Five Reasons You Need Games in Your Math Block

Think about your math block...Would you like students working together to critically think about math in an exciting and engaging way? Then you need to incorporate math games into your math block. Here are five reasons why I love to use math games in my classroom!

This colorful game will quickly engage students. You can find this Back to School Bingo by clicking on the picture or clicking here. This Bingo is great for the start of the school or all year long.

Just mention the word game; your students will stop in their tracks. From the moment I introduce the new activity or "game" until the moment everything is cleaned up and put away, students are ENGAGED! They are excited about the math concept they are practicing and continue to beg me to play more and more!

You can find this Spring Math Bingo by clicking on the picture or clicking here. Addition and subtraction bingo is great for math center all year long!

This brightly colored sorting game uses different representations of numbers. You can find this Number Representation Sort by clicking on the picture or clicking here.

Using manipulatives is necessary and every teacher should be using them to teach math. Math manipulative can come in many forms; they are not just base ten blocks. Using beans, bears, and other counters allow students to touch and interact with the math concept. Using dice and spinners allow children to see and use math in the "real world." Why not make it a game to excite students more?

Allow students to use manipulative while they are at a math center or playing game. During this game students can use their own set of base ten blocks. You can find this fall math game and more by clicking the picture or by clicking here.

Rolling a die, answering a question or figuring out a problem, and moving their marker, promotes mathematical success. Children are able to feel their success and share it with their classmates all while they are practicing the math concepts you are teaching them.

Students are playing a Valentine's Day Math Game. Picking an addition card, solving it, and moving their bear the spaces designated by the die allows students to show their success and progress with addition. You can find this math game and other Valentine's ay Math Games by clicking the picture or here.

Who doesn't love shouting out "BINGO!" This exclamation allows students to celebrate their success with their addition and subtraction. Find this Fall Bingo and many more in the money saving Addition and Subtraction (within 10) Bingo Bundle. 

Many math tasks incorporate critical thinking which can be difficult to get students excited about. Why not have games that require critical thinking? Using engaging games that require multiple steps, problem solving, or critical thinking will encourage students to use critical thinking skills in everyday life.

This True and False Sort requires students use critical thinking to solve solve two different equations and then deciding if they're equal. This multistep task is hidden by it being a perfect game for a math center or free choice. You can find this game and other Fall Math Centers by clicking on the picture or here.

Students need to interact with one another in every way possible to develop strong social skills they will need later in life. They need to interact during partner work, reading, math, on the playground, in the cafeteria, everywhere! Having math games as part of your math routine will strengthen your students' social skills.

With this activity students need to work together to order the numbers. Using math talk and their social skills, they can successfully work together to solve math problems. You can find this math game and other Valentine's Day Math Games by clicking the picture or here.

During games students can learn to help another student who is struggling, encourage one another, or celebrate their classmates' success. During this Bingo play students are able to practice these social skills. You can fin this Summer Bingo by clicking here. Check out the money saving bundle by clicking on the picture or by clicking here!

What types of math games do you use in your classroom? I would love to hear from you!

Happy Mathing!