Go Fish With Sums
The setup
Using a target sum that your child is comfortable with, remove cards at or above that target from the Number Card deck. If there are more than two players and you have restricted the numbers significantly, you may need to use several decks.
How to play
Play starts by dealing 5 cards to each player. Put the remaining cards in a common draw pile. Players take turns “fishing” for cards whose number will sum to the target sum with cards they already have.
For example, a player might ask a player, “Do you have any 4’s?” If that player has some 4’s, they are handed over and the original player gets another turn. However, if that player does not have any 4’s, then the player says “Go Fish!” and a card is drawn from the draw pile. If the drawn card matches with a card they have, the player may have another turn; otherwise, the turn is over and play continues to the left. When a player has a pair of cards that sum to the total, the player puts that pair on the table in front of them.
How to win
The game is over when all cards are in pairs. The player with the most pairs wins.
Variations
To create some variety, allow players to use more than two cards to create a group of cards that sum to the target sum. Another possibility is to say that two cards match when their difference is a specified target difference.
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!