Homemade Math Board Games for Primary Students
Creating a board game to complement a math lesson plan will keep the class from being monotonous and help the students to be enthusiastic for the new math concept. Develop a math game for each math concept the students undertake to give them something to look forward to amidst the more traditional lessons.
-
Decimals
-
Create a game board with a winding path broken into squares with a starting line and a finish line. In each square write a decimal that is less than one, such as ".05," ".7," and ".96." Add in some negative decimals as well, such as "-.3." Provide each player with a game piece, which could be different colored erasers, a note pad and a pencil. Instruct the students to roll a die and move their piece however many spaces the die indicated. Direct the students to write down the decimal they land on, adding the numbers together, and subtracting negative decimals. Whoever has the highest decimal number at the end wins the game.
Fractions
-
Trace a paper plate onto six pieces of purple construction paper. Cut each circle into even fraction pieces, from 1/2 to 1/8. There should be two half pieces, three 1/3 sized pieces, four 1/4 sized pieces, five 1/5 sized pieces, six 1/6 sized pieces, and eight 1/8 sized pieces. Repeat the process with four other colors of construction paper, so there are four complete sets of fraction pieces. Create a game board that has a path from the starting line to the finish. Label the steps in the path with a 1/2, 1/4, 1/3, 1/5, 1/6 and 1/8. Provide the students with a die and a game piece, as well as a set of fraction pieces. When the student rolls and moves their game piece, they may pick up the fraction piece written on their space. The first student to assemble an entire paper plate wins.
-
Division
-
Create a game board with spaces that alternate between four colors: red, blue, yellow and green. Create a stack of question cards associated with each color. On the question cards, write a mixture of division equations to coordinate with the red cards; trivia questions for the blue; people, places or things for the yellow; and actions for the green. Each student takes a turn rolling the die and moving their game piece the indicated amount of spaces. Whatever color they land on is the task they will have to complete, and they choose another player to challenge. The two players go to the front of the room and either complete a division equation on the board, answer a trivia question, draw the person, place or thing on the board to have the other players guess, or act out the action for the group to guess. The winner of the challenge gets another turn.
Money
-
Start each player off with $100 of play money and a dollar in play change. Create a game board and a stack of question cards listing a variety of items the student can purchase. Before each turn, the teacher reads a card and the student must decide what to buy, aiming to choose the least expensive option. For example, a card could list a gallon of milk, a bottle of shampoo or a pair of socks. The aim of the game is to try and choose the least expensive item. No matter what item is chosen, the student must pay the cost, which the teacher reveals after the selection is made. If the students correctly chose the least expensive option they may go again, if not they lose their turn.
-
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
