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This article supplies teachers with information that may be useful in better understanding the nature of games and their role in teaching and learning mathematics.
In this article for teachers, Liz Woodham describes the criteria she uses to choose mathematical games for the classroom and shares some examples from NRICH.
Gillian Hatch analyses what goes on when mathematical games are used as a pedagogic device.
Not all of us a bursting with creative game ideas, but there are several ways to go about creating a game that will assist even the busiest and most reluctant game designer.
This article, the second in the series, looks at some different types of games and the sort of mathematical thinking they can develop.
Everthing you have always wanted to do with dominoes! Some of these games are good for practising your mental calculation skills, and some are good for your reasoning skills.
The game uses a 3x3 square board. 2 players take turns to play, either placing a red on an empty square, or changing a red to orange, or orange to green. The player who forms 3 of 1 colour in a line. . . .
A complicated game played on a 9 x 9 checkered grid.
A game for 2 players. Take turns to place a counter so that it occupies one of the lowest possible positions in the grid. The first player to complete a line of 4 wins.
In this game, you can add, subtract, multiply or divide the numbers on the dice. Which will you do so that you get to the end of the number line first?
An ordinary set of dominoes can be laid out as a 7 by 4 magic rectangle in which all the spots in all the columns add to 24, while those in the rows add to 42. Try it! Now try the magic square...
A game for 1 person to develop stategy and shape and space awareness. 12 counters are placed on a board. Counters are removed one at a time. The aim is to be left with only 1 counter.
This is a game for 2 players. Each player has 4 counters each, and wins by blocking their opponent's counters. A good follow-on from two stones.
Reasoning based on this Japanese activity.
A game played with a standard pack of cards.
Basic strategy games are particularly suitable as starting points for investigations. Players instinctively try to discover a winning strategy, and usually the best way to do this is to analyse. . . .
You'll need two dice to play this game against a partner. Will Incey Wincey make it to the top of the drain pipe or the bottom of the drain pipe first?
Can you work out how to win this game of Nim? Does it matter if you go first or second?
A fun game for two. You'll need some counters.
Here is a version of the game 'Happy Families' for you to make and play.
Can you use the numbers on the dice to reach your end of the number line before your partner beats you?
A game for 2 players. This could be played outside with people instead of counters. Try to trap or escape from your opponent.
Here are a collection of games from around the world to try during the holidays or the last few weeks of term.
Solve this Sudoku puzzle whose clues are in the form of sums of the numbers which should appear in diagonal opposite cells.
An interactive game to be played on your own or with friends. Imagine you are having a party. Each person takes it in turns to stand behind the chair where they will get the most chocolate.
A game for 2 people. Use your skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to blast the asteroids.
Play this well-known game against the computer where each player is equally likely to choose scissors, paper or rock. Why not try the variations too?
A game for 2 people that can be played on line or with pens and paper. Combine your knowledege of coordinates with your skills of strategic thinking.
An old game but lots of arithmetic!
An interactive activity for one to experiment with a tricky tessellation
A game for two players on a large squared space.
This is a challenging game of strategy for two players with many interesting variations.
A game for 2 people using a pack of cards Turn over 2 cards and try to make an odd number or a multiple of 3.
A game for 2 or more players with a pack of cards. Practise your skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to hit the target score.
Take it in turns to place a domino on the grid. One to be placed horizontally and the other vertically. Can you make it impossible for your opponent to play?
Work out the fractions to match the cards with the same amount of money.
A train building game for 2 players.
Take it in turns to make a triangle on the pegboard. Can you block your opponent?
A card pairing game involving knowledge of simple ratio.
A fun puzzle with tantrix tiles.
Have a go at this game which involves throwing two dice and adding their totals. Where should you place your counters to be more likely to win?
A game somewhat similar to 'noughts and crosses' on a much larger space.
A shunting puzzle for 1 person. Swop the positions of the counters at the top and bottom of the board.
A game for 2 players. Practises subtraction or other maths operations knowledge.
This is a game for two players. Can you find out how to be the first to get to 12 o'clock?
A game for two players. You'll need some counters.
The computer starts with all the lights off, but then clicks 3, 4 or 5 times at random, leaving some lights on. Can you switch them off again?
A game for two players. You'll need some counters and somewhere to draw a board.
This is a game for two players.