This decimal bingo game gives children lots of practice adding decimals and doesn't feel like it relies too much on luck. The children can use a host of mental math strategies while playing; so it's not just a 'hunt and cover' game. The pdf file includes two sets of 6 game boards. One set uses numbers to only one decimal place, the remaing set stretches to two decimal places. There are nine different 'target' cards displaying a 'Bingo number' of either 1, 1.5 or 2. Each child has their own 'Decimals bingo board' and a set of counters. Each 'Decimal board' displays a set of 14 decimal numbers. The game plays like normal bingo except that playrs cover two numbers on each go - the numbers which give a total of the bingo number drawn. Full details (and illustrations) are on my www.mathsticks.com website.

This Pirate-themed addition game was designed to give young children plenty of opportunities to reason mathematically and add numbers. The players have a Pirate game board between them and a pile of 10 coloured counters each. They take it in turn to roll three dice. The player who rolled now works out the sum of the three numbers and looks for this number on the board. If the number is available he/she can cover it with one of their own counters. Play passes to the next player who does the same. This is repeated until one person has managed to use all 10 of his/her counters… or until the board is full. Where’s the learning? The mathematical learning is in the repeated addition and (importantly) in the sharing of strategies. See the mathsticks site for fuller information about the pedagogical teaching behind this activity.

This calculator activity is my development of one which was published as part of the National Numeracy Strategy in 1999. It has a dual focus; the first one (as you might expect) is to involve the children in accurately using a calculator. The second is to engage the children in reading numerical vocabulary. The download file contain a series of 32 individual question cards. Print out, and then cut up into separate cards Let the children work in pairs, give each pair a number of cards, and a calculator. In their pairs the children take it in turns to be the ‘reader’ and the ‘calculator’. The ‘reader’ selects a card and calls out the numbers (keeping the ‘Check’ value hidden). Their partner listens carefully and enters the numbers into the calculator, adding them in the process. Once complete, the child with the calculator reveals the total, if it matches the ‘Check’ value on the card they know the reader and the calcuator user were both accurate. They can keep the card. If the sum and the ‘Check’ number does not match they should replace the card in order to repeat it again later. The children swap roles and continue until all of their cards have been used. Further details at www.mathsticks.com

A set of 20 Bingo Boards featuring Roman Numerals together with calling cards. A fun way to help children reinforce how Roman Numerals are written. Great group activity, or can be used with whole class. If you find this useful please comment.

This 53 page eBook is is a full discourse on how to teach Roman Numerals (properly) The book includes mathsticks unique “Five Stages of Teaching Roman Numerals” together with a bumper collection of information sheets, posters and assessment materials for teaching Roman Numerals. If you are teaching about Roman Numerals – you will do it 100 times better with this eBook!

Some Summertime fun - a bingo game for all the class featuring a mixture of calculation skills and one important (sneaky but useful) feature... you can control who wins! The file contains 15 bingo cards and assorted questions, but you will need to see the details on the mathsticks site to see exactly how this works. http://www.mathsticks.com/resource/1101/total-control-bingo Please add a comment, or vote.

A very enjoyable two person game to help children reinforce their knowledge of times tables, Particularly focused on 6x, 7x, 8x and 9x tables.File includes game instructions but more info available at http://www.mathsticks.com/resource/1109/hard-times Please comment on whether or not you find this useful.

Here are 16 matchstick puzzles to give children plenty of practice reasoning about and using Roman Numerals. There are four puzzles on each page making it easy to cut into smaller, individual, activity/puzzle cards. The puzzles are ideal if combined with real sticks (match or craft sticks), so the children can attempt each puzzle multiple times. Working with partner would also be beneficial. While an ideal in-class activity, I know of many teachers who have used these as part of homework or as activities for a Maths/Games Club.

The Mathematics Medicine booklet consists of 8 pages of maths problems suitable for Year 3 children. The booklet uses the idea of a weird ‘medicine’ recipe from Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine. In this maths resource, George’s teacher has designed his own weird medicine and the ingredients are all hidden inside this book of problems. The children are presented with a series of problems and puzzles, each of which is based on a calculation skill linked to the National Curriculum. As they solve the problems they will reveal the strange ingredient’s in their teachers recipe. Have fun. Note - this works best when printed as an A5 (folding) booklet - there are instructions on the pdf for this. Alos see mathsticks.com for more information. Please rate!

