Playing Card Math Games
Some fun easy games to play with your children that use playing cards and help your children learn math!
Fixing the Order
The best math games are sometimes the simplest. Using 10 playing cards, this game gives children an opportunity to practice reciting numbers while they try to put the cards in the right order.
Math Skills: number recognition recite numbers in order
Find the Missing Card
What do kids love? Being tricky. This simple game gives children a chance to be tricky and try to outsmart their parents. All you need are playing cards to play "find the missing card." While laughing and having fun, your child will be practicing reciting numbers 1 through 10 as they look for the missing card.
Math Skills: number recognition recite numbers in order
Ordering Race
A head-to-head race provides extra motivation in this math game. Children can race against eachother or against a parent to see who can sort the cards the fastest. Adding an element of speed helps push children to fully master the skills of number recognition and reciting numbers in order.
Math Skills: number recognition recite numbers in order
The Bigger Number
This simple version of the card game "war" gives children opportunities to compare numbers, which is an important skill to learn after learning how to recite numbers in order. Children compare cards for each round, and at the end of the game they have another opportunity to count up their cards and find out who won the most cards.
Math Skills: number recognition number comparison enumeration
Number Snake
This is one of the more advanced preschool level games using playing cards. It requires identifying numbers and understanding the correct count sequence. In addition, this game allows for a bit more strategy, so even older children will enjoy it.
Math Skills: number recognition recite numbers in order
Flash Matching
Food is the ultimate motivator for many kids. This game uses crackers of your choice to motivate your child to practice reading numbers and counting out the corresponding number of items. If your kids have had enough to eat, you can use any small household items, such as coins.
Math Skills: number recognition generating numbers subitizing
