Active Math Games

Harry Potter Game!Target Grade: Lower Primary / KindergartenTarget English: basic countingSimply using the name Harry Potter makes the kids get all excited, and using this game you can channel that energy into some fun counting practice!

1. Split the kids into three groups. I recommend using "Mingle"2. One group becomes "Voldemort" ( sorry for mentioning his name!)3. The other two groups are Harry Potters.4. The Harry Potters you set free and they run around the room.5. The Voldemorts put their hand in the air and extend their index finger as their magic wand!6. The Voldemorts chase after the Harry Potters.7. If a Voldemort touches a Harry Potter with his "wand" thus casting a spell, the Harry Potter must freeze!8. The Voldemort then puts another spell on Harry by shouting out a number. The Harry Potter must jump this many times, all the while counting out loud.9. If a free harry Potter asks a jumping Harry Potter how many jumps he/she is doing, the spell is broken and the jumping Harry Potter is now free to run away!Keep going for a while, then change the groups to let everyone have a chance to be Harry Potter! Great fun!At first the Voldemorts will shout out low numbers, but once they catch on they start giving out big numbers, and here the Harry Potters get practice at counting these big numbers!

SpidermanTarget Grade: Elem 3-adultsTarget English: Sequences or simple sumsPreparation: Pictures of Spiderman, Mary Jane and two enemiesHelp Spiderman save Mary Jane from both the Green Goblin and Dr. Octopus!This game is basically a scoring game which you can mix and match with other games, but the way I present it here is great for simple sums or sequences.PreparationFirst of all you need A4 print outs of various Spiderman characters. You can easily get these by doing a google image search. You'll need one Mary Jane Watson, and then one Spiderman and villain for each group. One group can be up to around 8 kids. If you have two groups the best pairing is one game as Spiderman 1 vs. the Green Goblin, and the other group as Spiderman 2 vs. Doctor Octopus!Like in the Banana Tree Game you then prepare the board, this takes about 2 minutes ( or one if you've had practice).

On the board you need to draw a tall building with several floors ( around 7 or 8 ) and wide enough so that your characters fit. Each teams' Spiderman and villain starts at the ground floor. On top of the building you put the picture of Mary Jane. The idea is the Spidermans will race to the top to save the girl! ( And yeah, I know it's not politically correct but don't blame me, write to Stan Lee!!)

Then you need to split the kids into groups. Either use groups they normally make or use mingle and shout out a number, they have to get into groups of that number! Up to 8 people in each group is cool, so for 30 kids you need around 4 groups, but it can work with classes as small as 6 ( 2 groups of 3 ) . All the groups have to have the same number of people.

The Game1. Each group forms a circle.

2. Each group decides which person in the group will go first.3. The teacher says "Go!"4. Simultaneously the first kid in each group starts the sum or sequence. e.g. "5". 5. The next kid ( clockwise) adds a bit onto the sum e.g. "5 + 3 = 8", then the next kid continues "8 + 2 = 10" etc.6. Keep going round the group until they get back to the first person!.7. Everyone stands up and shouts "Yeah!"8. The quickest team is the winner.

9. The winner's team's Spiderman moves one floor up the building. And all the other teams' villains move one floor up the building.10. The person next to the person who started last time starts this time. 11. Repeat from 312. Keep going until one Spiderman has saved Mary Jane!!

This game works great, even with older kids, just the simple fact of having the game based on Spiderman gets the kids hooked!

The kids can either go round the circle doing sums, ( you can also add rules that say only addition or only multiplication ) or sequences. The teacher can also give them the starting number.

And remember to teach the Golden Rule: Losing just means it's another chance to try again!

MingleTarget Grade: Elementary SchoolTarget English: Making groups, counting or fractionsThis is a great game that I always use for making groups in class. But it can also be great practice of numbers or fractions!