This Times Tables game is based on connect four. Children roll a dice, multiply it by a given number and find the product on the game sheet. So far, so simple… However, there are a few MATHSTICKS tweaks. Firstly, the numbers aren’t random. We’ve made grids with products in families so children are encouraged to see the connections between the different multiplication ‘families’. For example, the first set of grids features multiples of 2x, 5x and 10x… This encourages the children to talk to each other about the different products they can see and how they are related. Another grid is formed from the 2x, 4x and 8x ‘family’. If children spend time looking for and discussing the connections and patterns, they will be better placed to think about larger numbers (see the last set of grids). This has a direct, positive impact on their understanding and fluency. Secondly, we suggest using a labelled tray in which to roll the dice. If the children are working with the 3x, 6x and 9x grids, a labelled tray (or box lid) enables them to roll an ordinary dice into the tray – where the dice lands is important! Players multiply the dice number by the number where the dice rests. Checkout the video to see how this works. Thirdly, the grids are ‘double-ended’ so children can play at opposite sides of a table. They colour their own grid, and the winner is the first with four in a row in any direction. Encourage the children to discuss how they know they are correct and what strategy they used to calculate. Have fun. o------o Please rate and comment if you use this and your children gain something from it. Thanks.

Get your children working (and talking) together by letting them work on these ‘matchstick puzzles’. We’ve pulled together 19 of our favourite ‘stick‘ puzzles and formatted them so they can be printed and cut into separate puzzle cards. Children can work on them with craft sticks, toothpicks, cotton buds, strips of card… or even on a whiteboard or scrap paper. This is a great way to explore thinking skills and problem-solving approaches. The 9-page download includes: 8 (traditional) move 2 sticks to make 4 squares/triangles 7 original Roman Numeral puzzles 4 tricky digit calculation puzzles

Here’s a ‘friendly’ way to count on Monster. This clean, simple, number resource is designed to enable young children to develop their understanding of number recognition and counting. It can be used as a display poster, desktop counting resource or a direct counting activity. This simple visual number line from mathsticks.com offers a wealth of maths activities and/or assessment opportunities. Combine the three pages to make one tall poster showing numbers from zero to 10. Cut each page into horizontal strips so children can sort or count the monster-lines. Children can match a quantity of counters to a monster-line. Cut away the digit labels and have the children put the monster-lines in order. Cut away the digit labels and ask the children to re-label the monster-lines. The monster-lines have been designed with a visual break after the fifth one. This makes number combinations easy to recognise: 6 is 5 and 1; 7 is 5 and 2; 8 is 5 and 3; etc

Like our other counting number resources this one is designed to help young children get to grips with number recognition and aspects of counting. We have a series of fun ‘superhero’ images which illustrate the numbers from 0 to 10. As usual, we have a built-in a break between the fifth and sixth image to better support counting and understanding. You can use this maths resource as a poster, or as a table activity. If you cut the pages into separate strips the children can sort, count and order them. If you remove the digit labels on the end of each strip, the children can… arrange the lines of superheroes in order, match them with counters, peg them onto a number line, or re-label them.

Not your usual 'Follow Me&' cards! These are top quality images to really engage your children. The activity/game works in the usual way, but the resource itself is second to none (think 'Marks & Spencers'). Give it a go - quality resources = quality learning!

27 cards featuring shape related words. The game is for two players, a 'reader' and a 'guesser' The object of the game is for the 'reader' to help his/her partner to identify the correct vocabulary word on the card by describing the word as clearly as possible without using any of the 'Taboo words. For more details and images check out httph://www.mathsticks.com

One of our favourite resources - high quality images make this a very engaging game. The children have to match 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p 20p and 50p coin values to the prices on stamps. Can be used as an assessment activity or as a full-blown bingo game. Take a look at it, I'm sure you and your children will love this. Please rate it and let me know how it works out for you.

The pdf file contains three grids of numbers. The children have to find a line of three numbers that total 15. Numbers are not used twice, and correct answers will form a symmetrical pattern. If the sheets are laminated the children can work together with white-board pens. The file includes three grids and answers. For further details see http://www.mathsticks.com/resource/1110/make-15

Gold, Silver and Bronze 'Maths Champion&' medals - perfect as reward stickers, either for a wall display; or for children to wear, stick in their books or take home.

A simple board game for two players to reinforce number bonds to 10. Ideal partner activity or as a fun homework 'task'. If you find this useful please comment. Cheers.

Two place value resource sheets; one for HTU and one for ThHTU. Children have to identify numbers from the Christmas labels and select them from a list. A useful assessment activity. Please let me know how this works for you. For more details see http://www.mathsticks.com/resource/1111/christmas-place-value-labels