Two counting and reasoning games to play in Reception over the next few weeks, that children can also play at home
Obviously, all our focus is on the wellbeing of our children, especially now, as many haven’t been attending school for a long period, a period which might well have been very traumatic for many.
Maybe these games will focus a little on our mathematical wellbeing – our children’s (and our) confidence and enjoyment in mathematics. Whilst giving us the chance to observe what they have remembered as well is what is more shaky. Realising that some of your class will be in school and some not, both of these games could be played equally well at home.
Or indeed over a video link with one person telling the other what to do with the resources. Or you could play against your ‘class’. Children playing in partners can be very powerful as they are encouraged to discuss what to do each time.
‘Take 1,2 or 3’
You need: Each pair of children, or child and adult, needs:
· A dish of some sort (or draw a dish on paper)
· 12 items placed in it. Count the items into the dish together.
To play: Decide who starts. When it is your turn, you can choose to remove 1, 2, OR 3 items from the dish.
The person who is left taking the last item, looses.
Play again (and again, and again). Can you make your opponent loose? How? Does it matter who starts?
What happens if? …
… You start with fewer items? … You can only take 1 or 2? … The one left taking the last one is the winner? … if more people play?
What will you try?
'Zap!'
You need:
· A dish of pennies or similar, paper and pens.
· At least one dice each, which read: ‘1,2,3,4, ZAP, ZAP.’
OR you can make a spinner with a paperclip like this:
To play: Firstly, each player draws a wallet or purse to keep their loot in. Now decide who starts. When it is your turn, roll the dice and take that number of pennies – DON’T PUT THEM IN YOU PURSE YET! You can roll the dice as many times as you like when it is your turn and keep on taking that amount of pennies, BUT if you roll “ZAP”, you have to return the pennies for that turn back to the dish. The trick is deciding when to stop and put the pennies safely in your purse!
First player to have 20 pence safely in their purse, wins.
How are you deciding what to do when it is your turn?
What happens if? …
… you play until the pennies run out and see who has the most?
… you change the dice a little? You can decide how.
Enjoy these games … more to follow!