This fun game uses 'Top Trumps' style cards to enable children to practice addition and multiplication strategies while reinforcing correct mathematical vocabulary. There are 36 cards; each featuring an image of a mathstick figure and two mathematical statements. The first statment on each card is an addition and the other a multiplication. While playing a Top Trumps type game, the children challenge each other as to whose card displays the higer value - product or sum! However, the educational value does not end there... The statements offer four different mathematical elements (or categories), as well as the product or the sum, players can also use individual factors or addends. This game is ideal for Key Stage 2 children who have a reasonable understanding of multiplication facts and addition strategies. The download features my teacher notes and a set of 36 printable cards. Full details at www.mathsticks.com

A large part of becoming familiar with multiplication facts (Times Tables) is using them regularly in different situations. This series of games makes use of a set of Function Machine cards, the children are thinking about factors while constantly reinforcing their knowledge of products. This resource consists of a carefully chosen set of 36 Machine cards, and 9 Multiplication cards which can act as labels. The Machine cards each depict a factor and a product. Think of these cards as function machines, where the function is always multiplication. The downloadable file explains how to play versions of Bingo, Happy Families, Top Trumps and a solitaire sorting game, Solo. It is an 8-page pdf file with full playing instructions, 36 Machine Cards and 9 Multiplication Cards.

A Halloween themed measuring activity/game. The children can use the broomstick images as non-standard units for measuring items, or estimate and then measure each broomstick in cm. Full activity details on the mathsticks.com website.

This decimal bingo game gives children lots of practice adding decimals and doesn't feel like it relies too much on luck. The children can use a host of mental math strategies while playing; so it's not just a 'hunt and cover' game. The pdf file includes two sets of 6 game boards. One set uses numbers to only one decimal place, the remaing set stretches to two decimal places. There are nine different 'target' cards displaying a 'Bingo number' of either 1, 1.5 or 2. Each child has their own 'Decimals bingo board' and a set of counters. Each 'Decimal board' displays a set of 14 decimal numbers. The game plays like normal bingo except that playrs cover two numbers on each go - the numbers which give a total of the bingo number drawn. Full details (and illustrations) are on my www.mathsticks.com website.

This Pirate-themed addition game was designed to give young children plenty of opportunities to reason mathematically and add numbers. The players have a Pirate game board between them and a pile of 10 coloured counters each. They take it in turn to roll three dice. The player who rolled now works out the sum of the three numbers and looks for this number on the board. If the number is available he/she can cover it with one of their own counters. Play passes to the next player who does the same. This is repeated until one person has managed to use all 10 of his/her counters… or until the board is full. Where’s the learning? The mathematical learning is in the repeated addition and (importantly) in the sharing of strategies. See the mathsticks site for fuller information about the pedagogical teaching behind this activity.

This calculator activity is my development of one which was published as part of the National Numeracy Strategy in 1999. It has a dual focus; the first one (as you might expect) is to involve the children in accurately using a calculator. The second is to engage the children in reading numerical vocabulary. The download file contain a series of 32 individual question cards. Print out, and then cut up into separate cards Let the children work in pairs, give each pair a number of cards, and a calculator. In their pairs the children take it in turns to be the ‘reader’ and the ‘calculator’. The ‘reader’ selects a card and calls out the numbers (keeping the ‘Check’ value hidden). Their partner listens carefully and enters the numbers into the calculator, adding them in the process. Once complete, the child with the calculator reveals the total, if it matches the ‘Check’ value on the card they know the reader and the calcuator user were both accurate. They can keep the card. If the sum and the ‘Check’ number does not match they should replace the card in order to repeat it again later. The children swap roles and continue until all of their cards have been used. Further details at www.mathsticks.com

The Mathematics Medicine booklet consists of 8 pages of maths problems suitable for Year 3 children. The booklet uses the idea of a weird ‘medicine’ recipe from Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine. In this maths resource, George’s teacher has designed his own weird medicine and the ingredients are all hidden inside this book of problems. The children are presented with a series of problems and puzzles, each of which is based on a calculation skill linked to the National Curriculum. As they solve the problems they will reveal the strange ingredient’s in their teachers recipe. Have fun. Note - this works best when printed as an A5 (folding) booklet - there are instructions on the pdf for this. Alos see mathsticks.com for more information. Please rate!