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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Board games for maths

23 replies

fruitcorner · 10/01/2013 21:33

Can anyone recommend good board or card games to help year 1 child with maths? I know I could print some out like maths bingo but I'm too lazy!

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tinytalker · 10/01/2013 21:38

Orchard Games have some lovely board and card games for children which are fun to play and very appealing. We have the 'Bus Stop' game for addition and subtraction and 'Pop to the Shops' for money.

LadyKinbote · 10/01/2013 21:42

DD has the bus one and really likes it. Monkey Maths is good too but possibly for younger children.

PastSellByDate · 11/01/2013 10:03

Hi fruitcorner:

Snakes & ladders: if adding on 1 - 6 has to be counted, have them count out as they move their piece - but eventually start encouraging them to do this in their head. If they're ready to add above 10 - just add a second die and then have them add the role for two dice. (add more if you want bigger numbers). You can play the board forward and go back if using more than 2 dice.

Snakes & ladders backwards: same idea but play from 100 to 0 and subtract.

I'd also recommend playing 21. You'll need to explain that all face cards (Jack/ Queen/ King are worth 10 and the ace is worth 1) but this is really helpful for getting them to add up and estimate. Start off playing open hands, but once they get better than you can play closed hands.

Random addition: good for numbers up to 10.

Stack two decks. Flip the top card and have them add up.
You can do this individually - taking turns. Or to spice it up you can make it a race.

If you want to go above 10 - then keep adding the two cards to the last two cards and so on and so on, until 100. First to read 100 wins.

HTH

noramum · 11/01/2013 11:50

We love Spider maths from Funlearning

www.funlearning.co.uk/maths-games/spider-maths-game

FestiveWench · 11/01/2013 11:53

monopoly

EdwiniasRevenge · 11/01/2013 11:58

Children's versions of monopoly.

Number bonds and addition to work out which notes combinations can be used times pay £6.
Multiplication to work out doubled rent (we have the older fairground version nit sure what gameplay is like on the newest children version).
Subtraction for working out change.

And best of all. It isn't maths. It's just a board game.

jmspbro · 11/01/2013 14:27

Like FestiveWench - Monopoly.

The game is slow enough to work things out, but fast enough to keep the pressure on.

DS1 (age 6) won the first time he played, despite DH coercing him to sell his property at knock down rates!

jmspbro · 11/01/2013 14:27

Boggle is another good game.

getyourshoesonNOW · 11/01/2013 19:20

I second spider maths. Straight forward, fun and ds loves it,

hels71 · 11/01/2013 19:33

We like Piggy in the middle (orchard game) and junior monopoly here. DD is 5.

mumchat · 11/01/2013 19:45

Magic Cauldron game by Orchard Toys would be spot on for year one i think. My Cousin who is primary teacher bought it for us for Xmas & it's s bit too old for our daughter who is summer baby in reception but we can play and help and it is firm favourite. It would be ideal for year one and in fact a friend who visited with a year one son the other week said that have it in school.

Iamnotminterested · 11/01/2013 20:25

Love Orchard Toys and have lots of them but have to say that the magic cauldron game was played once and never bothered with again.

Pontoon is FAR better...

sittinginthesun · 11/01/2013 20:27

Monopoly, snakes and ladders, shut the box. The junior monopoly is brilliant. Much quicker than the full game, but long enough to be a proper half hour's concentration.

ThreeBeeOneGee · 11/01/2013 20:27

No suggestions for Y1 bit Zeus on the Loose (from Gamewright) is great for older juniors.

SuzysZoo · 11/01/2013 21:00

Shut the box is good (I like it too!)

exexpat · 11/01/2013 21:08

DS loved the Magic Cauldron game. Also something called (I think) Triominos, like three-sided dominos with sums you have to match up.

Shattereddreams · 11/01/2013 21:13

Can they play UNO yet? Anyone?

Haberdashery · 11/01/2013 21:14

My Y1 daughter really enjoys Shut the Box.

LegoAcupuncture · 11/01/2013 21:14

Triominoes is a good game.

Original poster

fruitcorner · 11/01/2013 22:45

Just come back to this thread- thank you so much for all the recommendations, will investigate now....

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wonderwooman · 11/01/2013 22:49

Sum Swamp - my y1 DS (& his y3 big brother) love it.

I bought ours on Amazon after seeing DSis's in the US.

simpson · 11/01/2013 23:11

My kids (yr3 and reception)adore shut the box. A simple game but great for mental maths....

RueDeWakening · 11/01/2013 23:19

DD (year 1 too) got UNO in her xmas stocking, she's played it loads and loves it. We let her nearly 3 year old brother play too, with an open hand so we can help him, but we're finding it's helping him with colours/number recognition too so win win really!

Bus Stop is a good Orchard Games suggestion, DD got Party Monopoly Junior (or something like that) for Christmas too, that seems very easy there's no working out doubling rent etc at all. Good news is it's a lot quicker to play than the traditional version :o

Orchard Games have a telling the time game which looks good for year 1 too, though we've not got that one.

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