Are you seeking ways to spice up addition practice? Fed up with monotonous worksheets or flashcards? Fear not! Math practice CAN be enjoyable! A simple solution is to introduce games. They’re budget-friendly and require minimal preparation. This 100-card game offers younger students an entertaining addition activity, making learning a blast!
- 2+ players
- 10-15 min game-play
- Ages 6+
- Grades 1, 2, 3
- Addition
Overview
In Race to 100, the aim of the game is to reach 100 points before any other player, without going over.
PDF Instructions:
Game Set Up
You’ll need:
- A deck of cards.
- paper and pencil for each player
For younger players, you can remove the face cards and play with the numbers cards. Also, when playing with a small group of 2-3, I suggest deciding in advance how many turns how many turns per player, like 15. Otherwise a player may go over before the deck depletes.
If using the face cards, they represent the following values:
Jack = 11
Queen = 12
King = 13
Ace = 0
Options to decide who is the start player might include and could be a great way to learn about their fellow players :
- Birthday Day (2nd, 3rd, etc)
- Birthday month then day
- Who has the most pets, siblings, etc
Or you can go the more traditional route and:
- Each player pulls a card from the deck, the lowest (or highest card) goes first
- Each player rolls a die, highest (or lowest) goes first
Shuffle the deck and place it face down in the middle of the playing area in reach of all players.
Gameplay
Each player starts with a score of zero. Player one draws a card and adds its value to their score. Players take turns drawing cards and adding the values to their scores. If any player’s score goes over 100, they discard the card without adding it to their score.
How to Win
The winner is the first player to reach a score of exactly 100.
Alternately, if all cards are drawn, the player whose score is closest to 100 without scoring over wins.
Options:
Once players are familiar with the game, you can change it up! For instance, if you want to add an extra twist, you could throw in a Joker card that means the player has to start from scratch—zero points!
Or, if you’re keen on brushing up on subtraction skills, you could start each player off with 100 points and have them subtract the value of each card they draw until someone hits zero. It’s a great way to keep those math gears turning!
There are endless possibilities to make this game a blast for everyone involved! Let your imagination run wild and tailor it to suit your family’s unique style and preferences. Have fun!