The Race to 100 Learning Game is a simple, competitive card game to help your kids practice addition or subtraction. It’s perfect for first and second graders.
What you’ll need:
- Paper and Pencil
- Deck of Cards or
- Number Flash Cards
How to Play Race to 100
Addition Version:
First, pick a number as a goal. If your child is just beginning, you can use a lower number than 100. Your child will draw cards and add them up as they go. They win when they reach the goal number.
Of course, as with most games, they’re more fun when they’re competitive. Make the game a real race between you and your child or a couple kids!
Subtraction Version:
You probably thought of this on your own after reading the addition version. The subtraction version is a race from 100 (or whatever goal number you set). Start at 100 and subtract the value of each drawn card as you go. This should be doable for advanced first graders and second graders.
More Variations:
When your child is just learning addition or subtraction, aces and face cards can be tricky. Feel free to remove them to simplify things. When your child is ready, you can include them (A=1, J=11, Q=12, K=13).
If you’re playing this game with a deck of cards, many kids will start to rely on counting the symbols on the cards. This is great when they’re starting out, but it might become a bit of a crutch later on. Here’s where it can be handy to have a set of number flash cards, like in the image at the top of the article. This will help your child get used to actually reading and understanding the digits.
Finally, if you want to make the game a little more unpredictable, make a rule that you have to hit the goal number exactly. If you go over the goal, you have to start over at zero.
Wrapping Up
The Race to 100 Learning Game will get the competitive juices flowing, which always makes learning easy and fun. Your kiddos won’t want to stop playing!
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Let me know how your lessons are going on social media. Are there any variations of this game that your kids love to do?