Games – Page 3 – Digit Dog Challenges

Calculating, Conceptual understanding, Games, Strategic competence

Subtract from 10

Posted on April 14, 2020April 10, 2020 by Digit Dog

Here’s a game to practise subtracting numbers from 10.

subtraction game

You need:

A game board (download here)
Counters for each person (we made some with pictures stuck on milk bottle tops)
A dice or pile of digit cards 1 – 6

Take turns to:

Throw the dice;
Subtract the dice number from 10, find the answer on the board and place a counter on it.

If you cannot place a counter, do nothing. You cannot put a counter on a number that already has a counter on it.

When all the hexagons have been covered, the winner is the player who has placed more counters.

Use full sentences and correct mathematical language as you play the game.

I have thrown a 2. 10 subtract 2 is 8.

I have thrown a 2. 10 take away 2 equals 8.

Subtraction is not just take away. Learners find the concept of subtraction as difference between more difficult than take away, so play the game using the language of difference:

I have thrown a 2. The difference between 10 and 2 is 8.

Use bottle tops to illustrate this.

Also explore subtraction as counting back. Use jumps on a number line to show this.

number line -2 — I threw a 2. 10 count back 2 equals 8.

Easter, Games

Race to the eggs

Posted on April 10, 2020April 9, 2020 by Digit Dog

Digit Dog and Calculating Cat are playing a game. Why don’t you try it?

Easter game

Race to the eggs – a game for two players

You will need:

The game board (download here), a dice (or a pile of 1 – 6 digit cards) and 6 counters for each player. We made counters from milk bottle tops.

To play:

Take turns to throw the dice, say the number thrown and move a counter along the track.

If you land on a paw print, say the number that should be there.

Once you have moved your counter, choose one of the boxes on the side of the board. If you choose:

Double – double the number on the dice.
Make 10 – say the number that goes with the number on the dice to make 10.
3 – think of 3 ways to make the number on the dice e.g. if you threw a 4 you could say 3 + 1 = 4, 5 – 1 = 4, 2 + 2 = 4.
More – say a number that is more than the number on the dice.
Less – say a number that is less than the number on the dice.

If you get the answer correct you can put one of your counters on the rectangle.

The game continues until one player gets to the eggs but you cannot be the winner until you also have a counter on each of your 5 boxes.

Additive relationships, Counting, Easter, Games

Easter Race to 10

Posted on April 2, 2020March 31, 2020 by Digit Dog

A game for any number of players.

You will need:

A 10 frame each (download here)
A dice with numbers 1 – 3, or a set of digit cards (download here double sided to have Digit Dog on the back) that are placed face down in a pile and then the top one is turned over for each turn
10 eggs for each player (cut out eggs here or use mini chocolate eggs)

Take turns to throw the dice. Count the number of eggs and put them on the 10 frame. The first person to get 10 eggs wins.

As you play describe how many eggs you have:

“I have ……… eggs. I need ……….more to make 10”.

During the game take time to look at each other’s frames and talk about the numbers of eggs on each frame.

Use the sentences like Calculating Cat:

“I have ……… more eggs than you. You have …….fewer eggs than me.”

“I have …….fewer eggs than you. You have ……..more eggs than me.”

race to 10 eggs

How many eggs does Digit Dog have?

How many eggs does Calculating Cat have?

Who has fewer eggs? How many fewer? Explain how you know.

Who has more eggs? How many more?

How many more eggs does Digit Dog need to make 10? What about Calculating Cat?

Now play Race from 10

Start with 10 eggs. Throw the dice and take away that number of eggs. The first person to have no eggs is the winner.

Games, Logical reasoning

Two or More

Posted on March 26, 2020March 25, 2020 by Digit Dog

The Two or More Game

You need:

A Two or More board (download here)

Cards numbered 1 – 9 (download here) or be like Digit Dog and use stones from the garden with numbers written on them.

Rules:

Put the numbers on the squares so that the difference between each pair of numbers is 2 or more.

two or more

Digit Dog and Calculating Cat are playing Two or More.

Is Calculating Cat right? How do you know?

Which number couldn’t she put next? Can you explain your reasoning?

Is there more than one way of doing it? How do you know?

How could you record what you have done?

How did you decide where to put the numbers? What were you thinking about?

What if……..

…….the difference was 3 or more?

…….you made up a game of your own using the board and numbers?

Calculating, Counting, Games

Face Up

Posted on March 25, 2020March 24, 2020 by Digit Dog

You need:

4 milk bottle tops with a face drawn on them.

bottle tops

About 50 small objects to keep score – you could use cocktail sticks, counters, buttons, dried beans, small pebbles, Lego pieces.

How to play:

Decide how many rounds you want to play.
Toss the bottle tops in the air and count how many fall with faces up and how many with faces down.

To score:

All 4 face up = 5 points

3 up and 1 down = 2 points

2 up and 2 down = 1 point

1 up and 3 down = 2 points

All 4 down = 5 points

Keep your score with the small objects. The player with most objects at the end of the agreed number of rounds wins.

Dash

Variations

You can keep score with pencil and paper instead of objects.

If you want an Easter theme, you can use mini eggs to keep score.

Use more bottle tops and make up your own scoring system.

Invent your own game.

Calculating, Games, Logical reasoning, Making totals

Which Square?

Posted on March 24, 2020March 23, 2020 by Digit Dog

How to play Which Square?