1. Teach the kids the "Mingle Chant" ( be warned, it will stick in your head all day!)

2. As the kids sing the mingle chant, they mingle amongst themselves.

3. When the chant finishes you shout out a number.

4. The kids quickly get into groups of this number and sit down.

That's it! Very simple but very fun! If you count up the number of kids in the class first, and then write this on the board for everyone to see, you can also say things like "half" or "two thirds" and get the kids to work out how many people should be in each group! Or you could try shouting out a sum where the answer is how many people they have to make a group with.

And remember the golden rule: losing doesn't mean losing, it's just another chance to try again!! Once the kids get this they'll keep wanting to try more and more, which means they'll be getting more and more maths practise!

This game is also great for choosing teams for the Spiderman game!

Time B mbTarget Maths: Numbers and brain power!Target Level: Elementary 4th to AdultThis is a great game where you really have to think. It sounds simple, but try it out with a couple of friends and see how tough, and fun, it really is!

1. Put everyone in groups of between 2 and 10 kids.

2. The first person says either "1", "2" or "3"

3. The next person continues on and can say an additional one, two or three numbers. E.g. if the first person said "1, 2", the second person can say either "3" or "3,4" or "3,4,5"

4. Continue around the group until one person is forced to say "12". They are now out.

5. Start again from 2.

For example:

This game is really addictive, and great for motivation! But remember the golden rule, "losing doesn't mean losing, it just means you get another chance to try again!"

If your students have trouble counting to 12, try making 13 the unlucky number - this way you're teaching a bit of culture as well!!

The Group GameTarget maths: countingTarget grade: AnyThis is a really simple game that is often played in Japan. It's best played in the gym, and is best with many (tens to several hundred) players!1. All the kids run round the gym in a big circle2. The teacher shouts out a number.3. The kids have to stop and make groups that contain this number of people. For example if the teacher said "3", then the kids get in groups of 3.4. When they get all the members of their team they sit down.5. Repeat from 1That's it! Very simple, but fun! The traditional Japanese way of doing it is to shout a word and the kids form groups according to how many syllables it has (e.g. groups of 3 if you say the word "computer"). You could also try shouting out a sum e.g 12 - 7 = ?You can vary the game by setting a time limit of ten seconds and any people who are not sat down by that time are out. But personally I just play it for fun without anyone being out!

Rocket Launch!Target Maths: Counting (backwards!)

This is a really simple game, but kids love it!

1. Everyone kneels down with their hands above their heads to make a rocket.

2. Everyone counts down from 12 to 0.

3. As you get near the lift off you begin raising your arms and stretching your legs.

4. When you reach 0, the next step is a huge jump into the air whilst shouting "lift off!"

That's it, very simple!

One good thing to do is to fail the kids part way through. E.g. when you get to 6, tell them to stop and say they have failed the game. Hopefully they'll then remember the golden rule of games "Losing doesn't mean losing, it's just another chance to try again!". So then ask them "Can you do it?" several times and get them to shout out "Yes we can!" in loud voices. A great confidence booster!

Newspaper Sumo!Target Maths: Any questions or SumsTarget grade: All!

This is a great game that's perfect for any lessons that involve asking questions. The beauty of this game is that the kids love to play it themselves in their free time! It's played with two people at a time. �@

1. Place a sheet of newspaper on the floor.

2. One kid stands on the edge of the paper. The other kid stands on the other side. Their backs are facing each other.

3. The teacher (or another kid!) asks a question e.g. "What's 3 x 3?" or "What's this shape?" etc. Any question that the kids can do in their heads is cool.

4. The first kid to answer correctly takes one half step back.

5. Repeat from 3 until....

6. When their feet touch, they stop. The teacher says "Go!" and without turning round they have to push the other player off the newspaper!! Just like the real game of Sumo, the first person to touch any part of the ground outside of the "ring" (or newspaper) loses!

This is a cool game. You can play the game with as few as 2 kids, or set up several games in one class.

Obviously make sure the kids are evenly matched sizewise!

