Primary Math Games for 4th Grade

How is your math class? Do the students seem to have the blahs? Can you see their eyes glass over when you announce that they will be working with long division, fractions or double-digit multiplication? Math games are a great way to break up a math period, end a lesson, or even use as a homeroom activity. Students can practice their addition, subtraction or multiplication facts and have fun at the same time with math games.

Math Bingo

Math bingo remains a highly popular game with young students despite its simplicity. The benefit of this game for teachers is that the materials necessary to play are simple: a bingo square (which can be as basic as a sheet of paper with a photocopied bingo square) and markers made out of plastic, wood, or even paper. The teacher gives the students a problem to solve, and students place their marker on the correct answer on their bingo sheet until they get bingo.

Jeopardy

Some games are good for individual players, and some games are good for teams. Jeopardy works well both ways. Jeopardy works best when the teacher has the use of a computer linked to a projector to give the game that television feel. Individual students or teams pick a square (which has a dollar amount written on it) on the board and answer the question. If the students get the correct answers, they receive the dollar amount listed on the squares. Check the Internet for Jeopardy templates.

Hangman

Teachers often think of hangman as a language arts game, but it can be modified for use in math. Hangman can be played with individual players or teams. The teacher picks a math phrase that students will try to discover, such as “problem solving.” The teacher gives a player or team, a math problem to solve. If they supply the correct answer, they get to pick a letter. This continues until a player or team has figured out the phrase. Because no materials or preparation are needed to play this game, it is a great choice as a last-minute activity.

Math Concentration

This is another great game to use with a computer and a projector. The teacher creates a game board with math problems under some squares and answers under the others. Students get to pick two squares. The goal is to get a match. If the students don't get a match, the squares are turned back over, and the next student goes. Students work on solving math problems as well as their memory skills.

Internet Math Games

Interactive math games can be found all over the Internet these days. The animation for some of the games is quite sophisticated. Internet math games are good to use in 1:1 laptop classrooms, i.e. classrooms where all students have a laptop assigned to them. However, Internet games can be used even in the one-computer classroom; teachers just need to be creative in assigning students to the computer.

References

• Fun Math Games for Fourth Graders
• Math Jeopardy Games
• Cool Math 4 Kids