Combo Dominoes
The setup
Use a set of dominoes that either go from 1 to 6 or 1 to 9. Each player starts with 5 random dominoes without letting the other player see them.
How to play
To start, a random domino is placed face up in the middle. After that, a player must match the top domino in the middle. Matching means that the two numbers on the top domino can be combined with any operation – add, subtract, or even multiply if you want – to make the same result as some, possibly different, operation acting on the two numbers of one of your dominoes.
For example, if [1, 5] is on top, then it matches [2, 4] because 1 + 5 = 2 + 4, and it also matches [2, 2] because 5 – 1 = 2 x 2. The matching domino is placed on top of the previous top. If you can’t make a match, you must pick up a new domino from the pile.
How to win
The first player to get rid of all their dominoes wins.
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!