Idea 176: Beat the Calculator Maths Starter Game

This can either be a general revision activity for all mental maths, or tailored to focus on just one mental maths strategy (using number bonds, rounding numbers etc). It works well played firstly as a class so that everybody understands the rules, then can be played in groups of 3 or 4.

Child 1 reads out the maths problem they have been given, preferably something short such as ‘what is 7+8?’. The answer is underneath the question, so Child 1 will definitely know the right answer when they hear it.

Child 2 must use a calculator to find the answer.

Child 3 must use mental methods only to find the answer.

The race is on to see who can find the answer fastest! Child 1 can be the judge as to who gets to the answer first.

Option: If Child 3 wins, they explain to the group the mental strategy they used to find the answer so quickly (for example, for 7+8: “I did number bond to 10, then added 5 to get 15”).

Option: If you were playing this game in Kagan groups of 4, you could have Child 4 being the scribe and marking on a sheet which strategies the table has used to beat the computer, to be compared with other groups later on in the lesson.

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