Young students love games. So if you want them to practice a certain skill, you add it into a game. That is why I made games for addition. My 2nd grade students love them! 

 

Games for Addition

 

I love these games with addition because they work as great fast finisher activities. I set them out in my classroom and when students finish their work early, they can play a game. This makes it so students can practice addition without any additional classroom time being used.

These addition games for the classroom also work great as center activities. I have them premade so I just set them in for a center as needed. I usually am working with a group of students during our centers time. But if I have to do any testing with students that week, I will have students plan an addition game instead. It works great!

So let’s get into the 7 games for addition that help students learn their addition facts.

 

Games with Addition

 

Bingo

This is a great game you can play with your whole class or students can play with a small group. Each student gets a playing board and then take turns pulling out an addition equation. Then all the students playing find the answer to that equation on their playing board. Five in a row gets them a bingo!

Find this Addition Bingo game here.

 

Old Maid

This is a classic card game where I have added addition facts in. When students get a match, they have to say the answer to the addition equation on the cards.

Find this Old Maid game here.

 

Go Fish

This is another classic card game where I have put in addition facts. Again, when students lay down a fact, they say the answer to the addition fact on the cards. To keep students accountable, I have a recording page where students write the equations and answers.

Find this Addition Go Fish game here.

 

War

For this game, a small group of students play with cards that have addition equations on them. They pass out the cards face down to all the players until all the cards are gone. Each player stacks their cards in the pile facing down. On the count of three, each player flips over their top card. Each player says the answer to their addition fact. Then the player with the highest sum, takes all the cards and puts them on the bottom of their pile. Then they continue another round by each flipping over another card.

Find this Addition War Game here.

 

Don’t Eat Pete

This is a simple game that students love. There is a playing board with the grid that holds 12 addition equations. A small group of students play by setting a “marker” on each equation square. These could be bingo markers, candy, or dried beans. One player leaves so they can’t see or hear the group. The group chooses one square to be “Pete.” The one player comes back and starts to pick off the “markers” and  say the addition fact answer to each square they pick up. When they get to the square the group chose as “Pete” the group says,”Don’t Eat Pete!” That player’s turn is now over.

I have monthly themed playing boards for this game. I use it all year round and students never get sick of it. I also have versions that are differentiated. There are some boards with easier facts and harder facts. So I can get students the practice they need. Find this Addition Don’t Eat Pete game here.

 

Memory Match

Memory Match is another simple game that students love. I have cards that have an addition equation and cards that have the matching answer. Students lay on the cards face down in a grid. They then take turns flipping over two cards. If it’s a match they go again. If it’s not, they flip back over the cards and it’s the next player’s turn. The player at the end with the most matches wins.

I also have a version of this game where there is an equation and a matching ten frame. Students love it as well. Find this Addition Memory Match game here.

 

Board Games

These boards games have a similar layout as Candy Land. The board has the answers to addition facts. Students play by picking up a card and then going to the next spot with that sum. The player that gets to the end first wins. Find these Addition Board Games here.

Play these games for addition in your classroom to watch your students have fun while they practice their addition facts. I have found that students are most successful with these games after I have taught them math fact strategies. These strategies are important because they help students get to the answer even if they don’t have it memorized. That way they are never stuck, they can always find the answer. But the cool thing is, when they play these games after learning those strategies, they are seeing those connections and relationships between the numbers and they commit the facts to memory.

 

Wondering what strategies I’m talking about? Check out this blog post: Math Fact Strategies That Work

 

For more tips to get your 1st and 2nd grade students to math fact fluency, check out my free worksheet for teachers: The 7 Steps to Ensure Fact Fluency

Download it here.