Number-related Board Games
We utilise a whole range of exciting resources designed to stimulate the children and give them a fun and memorable experience while learning through various maths activities. They are also superb games when played at home with the family.
The resources we use on a regular basis are described below and consist of an excellent range of number-related games.
The games are extremely popular and have literally been used thousands of times with children all over the UK, so they really do work! The prices quoted below do not include postage/delivery and packaging:
MathMagic: £22
As probably the very best numeracy board game available in the world today, it can best be described as a mathematical version of Scrabble. The concept behind this excellent Malaysian game is very similar to the world-famous word game, but utilises numbers instead of letters. It has been used regularly since our programme began six years ago and also utilised in pre-SATs events and competitions!
Constant playing not only helps children improve their mathematical skills but also builds confidence in mastering basic numeracy. It can also result in players working up to 1500 mental calculations per game, without even realising they have done so.
Children will also develop strategic thinking skills at a very young age. Players automatically learn to evaluate every move/calculation to improve their scores or to prevent their opponents from making high scores. Most importantly, it gives the players hours of fun. It is suitable for anyone, as long as they can add, subtract, multiply and divide (the game can easily be adapted for younger, or less able, pupils by just using addition). We guarantee you'll be impressed with it’s simplicity and effectiveness.
For older and more experienced players, MathMagic Version 2 is also available at £22. This includes squares, cubes, square roots and cube roots as well as a few ‘joker’ tiles which gives the player a few added options.
Shut the Box: £14
It is believed that the game originates from the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), introduced by sailors as a popular gambling game. Today, Shut the Box is one of the most popular coffee table games and is also used in many schools to improve basic addition and general numeracy skills.
It is probably the simplest of dice-throwing and scoring games, wonderfully undemanding yet quite irresistible, and it can be played alone or with one or more opponents. There's a decision to be made after each throw, so this splendid game also has some educational merit.
There are many ways of adapting the original rules, depending on the age and ability of the players, but basically the aim is to turn over as many of the numbers from 1 to 9 during each throw. For instance, by throwing a 6 and 2 (making 8), you can decide to turn over just the 8, or maybe 7 and 1, or 6 and 2, or 5 and 3, or even 4, 3 and 1. The same player then continues rolling, knocking over one or more numbers during each roll, until they cannot knock any numbers over during a roll. The numbers that remain standing are added together to make that player’s score for the round. The next player then starts rolling. The game can be played over an agreed number of rounds, the player with the lowest overall score being declared the winner.
It can be decided to either concentrate on basic addition or get the players to use all four operations when rolling the dice. Whichever rules you decide to play, the general consensus is that this is a fabulous little game for all the family.
Trilemma: £14
This multi-level maths game from the UK balances the learning of times tables with having fun! The object of the game is simple; be the first to get three (or four) counters in a row on the game board. You have to answer a numeracy question correctly to be able to place a counter on the board, and more precisely, on the answer.
Each question card has three levels of difficulty, ranging from questions on the 2, 5 and 10 times table to more challenging questions on factors, multiples, square numbers, square roots, prime numbers, odds and evens, etc. This enables players of differing ages and abilities to play together and have an equal chance of winning!
Addendum: £10
A sister-game to Trilemma, Addendum contains cards focusing on addition, subtraction and fractions. This can either be played using the Trilemma playing board and rules, or played on its own as a card game in a similar way to bingo. The first player to cover their card of numbers after successfully answering questions is the winner.
Function Well: £14
We have recently started to use this new addition to our portfolio in our sessions and it is already a big hit with both teachers and children. Teachers will be wanting it for their numeracy lessons and mental maths warm-up sessions as the concept is similar to the number machines that are frequently seen in tests.
Within the game is a bag which contains numbers, covering the four operations. The game is best played as a form of bingo, where each player (or pair) has an equal number of cards to fill. The winning player is the first one to fill their cards with the relevant function. The function must satisfy all three examples on each card. For example, to move from 4 to 12, you could say you need the +8 disc, but it could also be the x3 disc. The other two examples on the card will determine which of the two discs is correct!
The game also covers two levels of ability, probably better categorised as lower Junior (using the red numbers) and upper Junior (blue numbers). This is a great way of improving knowledge of a difficult topic in a fun way.
Tri-ominos: £14
The final number-based game in this section consists of 56 triangular tiles with three numbers on each tile ranging from 0 to 5. The game is played similar to normal dominoes, where it is the first player to get rid of all their tiles. The advantage of this game, like many others we stock, is that you can amend the rules for older children.
The proper rules state that the player adds the three numbers on the tile placed down to achieve a score. Another way is to multiply the matching numbers and add the third number. Also, if a player cannot move, you could impose a negative score on the player concerned. Teachers have employed these and many other amendments when playing the game, as it is very simple and very versatile. Whichever way you decide to play the game, the educational value for the children is definitely there.
We also stock two other versions of the famous Tri-ominos brand. The Classic version, which retails at £18, contains the same triangular pieces but in addition includes four
racks for players to hold their playing pieces. Also in this range, Tri-ominos for Kids is a novel way of introducing the concept using numbers and animals, and retails at just £10.
Like all the best games, rules for all versions of the game can be adapted to cater for both younger and more advanced players.
For further details of these resources, as well as other games and puzzles we stock, please ring or
e-mail us. Also, remember to get in touch if you want us to e-mail our current Order Form to your computer.
© the 7puzzle company 2012 paulgodding.com