Kids love to play this on their own, so give them some old newspapers and let them practice.

Oh, and this is another of my "Use only at your own risk and we accept no responsibility for any consequences" games! It's good fun though!!

Balloon GameTarget Grade: 1-5

This is a very fun, co-operative game.

1. Put the students into groups of 4 or 5. The best way to do this is to use the the group game. This works a treat!

2. Each group forms a circle and they hold hands.

3. Give each group a balloon.

4. As a group they have to keep the balloon in the air, but when it touches a part of someone's body they have to either count or keep a sum going. For example the first kid says "2", then next kid says " + 3 = 5", then next kid then says " + 4 = 9" etc. Of course if the kids can handle it subtraction, multiplication etc. is also OK.

Very simple but very fun. The game is good in building up team work and co-operation. But if you need to you could also introduce a little competition by seeing how long each group can keep the balloon in the air for, and remembering to reset the clock if they get stuck!

The Ladders Game!Target Grade:2-5Target English: Any Sums or QuestionsThis game can get quite dangerous, so its best to do it in the gym rather than the classroom!!!

1. Review all the sums you intend to use.

2. Have the students make two lines

3. Tell them to turn so that the two lines are facing each other.

4. Have them sit down, with their legs outstretched in front of them. with their feet touching the feet of the person in front of them (check whether this is culturally acceptable in the country you are teaching in!) They have now made a "ladder" and their feet are the "rungs" of the ladder.

5. Assign each pair of students a number. They don't have to be sequential, but it helps to keep things simple.

6. You then read our some sums.

7. The students listen. If the answer is their number they have to...

TOP

Bottom

a) stand up2) run down the middle of the ladder, over the "rungs" towards the "top" of the ladder (into the screen in this case)c) come back down the outside of the ladder (from the top to the bottom)d) From the bottom go back up the rungs to reach their own place.e) sit down in their own seat.

8. The fastest student gets one point for his or her team!

9. Continue and repeat from step 6.

This game is also called "Chinese ladders". It can also be a bit difficult to explain using only words, so its best to act out what the kids have to do yourself beforehand!

If you have more than 20 students then consider having 2 ladders of 16 students each. If you have an odd number of kids then get their teacher to join in!!

For more fun (and danger!) try saying several sums at once!!

Karuta!Target Grade:1-6Target Maths: Any SumsPreparation: A4 Cards with numbers on themThis is a variation of the traditional Japanese game. It is usually best played in the gym, but sometimes you can get away with it in the class room!!

Do a review of the sums and prepare some A4 cards, each with a number on them.

1. On one side of the room spread out lots of the cards.

2. On the other side of the room the kids form into 4 or 5 groups.

3. The kids line up in parallel lines so the first kid in each group faces the side of the room where the cards are.

4. You say a sum where the answer is on one of the cards.

5. The first kid from each group runs forward towards the cards.

6.The first kid to slap their hand down on the correct card gets a point for their team.

7. These kids return to the back of their group's line. A set of new kids are now at the front.

8. Repeat from step 4.

Make sure you have some ground rules established. For example slapping other kids hands or pushing other kids out of the way results in the offenders team losing 2 points!! Also make sure they only slap their hand onto the cards, if they try and pick them up then the cards will get all messed up.

If there is confusion as to who touched the card first to "Rock, Paper, Scissors" ( Have a look at the Genki English "rock, paper, scissors" song)

If there is a stage in the gym then setting the cards on the stage is a good idea. Accidents are reduced as the kids don't have to bend down to see the cards.

You can also try a desktop version by putting the kids in groups and having mini cards set out on the desk.

Criss Cross Game!Target Grade:1-6Target English: any questionsA quick way to review the current topic.

1. All the students stand up.

2. Ask a question.

3. The student that wants to answer raises their hand.

4. If they get the question right then all the kids in their row of desks (ie. all kids to the left and right of them) sits down.

