Games and Instructions

Kindergarten   1st Grade   2nd Grade   3rd Grade   4th Grade   5th Grade  

Pup Quiz Challenge (any amount of players)

To play this game, each person should receive a fast math worksheet. Then, players will race to correctly finish the sheet the fastest.

This game works best for students trying to strengthen their fact automaticity and can be differentiated to give students an appropriate challenge. For example, some students may use addition or subtraction and others may use multiplication or division. Additionally, the engagement in this game is enhanced by students getting to race against a teacher, a parent, or a clock.

Fetch (Scavenger Hunt) (whole class)

To play this game, hide flash cards around the room for students to find and solve. Use painter’s tape to number the clues and stick the cards on desks, walls, and chairs.

This game can be used with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division flash cards.

Retriever (Our Version of Concentration) (2-3 players) 

To play this game, take 2 matching cards of each number and flip them down, so students can’t see them. Then, have students take turns trying to find matches. When a match is found, the student will keep the cards. The player with the most cards at the end wins.  

This game works best for students developing their number sense. 

Tug of War (Our Version of War) (2 players)

To play this game, players should have the same amount of cards in their deck. At the same time, the players will flip their cards. The person with the larger number wins the cards. In the event of a tie, the players will flip another card to determine the winner. At the end, the person with the most cards wins.

This game can be used to challenge students at a variety of levels. It is traditionally used with regular number cards, but it can be differentiated to meet the needs of higher performing students by using flash cards instead. More advanced students can even play this game with fractions by flipping two cards at a time and comparing their fraction to their opponent’s fraction.

Top Dog (3 players)

To play this game, 2 people will place a playing card on their head without seeing their own card. The third group member will add or multiply (depending on the students’ level) and say that sum/product out loud. The players with cards on their heads will try to figure out their numbers by using subtraction/division. The first person to correctly identify his/her number wins and takes player 3’s role.

This game works best for students trying to strengthen their fact automaticity.

Odd Dog (2 players)

To play this game, place a stack of number cards in the middle of the players. Take turns flipping the cards. When a card is flipped, the first person to identify if it is even or odd collects the card. The person with the most cards at the end wins.

This game works best for students developing their number sense.

K-9 (2-4 players)

To play this game, place a stack of number cards in the middle of the players. Each player starts with 0 points. Players will take turns flipping cards and adding the number to their total. However, if a player flips a nine, then he/she will either go forward or backward to 9 points. The first person to get to 50 points wins or the winner can be determined by the highest score after all the cards have been dealt.

This game works best for students building their mental math skills.

From Maltese to Mastiff (1-4 players) 

To play this game, give kids playing cards or flash cards to sort from smallest to largest.

This game works best for students developing their number sense. To differentiate this game, adjust the amount of cards for players to sort.

From Great Dane to Mini Schnauzer (1-4 players) 

To play this game, give kids playing cards or flash cards to sort from largest to smallest.

This game works best for students developing their number sense. To differentiate this game, adjust the amount of cards for players to sort.

Paws Up, Paws Down (2 players) 

To play this game, one player will place a number card on his/her head without looking. Then, that player will guess a number from 0 to 12. The other player will either say greater or less to help his/her partner identify the correct number.

This game works best for students developing their number sense. To differentiate this game, students can place more than one card on their head to make multi-digit numbers.Husky Numbers (2-4 players)

To play this game, deal 3 cards (from 0 to 9) to each player. With those cards, players will make the largest possible number by placing their greatest card in the hundreds place, their second greatest card in the tens place, and their least valuable card in the ones place. The player with the greatest number wins.

This game helps to develop place value and number sense. To differentiate this game, students can make numbers with more digits. 

Fetch 50 (2 players)

To play this game, players will take turns flipping one card at a time into a communal pile. The players will take turns calculating the sum after they flip a card. The player to reach the sum 50 on his/her turn wins the game. 

This game works best for students working on their mental math and addition skills. It can be differentiated by making the final sum greater.Muttmatician (2 players)

To play this game, players will be dealt 5 cards. By using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, they will try to make their cards equal 25. If they are able to make 25, then they win. Players can work together to make 25 or play against each other to make 25 first. 

This game adds creativity to math instruction and works best for students who are developing their problem-solving skills. 

Hound Up, Round Up (2-4 players)

To play this game, players will be dealt 2 cards. They will try to make their cards close to 100 by putting the larger digit in the tens place and the smaller digit in the ones place. The player who is closest to 100 wins. 

This game works best for students who are learning place value and rounding. To differentiate this game, you can deal more cards to players and change the goal number from 100 to 1000 or 10,000. Command (2-4 players)

To play this game, players will try to make a number sentence with 3 cards by using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. If they can make a number sentence with the 3 cards, then they win a point. If they can't make a number sentence, then they do not receive a point. The first player to 5 points wins. 

This game adds creativity to math instruction and works best for students who are developing their problem-solving skills. 

Pup Quiz BINGO (whole class)

To play this game, players will create a BINGO board on a piece of paper or on their Pup Quiz dry-erase boards. They can create a 5 by 5 board and fill the boxes with numbers from 0 to 20. Then, a teacher can select addition flash cards. If the sum is on a player's board, then they can cross off the number. The first person to get 5 in a row wins.

This game works best for students developing their fact automaticity. To differentiate this game, you can change the numbers in the boxes and use addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division flash cards.Obedience School (1-4 players)

To play this game, use the colors, pups, or numbers on any of the cards in the kit to create patterns for students to identify or continue (i.e. red, yellow, red, yellow, ___ ).

