Activities for Families

Here are ideas for how cards can match:

• Use a target sum. Two cards match if their sum is the target.
• Use a target difference. Two cards match if their difference is the target.
• Use cards with addition or subtraction problems together with cards that have the answers – cards match if the problem matches the answer.
• Use expanded form. Select 20 numbers from 0 to 99. Write those numbers on pieces of paper. Also, write each one in expanded form on a piece of paper. For example, create 50 + 3 for 53, 30 + 0 for 30, and 0 + 7 for 7. Shuffle those two decks of 20 cards together. Two cards match when a regular number is paired with its expanded form.

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!