Terminator 2
The setup
Use three dice and a board with three rows of five squares numbered from 1 to 15.
How to play
A player rolls the dice and uses addition and subtraction to combine the three numbers to match one of the numbers on the board. The matched number is crossed out and claimed. If a player can’t find a match, the other player gets a chance to use the numbers and claim the result – in any event, the other player gets the next turn.
How to win
The winner is the one with the most claimed numbers after a fixed number of turns.
Variations
A smaller version would use two dice with the numbers from 1 to 10, and a larger version would use 4 dice and the numbers from 1 to 20.
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!