Shut The Box
The setup
Each player writes the numbers from 1 to 9 in a row on a piece of paper.
How to play
To start a turn, a player finds the sum of the roll of two dice. Using only numbers that have yet to be crossed out, the player crosses out a group of one or more numbers that add up to that sum. If this can’t be done, nothing changes. A player may decide in advance to use just one die.
How to win
The first player to get all numbers crossed out wins.
Variations
One way to vary this game is to use a larger range of numbers, such as going to 10 or even 12. Another way is to give each player a single turn – the turn continues with new rolls until the first time the player is stuck. At the end, the player’s score is the sum of the numbers not crossed out. The player with the lowest score 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!