<strong>Card games that will foster a middle-schooler's interest in Maths</strong>
Math is considered to be one of the most challenging subjects in school. So, parents often try to find simple ways to make the subject easier for their kids. One of the best proven ways is gamifying maths, that not only decreases their anxiety but also helps them nourish their numeracy skills. We are here with a list of math card games that will get your kids interested in the subject, right from the middle-school. Bonus: These educational card games are fun, engaging and quick to set up. They require no pre-planning and are very portable.
Max it Out
This is an exciting math card game for middle-schoolers that helps in augmenting multiplication skills. This multi-player game is fast-paced and challenges the participants to quickly deduce and find the largest product.
Components
- A deck of cards
- A stop watch
How to play
- Ask your child to take out all the face cards (cards having images on them, such as joker, jack, queen or king) from the deck.
- Now, each player draws 5 cards from it and keeps them face down.
- Once everyone is done drawing their respective cards, it is time to flip them over and put them face up.
Goals
- The goal is to multiply the numbers on any two cards and make the highest possible product within a stipulated time (using the stop watch). For instance, aces are usually worth 1.
- The player who manages to derive the highest multiplied number wins the game.
Place Value War
Place value (the value of a digit of numbers, for example, units, tens, hundreds, thousands etc.) is an important and fascinating math concept that often leaves middle-schoolers confused. This card game helps youngsters understand face value in a better, simpler and fun way.
Components
- A deck of cards, minus the face cards
How to play
- The first step is to shuffle the cards properly.
- Next, each player takes turns in drawing only three cards from the deck and places them face down.
- Once all the players have drawn their cards, it’s time for them to turn them over. To notch up the game, three more cards can be added. Or, to make the original game a lot more interesting, the players can swap one of their cards (without revealing its face value).
Goals
- The goal here is to arrange the cards in such a way that the numbers in them generate the highest possible numerical value.
- The player who manages to create the largest valued three-digit number wins.