Welcome grandparents to your classroom with this fun math activity! Students and their families will love working together on the game, and you will love not wasting any instructional time!
Grandparents’ Day Fun!
Since I’ve never really hosted a “for realz” Grandparents’ Day in my classroom, I needed to come up with an activity that checked off a lot of requirements. First, it had to be fun. Also, I needed something we could do at our desks given the restricted space with all those extra people in our room. It had to be something both the kids and their grandparents would enjoy. Oh, and since we’re at school, let’s keep in mind the importance of not wasting precious instructional time with “fluff.” (You know what I mean!)
Getting Started
With the help of a very talented colleague, I decided to try combining the old with the new. We would do a variation on the old-fashioned game of Bingo. Following that, the kids will show their grandparents the “new” way of studying math with Prodigy Math.
To prep the game boards, print them on white card stock and laminate for durability. Then trim around the perimeter of each board. The four boards shown on each page are all different, but focus on only two facts. For example, problems with 8 or 9 as a factor.
Before we begin playing, I go over the “bingo hall” rules and procedures. Since our grandparents will be with us, they can certainly help but no one is allowed to call out the answer. If a student needs help, they can raise their hand and someone sitting next to them is allowed to point to the correct answer.
Using any set of multiplication flashcards you already own, pull only those facts that match the game boards while leaving out any card with zero as a factor. Call out the facts, such as “8 times 11.” Students have to find the answer on their board and cover it with a chip. Every fact will have an answer on the board. Sometimes, because of the commutative property of multiplication, two squares have the same number. If you look in the photo above, 72 shows up twice because 9×8 and 8×9 both equal 72. I tell the kids to choose only one square to cover, but it is their choice. I don’t let the kids move a chip once it has been placed on the board. Play continues until there is a winner. If you want, you can give simple prizes to the winners, but that’s totally your call. This quick but fun activity will definitely be going in my classroom games basket for future use!
Free Resource
I’m looking forward to hosting our grandparents this year, and hope they enjoy seeing how their grandchild learns in the 21st century. If you want to play MATHO with your students, click on the link below. In the freebie, I have included several game boards to study multiplication facts from 1 through 12 so you can choose which ones you use with your own students. Happy teaching!
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