Number Battle

MES-Member Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Posts: 9

This is a game where you combine the use of number words with adding.
Children sit facing each other and put their hands behind their back, like if they are playing rock-paper-scissor, then they count 1,2,3, shoot.
At this time they put their hands in front showing any number of fingers they choose. They have to add their number to the number their partner is showing. The first student to do this wins the match.
If you are working with small children you can tell them to use only the fingers in one hand-this will keep all the possible results under 10.
If your students are older they can use both their hands. In this case you can also adapt the game so they subtract, multiply, or divide their numbers.
HINT:
It's really funny at first to see kids struggling to count all the fingers as fast as possible, sooner or later one of your students will discover the trick to be faster: He already knows how many fingers he will show, so there's no need to count their fingers, they only have to count their partner's.

Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2006 12:35 am

Hi Jenny
I have used this game in some of my classes ove the past few days and the kids really love it. They get so excited! It's great because the level of competition is high - which gets them quickly wrapped up in the game, but since they are playing in pairs and we don't keep points, there is no real threat of humiliation or anything to turn off the shy kids.
My kids got the numbers 1 - 20 down pretty quickly this way. Thanks!

MES-Member Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 16

Jenny,
I tried this game with my first year junior high school students and they enjoyed it. I used it as a warm up before teaching them time. Thanks for the game!!!

MES-Member Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Thailand

Thanks Jenny
This helped wake up my students before beginning math class. They have long days here in Thailand and they seem to get really tired.This activity really got their motors running.
Any fun games to do with time?

MES-Member Joined: 14 Nov 2006 Posts: 16

I needed a quick warm up and the first thing that popped into my head was this game, so I tried it again with my first year JHS. This time I added greetings before they battled.

A: What's up?
B: Nothing.
A: Are you ready?
B: Yes.
A: 1,2,3, GO!!!!

After they won five times they can sit down. It gave them lots of practice with the new greeting and more practice with numbers. Some of the students are getting the hang of it and can beat me now too