The following math games are wonderful for number recognition, one to one correspondence, counting, taking turns, and beginning addition.

Addition – the game of friendship!  This is a fun little game to play and easy to make. It has three objectives – to practice identifying less than and more than; to add two numbers together and to correctly identify number symbols.
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To play:

  • Roll a dice twice to get two different numbers that you will count out markers into the circles on the game board using the “jewels.”  The number that is less goes into Princess Less's yellow circle and the number that is more goes into the Princess More's bigger circle.
  • Princess Less becomes good friends with Princess More.  How many are there when they share and join their jewels together?  Have child touch each jewel to determine how many.
  • Next, the child must find that number in the number cards and put it on the green heart – I put the two wooden Princesses next to the number card and heart to show the joining.

This game is wonderful for helping children have an imagination of what addition does as an action.  It is a bringing together, a joining, and sharing.  Do not be concerned with the equal sign yet.  At this stage we are just practicing the two functions identifying sets by size and the joining of two sets.

Once upon a time there lived a wee little princess named Princess Less and a princess named Princess More.  Princess Less always seemed to have less than Princess More.  AND – Princess More always seemed to have more than Princess Less.  One day Princess Less decided to go to the Queen to find out how she could be have more and live happily ever after.  The Queen told her, “Dear wee Princess Less if you become friends with Princess More – you both will have more!  Life is sweeter when you join together with friends. There is always more when friends share.”  Princess Less was so happy!  That day she went to see Princess More and became friends!  And in their friendship they found they had more than ever! 
 Make game board by cutting a 12 x 12 scrapbook paper into a crown shape.  Cut out a heart shape and put it at the middle the crown at the top.  Glue down the circles found in the link I have provided.  I used two wooden characters found at Micheal's.  I modge podged heart tissue paper on to the wooden figures.


Click here for Addition Board and Cards


War of The Kingdoms
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You need as many game boards as players.  Minimum of two boards/players.  Each game board is a kingdom.  The player is the King or Queen of that Kingdom.  You can cut the scrapbook paper or construction paper as a crown or in a castle shape.

Click here for Twenty's Board

This is a game where the players roll the dice and then put that number of markers down on the board.  The first player to fill their 20's board, is the Kingdom that wins!

The Counting House
This is a perfect game to use pennies as the counters.  The child simply rolls the dice and puts that many pennies to the 30's grid until it is filled.  But not before they hear the story of Mr. Thirty:
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Once there was a man named Thirty.  He loved to wander the wood and spend his days walking .  He loved the sun and the sweet smell of the morning dew.  One day the King stopped him on the road.  “How many are you?!”  Demanded the King.  “Why I am not sure because no one has asked before!” answered Thirty.   The king looked at Thirty and saw that he had three rows of ten but he wanted to be sure.  He sent Thirty to his huge Counting House and demanded he be counted for!  Please check for the King – roll the King's royal dice and fill Thirty.  How many coins did it take?

To make game board cut out a crown shape from a 12 x 12 sheet of scrapbook paper.  Print the 30's grid on to crown.  Put 30 pennies into a little bag or basket.  Find a little character to be Mr. or Mrs. Thirty.  


Click here for Thirty's Board
 

Laminate boards for durability.  These games should be played with adult supervision and are intended for children 5 years old or older as they use small pieces on the game boards.  Please adjust for safety if you are making these for younger children.