5. Ask a question. The student that wants to answer raises their hand.

6. This time if they get it correct all the students in the column they are in (all the kids in front and behind them) sit down.

7. Repeat from 2 until only one kid is left standing

If the kids are too keen and everyone wants to answer (or in Junior High when none of them wants to answer!!), then a good way to choose who answers the questions is to use the Ball and Music Game i.e. pass a all around whilst playing some music, when you stop the music that kid has to answer!

Island Hopping!Target Age: Elem 1 to Junior HighThis is a great review game that can either be played on the floor with big A4 cards, or across the desk with smaller ones.The game can be played with any number of players, from 2 to 200 - if you have enough cards!

1. Give each player a pile of cards, each with a number written on them . They can be different cards, but the amount of cards should be the same for each person.

2. The teacher says "go!"

3. The kids pick up the top card of their pile of cards.

4. They shout out the number on the card.

5. They put the card on the floor and walk onto it.

6. Repeat from 3, but this time instead of simpy shouting out the number, they must add this number to the previous one and shout out the answer!

7. Each card has to touch the edge of the previous card.

8. First kid to reach the other side of the classroom wins!

You can add variations such as addding the first number, then subtracting the next one.

For the desktop version you print out smaller cards and they have to race each other to the edge of the desk ( obviously without walking on the cards this time!).

Shiritori!Target Maths: Any sumsTarget grade: Elem 4 to adults

This is a great warm up game from Japan for older elementary or junior high kids! The traditional way to play it is to write a word, then the next kid comes and writes another word that begins with the last letter of the previous word. Like this....

In this maths version the kids have to write a sum on the board. But the first number of their sum has to start with the last number of the previous sum e.g.

1 + 2 = 33 - 2 = 11 + 6 = 77 - 2 = 5 etc.

Here's how to play...

1. Split the kids into groups.

2. Start the stopwatch

3. The front person from each group writes a sum on the board e.g. "4 + 2 = 6"

4. The next person from the group comes up and writes a sum that starts with the last number of the previous sum. e.g. if the last sum was "4 + 2 = 6" the new sum could be "6 - 3 = 3" or "6 + 4 = 10" etc.

5. Repeat from step 4

6. When the time is up, see which team has the most sums!

It's great to play some loud music when the kids are doing this game! You could also decide to give 2 marks for longer or cooler sums!!

Sticky FingersTarget Grade:1-4Target Maths: Any QuestionsYou play this game with 3 kids at a time. For bigger classes you can have several teams going at once.Teach or review some questions , clear some space in the classroom, then...

1. The kids each grab one of the teacher's fingers, which are outstretched as shown.

2. The teacher assigns a special "Secret Answer"

3. One kid shouts out a number e.g. "4"

5. The teacher uses the number to make a sum e.g. 4 + 7 =

6. If the answer to the sum is the "Secret Answer" the kids must run to the far wall.

7. If on the way, the teacher "tigs" a kid, they are out.

8. If a kid lets go when the answer isn't the "Secret Answer" (e.g. if the Secret Answers is "7" and the kid runs when the sum is "3 x 2") then they are out!!

9. Repeat from 2 until only one kid is left.

10. Start again with 3 more kids.

11. When everyone has had a go, try it again with 3 winners. Keep playing with the winners, just like a championship, until you find the ultimate winner!

This game works really well at lower levels. Start off easy, but you can get quite advanced, for example letting all the kids think of a number , e.g. kid one says "2", kid two says " + 4 = 6" then next kid says " * 2 = 12" and then the teacher has to add another part to the sum!

Ostrich Game!Target Grade:1-4Target Maths: Any SumPreparation: Cards + two clips

A very fun game !!

