A great way to engage kids who would otherwise loathe math practice (and also just a fun way for anyone to review important skills!) is to play a game. My son has a hard time getting motivated to do school work, but he is always more excited and engaged when I turn whatever we’re doing into a game. Here you will find some of my favorite math card games, organized by topic!
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Sometimes, board games can be cumbersome, have a lot of pieces, or require a lot of money. One thing you can always use that is easy, portable and cheap is a simple deck of playing cards
To help you, I have been searching for awhile to find the best math card games and round them up into one giant post so you can find something for virtually any math skill! I hope you find something just right for your kids!
And if you want easy access to quick math card games, check out my ebook, Math in the Cards: The Ultimate Collection of Math Card Games.
It’s PACKED with more than 100 games and puzzles to encourage kids to play with math! Plus, there are tons of adaptations and variations of each game, so the possibilities are endless. 😉
The BEST Math Card Games:
Sorting/Counting:
Fan Tan (with multiple variations) – 2+ players (best with 4-6)
Builder’s Paradise (number sequencing)- 2+ players
Counting On – 1+ players
Addition/Subtraction:
Pyramid – 1+ players (Found in Games for Math
Close Call (adding 2-digit numbers and mental math) – 2-4 payers
Addition War (and so many variations, your kids can practice math skills from Kindergarten through high school!) – 2 players
Once Through the Deck – 1 player
Thirty-One – 2 players
Blackjack Math – 2+ players
Gain or Loss – 2-4 players
Make Ten – 2+ players (This is also found in Games for Math
Practice with Double Digit Subtraction – 2+ players
Hit Me! – 2+ players (addition and subtraction, absolute value)
Place Value:
Place Value Game (with rounding)Â – 2+ players
Beat the Teacher (similar, but with a different point scale)Â – 2+ players
Hold the Line – 2+ players
Triple Digit Dare– 2+ players (easily adapted)
Prime Numbers:
Prime Number Challenge – 2+ players
Fractions and Decimals:
My Closest Neighbor – 2-4 players
Fraction Flip It (multiplying fractions) – 3-5 players
Make a Buck– 2-4 players (adding decimals)
Multiplication:
Spiral– 2+ players (can also be adapted to practice addition or subtraction)
Integer Flash (multiplication with integers) – 2 players
Once Through the Deck – 1 player
Exponents:
Exponent Battle – 2 players
Order of Operations:
24 Math Game – 2+ players
Target – 2-4 players
OrdOp – 2+ players
Metric Conversions:
Let’s Convert– 2+ players
Plus, this post includes 6 more easy card games, covering a variety of concepts. 🙂
And don’t miss my newest resource, Math in the Cards, a huge collection of math card games! You’ll never pull out a boring worksheet again!
Purchase PDF Download | Purchase Print Book on Amazon
Enjoy playing with math!!
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Let kids be kids says
August 5, 2015 at 2:36 pmGreat idea, my son hates math, but he would enjoy games like this.
Thanks for sharing #LetKidsBeKids
Bethany says
August 5, 2015 at 5:16 pmGreat! I hope you find some fun ideas for him! My daughter really enjoys “doing math” by playing a card game with me. So much more fun than a worksheet!
Gina Pollard says
September 19, 2017 at 6:18 pmI was wondering if anyone has heard of a math card game for a single player called “Recycle”. My nephew taught it to me when he was in primary school. I used it in my middle school math intervention class. It’s been four years since either one of us have played it. Neither one of us can remember the rules. I have a colleague who would like to teach using it. I had taught it to her a few years ago as well. I have tried looking on the internet, but I just get games on recycling…instead of math skills. Any help would be FABULOUS!
Thanks!
Rebbecca Devitt says
March 7, 2019 at 2:36 amReally a fun way to teach math.