Go Fish
The setup
Remove cards above the highest number your child is comfortable with. For more than two players, if you have restricted the number range you may need several decks.
How to play
Deal 5 cards to each player and put the other cards face down in a shared draw pile.
During a turn, a player “fishes” by asking any player if they have a card matching one of their cards. For example: ‘Jonah, please give me a 4’. If they have it, they hand over the card. If they don’t, they say “Go Fish!” and the player must pick a card from the draw pile.
Making a book
When a player has a pair of matching cards, those cards are placed in a “book” in front of them.
How to win
The game is over after all the cards have been put into books. The player with the most books 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!