How to use a set of standard cards for multiplication games
Are you looking for a fun and easy way to practice multiplication facts with your kids? Do you want to spice up your math lessons with some engaging games that will make learning more enjoyable? If so, you will love this blog post, where I will share with you how to use standard cards set for multiplication games!
A set of standard cards is a versatile and inexpensive tool that you can use for many different math activities. You can find them at any dollar store or online, and they usually come with 52 cards (13 of each suit) and 2 jokers. For most of the multiplication games I will show you, you will need to remove the jokers and assign values to the face cards. Here are some suggestions:
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- Ace = 1
- Jack = 10
- Queen = 11
- King = 12
You can also use different values for the face cards depending on the level of difficulty you want. For example, you can make them all equal to 10, or you can make them equal to 0.
Now that you have your cards ready, let me show you some of the best multiplication games you can play with them. These games are suitable for kids in grades 3 and up, and they can be played individually, in pairs, or small groups. They are also great for reinforcing other math skills, such as addition, subtraction, division, and mental math.
Multiplication Games with a Set of Standard Cards
Here are some simple ideas for effectively learning how to use a set of standard cards for multiplication games.
Multiplication War Game
This is a classic card game that can be adapted for multiplication practice. The goal is to win all the cards by having the highest product in each round.
How to play:
- Shuffle the cards and deal them evenly among the players. Each player keeps their cards face down in a pile.
- At the same time, each player flips over two cards from their pile and places them face up on the table.
- Each player multiplies the values of their two cards and announces their product out loud.
- The player with the highest product wins all the cards on the table and adds them to their own pile.
- If there is a tie, the players who tied flip over two more cards each and multiply them. The player with the highest product wins all the cards on the table.
The game continues until one player has all the cards or until a time limit is reached.
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Multiplication Go Fish Game
This is a variation of the popular Go Fish game, where the goal is to make pairs of cards that have a product of a certain number.
How to play:
- Choose a target number for the products, such as 12, 24, or 36.
- Shuffle the cards and deal 5 cards to each player. Place the remaining cards face down in a draw pile.
- The first player asks another player if they have a card that would make a pair with one of their cards that has a product of the target number. For example, if the target number is 24 and the first player has a 6, they can ask: "Do you have a 4?"
- If the other player has the card, they must give it to the first player, who then places the pair face up on the table.
- If the other player does not have the card, they say: "Go fish!" and the first player draws a card from the draw pile.
The turn passes to the next player clockwise. - The game ends when all the pairs have been made or when there are no more cards left in the draw pile.
- The player with the most pairs wins.
Multiplication Bingo Game
This is a fun game that can be played with any number of players. The goal is to be the first to get five products in a row on a bingo card.
How to play:
- Print out bingo cards with different products on them. You can use this free printable or make your own.
- Shuffle the cards and place them face down in a draw pile.
- Each player gets a bingo card and some markers (such as coins or beans).
- One player acts as the caller and draws a card from the draw pile. They announce the values of the two cards, such as: "3 times 4".
- The players look at their bingo cards and mark off any product that matches what was called.
- The caller draws another card and repeats until someone gets five products in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) and shouts: "Bingo!"
- The first player to get bingo wins.
I hope you enjoyed these multiplication games with cards and that you will try them out with your kids or students. They are sure to make math more fun and exciting!