1. All the students form a large ring in the classroom.

2. Select 2 students that will play the game.

3. These 2 then face each other in the centre of the ring.

4. Using a clip fasten a card with a number onto the back of each student.5. The kids must always have their hands behind their back.6. Get them to preform a Sumo Stomp and then say "Ready, steady go!!"7. The kids now have to try and see what card is on their opponents back

8. When they know what's on the card, they put their hand in the air and tell you a sum where the answer is the number on the card. As the teacher you can decide if any sum is OK, or if it has to be a division, addition etc.9. If he/she is correct they win!10. Choose two new students and repeat from step 3.

Make sure the kids who form the ring don't shout out the answer!Insist that the kids always have their hands behind their backs.They must also always stay inside the ring.Jumping is one of the best tactics - hence the "Ostrich Game"!

The Koala GameGrade: 1 to 6Target Maths: Any Sums This is a cool game for smaller classes. You need to prepare 2 or 3 small cuddly toys. Koalas are cool!

1. Sit the kids in a circle. 2. Ask the kids a question e.g. "What's 7 x 3 ?"3. Pass the koala to a kid who answers correctly.4. The kids then pass the koalas amongst themselves. First of all a kid says a sum and then passes the koala to the kid who answers quickest. 5. You can also try a continuous sum e.g. "What's 1 + 2?", then the next kid asks "What's "3 x 5?" etc.

During the practice sessions, the teacher can introduce several koalas so that lots of kids get to practice. This is a really effective game if you give personalities to your cuddly toys. The fact that the animals have names seems to make the kids respect them more and take better care of them!! This is a good game, but don't overplay it!

Stopwatch!Target Grade: anyTarget English: Any SumsThis is a really good game. Suitable for large, or small classes.

1.First of all review the target maths, e.g. multiplication, fractions, sequences etc.

2. Form the kids into a circle.

3. You start the stopwatch and one kid asks a question to the kid sitting next to them

4. This kid answers and asks the kid on their opposite side another question.

5. You continue around the circle. When you get back to the first kid, you stop the stopwatch.

6. Keep playing again and again, trying to beat their "Best Time"!

The stopwatch is vital, without it there is no tension! If the game gets a bit "easy" for them, tell them that they all have to have different types of question! This makes sure they really listen to everyone else!

You can also use this in larger classes. In this case you can keep the kids sat at their desks. Ask the kid in the near right hand corner the question. He/She then asks the person behind. You keep going up and down the rows of kids until the question reaches the front left hand person.

Another variation is to have a big ball. The kids pass this from one person to the next whilst asking and answering the questions.

This is also good in older classes. The teacher starts by asking a question. The second time around, the person sitting next to the teacher chooses the question.

Bargaining Game!Target Grade:2-6Target English: numbers, basic economics shopping skills (!)

Bargaining is a great skill to have, where you gradually beat the seller down from an astronomical to a sensible price. This game introduces this skill and is good practice of numbers.

Preparation

1. Introduce bargaining and where you use it (we don't want them arguing in UK supermarkets or anything)2. Introduce "How much?"3. Practice bargaining with the kids. If you are really persistent they'll love it!4. Make sure they understand that "buyers" want a low price and "sellers" want a high price. This is the economics part of it and may take a while for the kids to get.

The Game

1. Split the class into two halves (left and right side of the class is usually good)

2. One side is then the selling side and one is the buying side.

3. The sellers (individually) have to go and find a "buyer" and sell them something (pens, books etc are usually good, let the kids choose!)

4. The usual conversation is something likeSeller: "Hello. Nice pen!!!"Buyer: "How much?"Seller:"10 dollars "Buyer :"No! 2"Seller "No! 9!"etc. etc.

5. Give them a time limit of about 3/4 minutes (I usually count down the last ten seconds to add to the tension)

6. Afterwards sit them down and find out who did the best, and who did the worst!

7. Redo the game this time with the kids changing roles, i.e. the buyers become sellers and vice versa.

The price range should be fixed in a range from around 1 to 10. This makes sure they all know the numbers, and makes comparing who got the best price a lot easier. Make sure there are equal numbers of kids on each side - if you have an odd number then involve the teacher.The time limit is important, without it there is no tension!Tell them to be pushy, but watch they don't start hitting each other!!