A game for 2 players.

You need:

A game board (download here), two dice and 12 counters for each player.

Rules:

Each player puts their counters on the board. They can put them on any number and more than one counter on a number if they wish.
Players take turns to throw 2 dice and to add the two numbers. If they have a counter on the total they have thrown, they can take it off. If they have more than one counter on the total, they just remove one.
The winner is the first to remove all 12 counters.

Digit Dog and Calculating Cat are playing the game. They both think that they will win. What do you think?

Which square

Look at where they have placed their counters. Who do you think will win? Why do you think that?

When you are playing the game do you notice that you get some totals more than others?

Which numbers are the best to put your counters on? Are there any numbers you don’t want to put your counters on? Can you explain why you think that?

Play the game a few times to see if your ideas work.

Calculating, Games

Turn the cards

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Digit Dog

Digit Dog and Calculating Cat are playing a game of Turn the Cards

Turn the cards

You will need:

A set of digit cards and two dice

You can download some digit cards here (if you print them double-sided they will have Digit Dog on the back) or you can just write numbers on pieces of paper. If you don’t have dice, there are free rolling dice apps that you can download.

Rules:

Put the cards 1 – 6 in order
Player 1 throws the two dice and turns over the cards that match the dice – Digit Dog threw 2 and 3 so he will turn over the 2 card and the 3 card. Keep throwing the dice until you can’t turn over any more cards. The cards that are left showing are added together and that is Player 1’s score.
It is now the next player’s turn. Put the cards in order again and throw the dice in the same way as Player 1.
The winner is the one with the lower score.

Either play one round to find a winner or play 5 or 10 rounds, adding the scores of each round to give a final score.

Want more of a challenge?

Use digit cards from 1 – 12 and put them in order.

When you throw the dice you can:

turn over the cards that match the numbers on the dice.
add the two numbers and turn over the total.
subtract the two numbers and turn over the answer.

As with the first game, your turn ends when you can’t turn over a card. Find your score by adding together all the cards still facing up.

Counting, Games, Number sense, Subitising

Counting with Digit Dog

Posted on March 20, 2020March 18, 2020 by Digit Dog

Digit Dog and Calculating Cat have been practising their counting. Play their game by downloading it here.

You need one counter and a dice (a dice with numbers 1, 2 and 3 is ideal but you can play with an ordinary 1 – 6 dice)

The game is for 2 players – one will be Digit Dog and the other will be Calculating Cat.

Put the counter on Start. Both players move the same counter BUT Digit Dog moves towards the bone and Calculating Cat moves towards the fish. Take turns to throw the dice and see who gets their food first. There will be a lot of moving back and fro.

When children throw the dice ask them to say how many spots there are without counting in ones – this is called subitising.

If you enjoyed the game why not try the Incey Wincey Spider game from www.nrich.org

Download drainpipes here.

Easter, Games

Easter Race to 10

Posted on April 3, 2019March 26, 2019 by Digit Dog

A game for any number of players.

You will need:

A Numicon 10 shape each
A 1 – 3 dice
Mini eggs for each player

Take turns to throw the dice. Count the number of eggs and put them on the 10 shape. The first person to get to 10 wins.

As you play describe how many eggs you have:

“I have ……… eggs. I need ……….more to make 10”.

During the game take time to look at each other’s shapes and talk about similarities and differences.

How many eggs does Digit Dog have?

How many eggs does Calculating Cat have?

Who has fewer eggs? How many fewer? Explain how you know.

Who has more eggs? How many more?

How many more eggs does Digit Dog need to make 10? What about Calculating Cat?

Calculating, Games

Play PIG

Posted on February 1, 2019January 30, 2019 by Digit Dog

When Digit Dog saw that this year was the Chinese Year of the Pig, it reminded him of the dice game PIG.

Play PIG

PIG is a game for 2 – 6 players

You need one dice.

Rules

The aim of the game is to get to 50.

Players take turns to roll the dice as many times as they like, adding the numbers as they go. A player can end their turn at any time and “bank” their points.

BUT if a player rolls a 1, they lose all their unbanked points and their turn is over. When you roll a 1 you shout PIG!

The first player to score 50 or more points wins.

For example:

screenshot 2019-01-30 09.15.40

It is Digit Dog’s turn and he throws a 2, 5, 4 and 3. His total so far is 14.

What shall he do now? Shall he throw again and hope that he doesn’t throw a 1? If he throws a 1 he will lose all 14 points. Or shall he bank his 14 points so that they are safe and end his go?

Calculating Cat has banked 20 points from her first turn. On her next turn she throws 2, 6 and 5 so she has 13 points unbanked. What shall she do? Bank the 13 points and add them to her 20 points so that she has a total of 33? Or throw again? If she throws a 1 she will lose her 13 points.

Variations:

Change the target score – make it lower or higher. The first player to score 100 or more points wins. The first player to score 30 or more wins.
Use a 1 – 3 dice and a lower target score.
Make the calculating more accessible by collecting Numicon shapes each time you roll and put them on the number line.
Use 2 dice. If a player rolls one 1, their turn ends and they lose their points for that turn. If a player rolls double 1 , their turn ends and they lose all banked points as well as points from that turn.
Use 2 dice. Rolling one 1 ends the turn and all unbanked points. Throwing a double earns double score – so double 2 = 8 etc. and double 1 scores 25.