Amusing Math Puzzles – Get 430 Brain Teasers to Exercise Your Brain

13 Comments to “Fun Classroom Games – for Math?”

1. Mattchew A says:

   January 20, 2009 at 10:28 pm

   black jack its like 21 dont pass 21 you get one card per turn face cards are 10 and an (A)s is 1 or 11
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2. Nay Nay says:

   January 20, 2009 at 11:09 pm

   make raps/songs for different units. thats how I learned math. Make it fun, watch math movies. have lots of projects.
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3. Kelsey says:

   January 20, 2009 at 11:57 pm

   I think it might be fun to split the class in half and put a problem up on the board and either have one persona t a time do the problem and the first to do it the fastest and to get it right wins, or the two sides can do it together, compare answers, and whoever has it right first wins

   Maybe you could do something involving throwing a soft ball around the room and one by one each person says the next step to a math problem. Like 1+2+3(I know, easy, just for an example). So the ball gets thrown to someone and they go "you add the 1 to the 2 to get 3" then they throw it to someone else and they go "then you add the 3 to the 3 to get 6"
   Something like that
   Good luck
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4. numba 1 huggerr says:

   January 21, 2009 at 12:32 am

   Pre-algebra in high school? i was in Geometry first year of high school… try putting a problem up on the board split the class into groups and whoever solves it first gets extra credit.. its especially gets fun when you have it boys against girls.. but some yelling then starts to go on.. I'm a sophomore in high school. i would know whats fun. my teacher also gives us group quiz's where u have like a group of 4 or less and they try to do problems and then its fun because they can learn off each other and boost your classes social stands and its fun for you. ANOTHER THING MY TEACHER DOES, is he takes off 5 points to the person who turns in the quiz/ test first, I GUARANTEE YOU this will boost their grades because they will look over it again and again and again because nobody wants to lose 5 points:) sooo have fun and when the kids are whispering its usually not about you… HAPPY TEACHING…
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   im a student and i know what we like…
5. C93 says:

   January 21, 2009 at 1:10 am

   Try flash cards. Make a game and some kinda reward or something to that effect.
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6. buttercup says:

   January 21, 2009 at 1:32 am

   1.Have them pair up
   2. Have each student pick a number, (Like write it on a piece of paper and give each pair 1 number)
   (You take one to)
   3. Start of with your self say you have 20 EXAMPLE:Im number 20 who has number 20 tripled and add three. so then 63 would say "Im number 63…"
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   I've played it with my class. FUN FUN FUN!
7. busymom says:

   January 21, 2009 at 2:14 am

   This is my favorite site for just about any game.
   We use several of the math games.
   http://www.educationallearninggames.com/kids-board-games-7th-grade-8th-grade-9th-grade.asp

   Here are some web sites as well.

   Math:
   http://www.tlsbooks.com/mathworksheets.h...
   http://www.mathsisfun.com/worksheets/ind...
   http://www.algebra.com
   http://www.coolmath.com/
   http://www.coolmath4kids.com/
   http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/creekvalley/staffdev/Internet%20Sites/studentsites.htm
   http://www.rainforestmaths.com/
   http://www.clc.mnscu.edu/kschulte/mathworksheets.html
   http://www.totallyfreemath.com/toc.html
   http://www.aaamath.com/
   http://www.purplemath.com/
   http://www.multiplication.com/interactive_games.htm
   http://www.learningplanet.com/sam/ff/index.asp
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8. jayjay says:

   January 21, 2009 at 2:41 am

   "Hire and Fire"
   Begin with 4 students at the board. Give them a problem and the first to finish correctly gets to "fire" someone at the board and "hire" someone new.

   I usually divide the class into 2 teams (boys vs. girls is really fun if you are allowed to do it). I put 2 from each team up and give the problem. The winner gets a point for his/her team and gets to "fire". The rule I use is that there has to always be at least one person from the opposing team at the board although the winner can "fire" that person and hire another. That way the losing team still has a chance to pull through.

   I do set up some rules at the beginning:
   No one seated may say anything to the players at the board.
   The problem is given twice only.
   When the players at the board finish the problem, they must stand away from it so that it can be seen.
   Players at the board are not allowed to speak.
   No one can tell the winner who to "fire" or "hire".
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9. sfroggy5 says:

   January 21, 2009 at 2:47 am

   I play "Who wants to be a Millionaire?"

   My kids love it!! I do to it is a great review game. Everytime we play and I tell them you hear "yes" all over the room.

   I have a worksheet that I fill in with questions starting at $100 to $1,000,000. The students work on the sheet for 15-20 minutes. When they are mostly done, I ask who wants to use a life line. I write the life lines on the board for the whole class.
   We have 50/50 – give them a choice of 2, usually I'm no help because I pick the 2 they already think it is.
   Ask the class – I poll the class on the answers and write down how many students pick each.
   Ask a friend – they get to ask anyone in the class.

   When they are all done we trade papers and everyone stands up. They have to grade each others paper. They have to sit if the person gets the answer wrong. I stress the importance of marking the whole sheet and not stopping just because they get one wrong. I go over the answers with them and there is a lot of excitement as we go from question to question.

   The winner/s get a homework pass, or points on the test. The biggest bonus is that they get so mad when they get a question wrong, they are not going to get it wrong on the test because now it is stuck in their head.

   *Email me and I can send you my template.
   References :
   I played on a cruise and I thought I could make it work in the classroom.
10. thumpercml says:

    January 21, 2009 at 2:54 am

    We play sudoku frequently. There are several ways to display a sudoku board. Use chart paper, put a puzzle on the overhead, or if you did have the technology, project a puzzle using your LCD projector. A wonderful resource for puzzles is
    http://www.websudoku.com

    How we play: Each student must take a turn. Someone starts the puzzle and only places one number in the puzzle. The turns go around the room until everyone has played and repeats until the puzzle is complete. To help in mathematical communication, students must explain why they are placing a number in its spot. You can make up your own rules as you go along such as asking a friend for help when you get stuck. One teacher told his students that they must solve an easy puzzle in 10 minutes or less to go to a more difficult puzzle.

    Advice for beginning math teachers. Start simple. Use your text as your guide to start with. Once you have become more confident as a teacher and a classroom manager, then try more hands on activities. Do what you are doing, seek advice from your colleagues. Your coworkers are your best allies. Get to know them and seek advice. Too much repetetive practice turns off the students. Try to learn to teach for understanding not memorization. Good luck and don't let the bad days get to you. Teach because you love it!
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11. Rose says:

    January 21, 2009 at 3:21 am

    Well when i was in year 5 we used to play "Maths Baseball" we get split into 2 teams one team spreads out in to a semi circle then the "Batter" Goes to the first person in the semi circle and the teacher asks them a question e.g. 5+5 then then if the batter gets it right he/she goes onto the next person ect. but if a fielder (Semi circle people) Get it before the batter a next batter comes and they must start from the start :] Its very fun
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12. heysifti says:

    January 21, 2009 at 3:50 am

    I teach K-5 math and ELA. MY favorite math games are "wrap around" games. I ordered mine from Lakeshore. They might have something similar for high school. Everyone gets a card (or 2 depending on your class size). Anyone can start the game. Have a student read their card (ex. who has 5 x 3?) then the person who has 15 would read "I have 15. Who has …" and then they would read their problem. The game will "wrap around" the class and make a complete circle. They have them for all sorts of math topics.

    Good luck.
    References :
    teacher, 7 years.
13. ebmid2 says:

    January 21, 2009 at 4:14 am

    I don't know what games you can play with them. But my tip is that you shouldn't worry too much about making your students like learning. They have to learn, but they don't have to like it.
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