GenkiMaths.com Bingo!Target Grade: 1-6Target Maths: basic sumsA fun twist on the old classic.

Game Part A

1. Give all the kids a copy of the worksheet. They draw a picture of themselves in the middle.

2. In the middle square they write an age. Not their own age, but any age between 1 and 12. If the kids are all tending to write the same age, use dice to choose. Or tell them to write an age between 1 and 12 and then swap sheets with the person next to them!

3. They then go and ask their friends "Hello, how old are you?"

4. The friend responds by saying "I'm... " and then the age that is written in their middle square.

5. The person who asked then writes this age in one of his/her vacant places on the worksheet.

6. If they already have that age written down they must pass and go and find someone who has a different age!!

7. The game finishes when everyone has filled all 9 squares.

Game Part B

1. Everyone sits down in their seats.

2. You play the Ball and Music game, by having two balls passed around whilst playing some music. The kids could even pass around 2 mobile phones!

3. When the music stops, the two kids who have the balls (or phones ) make a sum i.e. the first kid thinks of a number (e.g. "7"), the second kid uses this number to make a sum where the answer is a number between 1 and 12 (e.g. 7 + 3 = 10) .

4. If anyone in the class has this answer on their card they put a cross through it. ( If the kid who says the sum is clever they'll obviously make the answer a number they haven't crossed out yet!)

5. The first person to get 3 in a row wins!! (Or whichever bingo rules you wish to choose!)

Make sure the kids write down a variety of ages. For example if everyone puts down "7" then it'll get pretty boring!!!.

For part B, another way to select the students is to have them make a big circle. At one side their are a pair of desks they must walk through, and at the other side of the circle there are another two desks to walk through. You play some music and the kids walk. When you stop the music, the kids stop. One kid should be in between each pair of desks. These two kids then do the conversation.

What Time is it Mr Wolf? Target Grade:1-4Target Maths: Telling the timeThis is a traditional kids game. You also need the gym to play it in!

1. Introduce and practice with the kids the phrase "What time is it?"

2. Practice the responses "it's 1 o'clock" "2 o'clock" etc.

3. Introduce the name of the game.

4. All the kids line up against one wall of the gym.

5. One kid is selected as Mr ( or Ms of course!) Wolf who then walks to the middle of the gym.

6. The students objective is to reach the far wall. Mr Wolf's objective is to eat the other kids.

7. The kids shout out "What time is it Mr. Wolf?" in a big, huge voice.

8. Mr Wolf then shouts back the time. The time can be anything from 1 to 12 o'clock.e.g. "It's seven o'clock"

9. The kids then take the corresponding number of steps forward. For example 3 steps for 3 o'clock.

7. Repeat from step 7.

8. When Mr. Wolf decides that the other kids have got near enough the far wall (really his house) then instead of saying "it's ..... o'clock" he says "It's Dinner Time!!!!!".

9. All the kids then run back towards the wall they came from. But if Mr Wolf tigs (touches) them before they reach the wall then they become the new Mr Wolf!

10. Play Again!

You can either have Mr Wolf be replaced one at a time, or have several Mr Wolfs (e.g. if the first Mr Wolf tagged 3 kids there would be 3 new wolves).

Make sure the kids only take large steps, and not massive huge jumping leaps that some of them will be tempted to do!

It's good for about 20 minutes, which is usually enough time to let everyone be the wolf

String Game!Target Grade:2-6Target Maths: Counting or basic sumsPreparation: Pieces of string of various lengthsThis is a very popular game!

1. Split the class into groups of 4 or 5 people.

2. Tell them to Rock, Paper, Scissors ( see the Genki English song) within the group to select who will be the first person, the second, third etc.

