Games

Many of you have asked for suggestions for games that you can play with your child at home. The following list is some of our favorites.

Recommendation

We suggest not giving out any prizes for winning to avoid making the games too competitive. We suggest small things like high fives, shouting “hooray”, etc. If you do want to give out prizes, keep it fun, silly or both. At the end, make sure everyone gets a prize. For example, if you give out candy, at the end give some candy to all of the kids.

Table Of Contents

Math Games
Non-Math Games

Math Games

Totality

This two-player game was designed as part of the NRICH project at the University of Cambridge. We highly recommend this game. View the details and download the game.

Consecutive Numbers

Simply write down 4 consecutive numbers then add, subtract, multiply, divide with those numbers until you have exhausted all possibilities. This game was also designed as part of the NRICH project. Learn more about this game.

Math Match Card Game

This is a mental math game where players use numbers to match a target number played with number cards and dice. We love this game! Download and print our free version of the game cards or you can purchase the game.

Dice Games

This is a simpler version of the Math Match Card Game. Simply roll two dice and add, subtract or multiply the numbers depending on your child’s math level. You can make it more fun by adding a third die.

Math Jeopardy

Another OneInMath crowd favorite! There are many free Math Jeopardy games available online by grade level. Your child can play solo or in groups.

Math Bingo

A universal hit with the kids! We play this game in the last class of every OneInMath session. It is most effective when played in a large group.

Non-Math Games

Following are some games that our tutors play during class as time allows. The winning kid gets a choice of a high five, fist bump, or double fist bump!

Guess The Penny

This game is great for motivating kids to complete their work. For every completed math page (or two), the tutor hides a penny in one hand while the student guesses which hand it’s in. The penny can also be replaced with another object such as an eraser. (Time to play: 1 minute)

Hangman

Write down # of letters in a word (for example “Brick” would be written as _ _ _ _ _) and have kids guess the letters in a word. For every incorrect letter, add a part of the man or hanging apparatus. If the man is complete, then the kids have lost (can get as detailed with the man as wanted). If the kids complete the word before the man is complete, then they win! (Time to play: 5-10 minutes)

Guess the Fingers Behind the Back

Without letting the kids see how many fingers they’re holding up, the Tutor makes a number between 1-10 using their hands. Let the children guess one by one what the number is. The students take turns guessing the number. (Time to play: 5 minutes)

Who Was Chosen

All kids must have their eyes closed and heads on the table (to ensure no cheating). The Tutor then chooses a student at random by either tapping their back or head (be as silent as possible here). When the Tutor is finished, sit back in your seat and allow the children to look up. The child who is tapped should not tell the other students they were tapped. Only the Tutor and child knows that they were selected. Then have all of the students guess the person tapped. If the students guess the wrong person, they lose. However, if the students guess the correct person, the Tutor loses. At the end, the Tutor reveals the child that was chosen. (Time to play: 5-10 minutes)

I Spy

The tutor chooses an object within the classroom and has the kids take turns guessing what that object is. (Time to play: 5 minutes)

Choose A Song

The Tutor thinks of a song and has the kids guess what it could be. Use songs that the young children have likely heard of. Hints are given at the Tutor’s discretion. (Time to play: 5-10 minutes)

2 Truths, 1 Lie

The tutor tells the students two true statements and one false statement. The students must guess which fact is a lie. (Time to play: 5 minutes)

Wordle

The Tutor displays the daily NYT Wordle to the students. Students are permitted to guess 5 letter words that may fit the puzzle. As letters light up, students must try to figure out the word of the day. The Tutor may assist students as some words are a bit more difficult for younger children. Students all decide on the starting word and the second word, but after the 2nd word, any student must try to accurately guess the word as a free for all. (Time to play: 5-7 minutes)

Headbands

Students tape a notecard to each of their heads. The students go in a circle trying to ask a question about what the word on their head is. The other students must answer with a “yes” or “no”. Go around in a circle with one question per student. The first one to answer correctly will win. (Time to play: 10-15 minutes)

Chess.com Daily Puzzle

There is a daily chess puzzle on chess.com. If your students know how to play chess and how the pieces move, this will be a fun challenge to see how to mate the king. (Time to play: Depends on skill level)

Pictionary

The tutor thinks of a person, place or thing then draws the picture. Students can take turns making a guess. (Time to play: 5-15 minutes)

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If you have any other queries, feel free to reach out to us. Our knowledgeable team is here to help!

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