Closest to 10
Math Concepts
Addition / subtraction- single digit
Materials
Playing card deck
Players
2
Set up
Use a deck of cards from 1 to 10. Choose a target sum, say 10.
Play
Each round starts by dealing five cards face down on the table. One player randomly chooses three of those cards and turns them over. Two cards are chosen from those three to add up as close to the target as possible. The unused three cards are given, face up, to the other player to choose two cards to get close to the target. The player whose result is closer to the target, either above or below, wins a point.
Goal
The player with the highest score after a preset number of rounds wins.
Discussion and Traits
Having a number line handy can help with resolving any disagreements over which player is closer to the target.
Variations
You can use subtraction instead of addition. If you do, use a lower target number, say 4.
Use different target numbers. For younger students, use a smaller range of cards and use a smaller target sum.