3. The first person from each group stands up and takes a piece of string from your hand.

4. The person with the longest piece gets to play the game.

5. That kid then comes to the front.

6. The student then winds the string around their finger. But they can only wind the string when they are saying outloud an sums they know.

7. When they are not talking they can't wind the string. They only wind when they are saying sums.

8. When they get to the end their team gets a point. The kids return the string to the teacher.

9. The second in line kid from each group stands up and each takes a piece of string.

10. Continue from step 5.

For the string I use brightly coloured shoe laces. I have four that are just one lace long, 3 that are 2 strings tied together, one that is 3 laces long and one that is four laces long. That way its easy to compare who has the longest string!

The kids learn to cheat by watching what colour is the longest. But if you have each end of the long ones a different colour you can change which end is at the top and hence confuse them!

Another good idea is to play the Criss Cross game and have the last three kids come to the front to play the String Game! This time all 3 of them have to speak, but some people will have short strings which is quite fun!

The coolest thing about this is that sometimes kids will be convinced they can't get to the end of the string. They may even begin to cry! But if you have taught them the golden rule of "losing doesn't mean losing, it just means try again!", their friends will keep pushing them on saying "You can do it!". Once they do get to the end they'll have a huge feeling of achievement!

Body Building Game!Target Grade:1-6Target Maths: Any questions or sumsPreparation: an inflatable diceThis is the perfect game to be used in a variety of ways for reviewing different topics.

Make sure the kids remember the words for parts of the body (head, eye, ear, mouth, nose, arm and leg) and then... 1. Split the class into 6 teams. If they are in columns of desks then saying the left had column is team 1, the next team 2 etc. is usually the best.

2.On the board draw 6 limbless, featureless faces and bodies.

3. Tell the front person in each group to stand up.

4. You then ask the kids who are stood up a question e.g. "What's 3 x 6?" or "What's this shape?" or even things like "How many legs does a spider have?" The quickest one to answer is the winner.

5. The winner rolls the inflatable dice.

6. If they get a "1" they can draw an eye on their team's face. If they have a "2" they can draw an ear. Similarly,"3" is a nose, "4" is a mouth, "5" is an arm and "6" is a leg.

Here we threw a "5" so can draw an arm!

7. But each team can only have one nose, one mouth, and two each of the ears, eyes, arms and legs. For example if your team has already 2 arms, and you roll another number "5" then that go is a "pass" because you can't add another arm! This really helps the weaker teams catch up (and sometimes win!!!)

8. The next person in each group stands up and repeat from step 4

9. The winning team is the first team to get 2 eyes, 2 ears, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 2 arms and 2 legs. If you run out of time then the team with the most features is the winner! The eyes, ears, etc. are drawn on one at a time.In Primary School the kids can get very good and it can often be difficult to tell who has answered the question the fastest! I'm still working on this problem, trying making the questions more difficult helps a bit.Different numbers of students on each team can be good as you have different opponents each time.

Banana Tree Game!Target Grade:1-6Target Maths: Any Questions

Instructions

This is basically a scoring game, and can be used in various different ways. Here's one variation using the Ball and Music Game.

1. Put the kids in groups (6 is usually good), but keep them seated at their desks.

2. Draw pictures of trees on the board, one tree for each group. Each tree has 9 "rungs" (add more or less depending on the amount of time you wish to play), and some bananas at the top. (see the picture above) This takes about 1 minute if you're quick!3. Each team then has an animal which will climb the tree (e.g. Monkey, Koala, but also things like "cow" or "helicopter" are very amusing!). Explain that the aim of the game is to eat the bananas at the top!

4. During the game you play some music (something fast and dancey). When the music plays the kids pass a ball around (no throwing!!).

5. You stop the music.

6. You then ask the person holding the ball a question ( e.g. "What's 2 x 8?" , "What's the next number 3, 6, 9 , 12 ?" etc. )

7. If the student gets it right then their team's animal climbs one rung up the tree!

8. Repeat from step 4 until one team reaches the top - and the bananas!

9 rungs lasts about 20 minutes. After the first few tries I then ask questions that are worth 2 "rungs", or even ask the kids if they want an easy question for 1 point or a tricky one for 2 points!!

