See Adding and Subtracting Positive and Negative Numbers for some suggestions of how to use this game as part of introductory work on Directed Numbers.

Possible approach

Introduce the game by demonstrating with one learner, or against the whole group. You could print a larger version of the board and stick it on the wall, with blu-tack on the back of the balloons.

Allow learners to play the game, either in pairs against each other, or in fours of two against two. Explain to learners that they should be checking each others' moves - even though they are competing, they should be critical friends if pointing out errors (such as moving the balloon in the wrong direction).

Once they've got the hang of it, bring the group back together to explain (or demonstrate) the Alternative Balloon Game. Although the game can be played one-on-one, having learners play two against two will encourage them to justify their reasoning. Insist that each pair agrees about how to arrange their cards before they move their balloon. After each round has finished, you could invite pairs to act as critical friends to their opponents, telling them if they think the cards could have been arranged in a better way.

As students are playing, listen for good insights or strategies that can be shared with the whole group. You could write these on the board, and when you stop the game, ask the learners to explain their ideas. Compare these between groups and draw out some general rules.

If you still have time, you could introduce the Highest Totals Game and/or Throwing Away Zeros. Demonstrate your chosen game against one or more learners, and then let pairs of learners play the game against other pairs. Again, insist that each pair agrees on their card arrangement before submitting their move. This will challenge them to consider all their options and to listen to each others' contributions.