Grabbing Factors
The setup
Use a board with a 4 by 6 grid of numbers from 1 to 24.
How to play
On a turn, a player chooses a number that is uncovered and has at least one factor uncovered – the player gets the selected number and the other player gets any or all of the uncovered factors (their choice as to how many). Play alternates until there are no legal numbers left.
How to win
The players add up their numbers and the higher sum wins.
Tax Collector solitaire
This can also be played as a solitaire puzzle, called Tax Collector. The one player selects each number and the tax collector gets all the available factors. Play continues until the player no longer has a legal move. At that point, the tax collector receives the remaining numbers. The goal is to have as large a sum as possible – bigger than the tax collector when that’s possible.
Variations
Set the range of numbers for the players – it could be 1 to 12, or as high as 1 to 60.
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!