can be replaced by other pairs such as 2 and 4, or 3 and 6. These pairings help with practicing doubling strategies for multiplication. For example, if the player does not know 6 × 7, they can double 3 × 7.
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!