Walk into my classroom on any given day and you’ll see students playing math games. Games spark instant engagement and are a great way to practice math concepts. They teach students important social skills and provide opportunities to build relationships with their peers. Simply put, games are fun…and we want students to have fun, right?
Playing Games in a Pandemic
The pandemic forced me to rethink how I implemented math games in my classroom. Early on, students were not allowed to share materials, so playing a typical board game was out of the question. I was determined to find a way to provide these activities for my students. If there was ever a need for play in the classroom, it was during the pandemic.
Once I figured out how to embed dice in Google Slides, I added game pieces and set the game board as the background. Not only was this fairly simple, but my students also loved playing digital games! As I watched them play, I began to see the benefits of going digital.
Digital vs. Printable
There are 3 main reasons why I prefer digital math games over printable ones. First, all materials (dice, game pieces) are embedded, making them a NO PREP resource and mess-free!
Second, if students don’t finish playing in one class period, they can pick up where they left off the next day and actually finish the game. Students often run out of time with printable games and never finish playing.
The third thing I love about digital games is that I can view their progress at any time and even comment on their game. This creates more accountability and ownership than they had with printable math games.
Bump Game - A classroom Favorite
In this factor game, students roll two dice, add them together, and locate that number on the table. They then cover a baseball which shows a factor of that number. Students love this game because of the ability to “bump” their opponent’s game piece off the board when they also play that space.
However, once a player has two game pieces covering one space, that space is locked and cannot be bumped. The first player to place all 10 of their game pieces on the board wins!
Digital > Printable
Digital games solved every single problem I had with printable games. I no longer had students playing around with materials or throwing dice across the room. Gone were the days of game pieces being spread all over the floor (and so often never put away). Games did not become damaged from poor treatment. Once I went digital, I never went back!
All math games are created using Google Slides, making them super easy to assign to students. I’ve used Google Classroom as well as Schoology, and both platforms are teacher-friendly when it comes to assigning games.
If you haven’t used digital math games, I hope I’ve convinced you to give them a shot! They are perfect for math choice boards and early finishers, and can even be sent home to play as a family.
Click HERE to visit my TPT store where you’ll find over 40 fourth-grade math games to choose from!
If games are your thing, then Episode 18 of Elementary Math Chat is a must-listen! I share 7 review games to play in the classroom, and you can listen HERE or on your preferred listening app!
Until next time,
Happy Teaching!
-Annamarie
P.S. If you like digital resources, read this BLOG POST all about digital Boom Cards!