4 Effective Games for Middle School Math Workshop
Those of you that have implemented math workshop in your classroom know the importance of having engaging, easy prep, centers for your students. Math games are an integral part of my classroom and are an important part of creating a "math is fun" attitude in my students. If they are reusable activities... even better! I have found math games to be an effective way to keep students motivated. In this post, I will share the four games that I have found to be the most engaging!
(1) The Product Game
Talk about a strategy game! The Product Game is such a fun way to get students thinking ahead while also practicing their basic facts. The goal of the game is to get four spaces in a row connected on the game board before your opponent. Students determine which number they cover up on the number grid by multiplying the two numbers that are covered on the bottom of the board. A more detailed explanation of the rules is at the link above. I have played this as a class vs. teacher game as well as a partner game during math workshop… both have worked out great! This has been a go-to game for my math centers because of how much students like it and how easy it is to reuse. I usually introduce it early on and then come back to it again towards the end of the school year.
(2) The Factor Game
This is another great strategy game. If you are working on finding the different factors of a number, The Factor Game is perfect for practice. Players take turns circling a number on the game board. For each number circled, the other player gets to circle all of the factors of that number. At the end, students add up their circled numbers to determine the winner!
(3) Connect Four Games
Of all of the games I have created, these games are probably the most engaging and versatile. I use these as small group math centers, as a whole class game, and all the time with my math intervention groups. Doing problems in a game format is just so much more fun than a worksheet! I have a huge range of topics available for both 5th-8th grade math. Check out my Connect Four Bundles for 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, or 8th grade, depending on what you need! If you would like to get an idea of the format, grab a free copy of a game from each of these bundles at the following links!
FREE Connect Four: Volume of Rectangular Prisms - 5th Grade Math
FREE Connect Four: Multiplying Decimals - 6th Grade Math
FREE Connect Four: Probability - 7th Grade Math
FREE Connect Four: Area, Volume, and Surface Area - 8th Grade Math
(4) Zap!
I have seen different versions of this floating around the internet. I'm not sure who originally thought of it, but it is great... and never ending. We all know their is nothing better than an engaging and never ending math game for students to play! The idea is basic. Students take turns pulling a stick from the jar. If they solve the problem correctly, they get to keep the stick. If they pull a "Zap!" stick, the have to put all of their sticks back in the jar. The best part about this one (other than the never ending part) is that you can easily create a set for various topics. I have a set of basic facts as well as a solving equations set. Both have worked out great! Click HERE for a full explanation of how the game works!
I'm always on the search for new math games. In the comments below, feel free to share the most effective math games that you use in your classroom!
*Update: For everything math workshop, you can sign up for my self-paced, online course, Making Math Workshop Work. Registration is normally open just two times each year.
You can also check out my book, Making Math Workshop Work. Depending on your preference, you can find Making Math Workshop Work as an eBook in the Kindle Store or you can order a hard copy from Amazon!
