The holidays are time for family, friends, games and learning! At FACTS Education Solutions, we provide family engagement activity ideas to inspire learning during holiday and summer breaks to help students graduate from Title I programs.

Here are a couple of inexpensive ways your student can enhance their math skills while having fun.

Math Wars

The only thing you need is a deck of cards — playing cards, Uno, Dutch Blitz, or Phase 10.

Addition War:

  1. If you’re using playing cards, remove the king, queen, jack and wilds from the deck.
  2. Divide up the cards evenly among the players.
  3. Each player turns over two cards slowly, then races against the other players to declare the sum of the two cards drawn. (Ace = 1)
  4. If he/she is correct, that person gets to keep the two cards.
  5. Whoever has the most cards at the end of the game is the winner!
  6. Bonus: To add a dash of excitement, play the “Slapjack” variation, where the first person to gently slap the table gets to say what they think the answer is first.

Variations:

  • Subtraction War — A player turns over two cards. The fastest player to subtract the smaller number from the largest number collects the cards.
  • Multiplication War — A player turns over two cards. The fastest player to multiply the two numbers collects the cards.
  • Which is Greater? — Two players turn over one card each. Whoever has the largest number keeps both cards.
  • Greater Than or Less Than — A player turns over two cards, then must identify the correct number comparison (i.e. “Ten is greater than three”).
  • Make 10 — Each player turns over two cards. Whoever has two cards that add closest to 10, wins both cards.

 

Roshambo

On the count of three, players show an amount of fingers instead of rock, paper, or scissors.

  • Look at both hands, then add, subtract, or multiply the fingers.
  • The first person to state the answer gets a point.
  • The first player to 10 points wins!

 

Roll of the Dice

  • Starting level: Each player rolls two dice and adds the two numbers together. The player with the highest sum wins a point.
  • Next level: Subtract the two numbers instead. The player with the lowest difference wins.
  • Top level: Multiply the two numbers together. The player with the highest product wins.

 

Dominos

Dominos is a great way to practice larger number problems. Take two dominos and line them up horizontally.

  • The first domino has a 4 and a 2, so it equals 42.
  • The second domino has a 1 and 6, so it equals 16.
  • Practice adding (42 + 16) or multiplying the two big numbers (42 x 16).

Sneak in some fun, family bonding learning with your child this holiday!