This game works best for students working on their pattern recognition skills. 

Drool-er (1-4 players)

To play this game, take a card and measure it in different units (i.e. inches, centimeters, paper clips, erasers, blocks, coins, candies, dice, beads, pen caps, etc.).

This game works best for students working on their measuring skills.Buried Treasure (2-8 players)

To play this game, two teams will use the dry-erase worksheets to create a secret board with hidden treasures. Players will simply put an X on 5 boxes to represent a treasure. Teams will take turns guessing ordered pairs. The first team to find all 5 treasures wins.

This game works best for students working on identifying points on a coordinate plane. To differentiate this game, students can use a smaller portion of the worksheet or hide more treasures.

Best in Show (Our Version of Around the World) (whole class)

To play this game, select the developmentally appropriate flash cards or word problem cards for the class. Pick a student to start and have them challenge the person seated next to them. Randomly, pick a card from the pile and ask the two students to solve it. The first person to solve the problem wins the round and moves on to the next person in the class. If the player is able to defeat everyone in the class, then he/she wins. If the player loses, he/she will take the chair of the player who won the round.

This game works best for students developing their word problem skills and fact automaticity. To differentiate this game, you can use addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division flash cards as well as the word problem cards.Equation Lab (2-6 players)

To play this game, deal three cards to each player and flip one card in the middle of all the players. The object of the game is to use the three cards to create an equation that equals the middle card. The first person to find an equation wins a point. The first player to get five points is the winner.

This game adds creativity to math instruction and works best for students who are learning order of operations and developing their problem-solving skills.

Dog Trainer (3-4 players)

To play this game, one player will have the job of the dog trainer. He/she will quiz the other players with developmentally appropriate flash cards by showing the equations to them and confirming the answer after it is said. The first person to say the correct answer gets a point. When a player has ten points, he/she will become the dog trainer.  

This game works best for students developing their fact automaticity. To differentiate this game, you can use addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division flash cards. This game simply adds a social emotional learning component to practicing math facts.Go Fetch! (Our Version of Go Fish) (2-6 players)

To play this game, each player will get 5 cards. Once the cards are dealt, the remaining pile goes in the center. The object of the game is to create cards that add to 10. The player to the left of the dealer will start by asking any player for a specific number card (not necessarily the same card from his/her hand). If the person has the number, then he/she must give one card to the player. If the person does not have the number, then he/she will say, “Go fetch.” The player then will pick a card from the pile. If the player gets the requested card, he/she will go again. The game is over when a player runs out of cards or the pile in the center is gone. The person with the most 10s wins.

This game works best for students developing their addition skills. To differentiate the game, children can use subtraction skills by incorporating 11 and 12 into the game. 

Array, A Drop of Golden Fur! (2-6 players)

To play this game, flip a multiplication flash card. The first person to create an array for the equation with playing cards and figure out the answer wins. Students can check their work by looking at the answer on the back of the multiplication card.

This game works best for student developing their multiplication skills. Treat Shape (2-4 players)

To play this game, flip a playing card from 3 to 12 in the center of the players. The first person to say the name of a shape with that amount of sides wins the card. The person with the most cards wins.  

This game works best for student developing their geometry skills. 

Trick or Treat (2 players)

To play this game, take turns flipping playing cards. When a playing card is flipped, the player can decide if he/she wants to put the card in his/her pile or put it in the opponent’s pile. The player can use addition or subtraction when a card is put in a pile to increase or decrease the amount of points. The goal is to get 100 points and prevent an opponent from getting 100 points. All math problems have to create whole numbers. Fractions and remainders are not allowed in this game. 

This game works best for students developing their problem-solving skills. To differentiate this game, students can use addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Escape the Dog Pound (2-6 players per team)

Pup Quiz’s resources make developing an Escape Game or series of clues for students to solve very easy and manageable. 

This game can be differentiated for students at any academic level. 

Pupsicle (2 players)

To play this game, take turns flipping playing cards. The goal of the game is to make the number 32 with the cards because 32 degrees Fahrenheit is the freezing point. Players can use any operation to make 32.

This game works best for students working on their mental math skills.

Paw-ty Time (2 players)

To play this game, flip 2 playing cards. Each card will represent the place of the hour and minute hand respectively on the clock. For example, if the cards flipped are a 2 and a 5, then the time would be 2:25. The person to say the correct time first wins!

This game works best for students working on telling time.

Puppy Bank (2 players)

To play this game, flip 1 playing card to represent a number of quarters. Then, calculate the value of the money. The player that says the value first wins the amount of money said. The first player to earn $10 wins.

This game works best for students learning to count coins. The game can be differentiated by using different coins.   Fact Family Dogs (1-2 players)

To play this game, find three cards that create a math fact. Then, use those cards to make all the fact family equations. For example, a child could use a 2, 3, and 5 to create the following facts: 3 + 2 = 5, 2 + 3 = 5, 5 – 3 = 2, and 5 – 2 = 3.

This activity works best for students learning about fact families. To differentiate, students can use multiplication and division.

No Barking Allowed! (whole class)

To play this game, give one playing card or flash card to each person in the class. Then, tell them how to organize and group themselves (i.e. least to greatest, even vs. odd numbers, or factors of a chosen number). Students will have to correctly arrange themselves without talking to win the game.

This game simply adds a social emotional learning component to practicing math and can be differentiated to meet the academic needs of any group of students.