The best thing about this game is that the kids really think that being a helcopter gives them an advantage or being a hippo hinders them!

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The Game in Pictures

Everyone starts at the bottom of the tree!

The Koala Team have got 2 questions right, so have moved up 2 places!

The Helicopter team only needs one more correct answer to reach the bananas!!

Grand Prix Game!Target Grade:1-6

Preparation:2 paper cut out racing cards with magnets on the backThis is a method of counting how many points teams have in a game. It is similar to the Ski Game or the Banana Tree Game.

1. Draw a "race track" on the board from right to left. Have two lanes and several "markers" along the track (eight markers will last about 20 minutes).

2. Have two cut out race cars and place them on the start line. The two cars should be two different colours (e.g. red and blue)

3. Assign the kids to either red or blue teams. (A good way is by starting with the kid at the near left corner of the room and saying "you are blue". Then "You are red" to the next kid, etc.)

4. Say "Red team stand up". Just to make sure everyone remembers what team they're on!

5 Play some music and pass a ball around to select a student ( see the Banana Tree Game )

6. If they are correct their car moves one space along the track towards the finish.

This is a fun game, especially if you make racing car zooming noises when the cars move or overtake (or even use a music keyboard if it has the sounds built in!!!!)

If time is getting short then make each question worth 2 points instead of one.

Ski Game!Target Grade:1-6Preparation: One paper cut out skier, and one snowboarder

This is a method of counting how many points teams have in a game. It is similar to the Grand Prix Game or the Banana Tree Game.

1. Draw a "ski track" on the board from right to left. Have several "markers" along the track (eight markers will last about 20 minutes), and a start and finish gate.

2. Have a cut out skier and a cut out snowboarder and place them (using magnets) on the start line.

3. Assign the kids to either ski or snowboard teams. A good way is by starting with the kid at the near left corner of the room and saying "ski". Then "snowboard" to the next kid, etc.

4. Say "ski team stand up". Just to make sure everyone remembers what team they're on!

5 Play some music and pass a ball to select a student ( see the banana tree game ) . Ask them a question.

6. If they are correct the skier or snowboarder moves one space along the track towards the finish.

This is a cool game to play in the winter (its not much good in June, unless you're in the Southern Hemisphere of course!!)

If time is getting short then make each question worth 2 points instead of one.

The Tower GameTarget Grade: Kindergarten - adultsTarget Maths: Anything

This is another "scoring system" like the Banana Tree Gameor Grand Prix game1. Play a game like the Ball and Music ( see the Banana Tree Game ) or stopwatch (or see the bottom of this page for the cool "double stopwatch tower game!" explanation!)2. The person chosen answers a question and if they are correct they come to the front and has 5 seconds to build their tower as high as possible.

3. Repeat from 1.4. At the end of the time, the team with the tallest tower is the winner! The good part is that if one team's tower falls, then they have to start again with what's left. This means that weaker teams always have the chance of beating better teams!You can use any type of block from large plastic bricks to dominoes.The 5 second time limit is very important as it keeps the game moving. The kids also have to think a bit, either placing one block on safely, or maybe taking a risk in trying to put on 2 blocks!You can do this with up to 4 teams. One brilliant way to play this is the "Double Stopwatch Tower Game". This is similar to the stopwatch game. But this time you have 2 circles. When you say "Go", one person in each team asks a question to the next person in their circle. The fastest team to have the question go round the circle wins. They do the tower building bit. Then do the question asking part again, this time starting from the next person in the circle. Of course the teams have to have equal numbers. Keep an eye on the questions to make sure they don't all say "What's 1 +1?". You could try saying that all the sums have to be multiplications or fractions or each person has to ask a different type of sum.