Smallest Single Number
The setup.
Gather a group of people together in a circle. Have them each think of a whole number that they will use for this round of the game. One person is the announcer.
How to play.
The announcer starts slowly counting up starting at 1. With each number, any person who was thinking of that number raises their hand. If only one hand is raised, that person is the winner and the round is over. If more than one hand is raised, those people are out of the game for this round and the announcer continues counting up.
Make this an active game by having all the players sitting down or crouched down. When their number is called, the person jumps up.
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!