Use this easy math game to practice subtraction skills and improve your child’s memory.
Improve memory and practice subtraction skills
Practice is the key when it comes to improving arithmetic skills, but repetition can be boring for children. Use this memory game from our Fun Math curriculum to give your children lots of practice at their subtraction skills, while enjoying a fun game.
We can build math skills through play!
Magic Fun Math lessons!
Fun Math is an easy to teach, highly effective math curriculum based on play and hands-on learning.
All the lessons are designed to be fun and memorable, so children enjoy their lessons and feel confident.
The lessons are easy for teachers and parents to use, in class or at home.
These are the magic lessons where children really see, understand, and can apply math concepts. They are especially suited to children who don’t like math, lack confidence, don’t understand math the way they are currently being taught, or just want to play.
SEE MORE AND TRANSFORM YOUR MATH TEACHING HERE.
In this activity, your children can:
:: count
:: subtract
:: develop memory skills
Materials needed
:: tray
:: ten random objects/ loose parts
:: towel or piece of fabric
This activity is based on Kim’s Game which was originally featured in Rudyard Kipling’s 1901 novel Kim, where the main character uses the game to develop his observation and memory skills as part of his training to be a spy.
The game is a fun way to develop children’s memory skills too, and we can use it for simple subtraction practice.
You can vary the game to suit your children’s stages, using fewer or more items, taking away one or more things at a time, and giving as much or a limited time to look at the items as you want.
How to play the subtraction memory game
Set out ten random objects (such as a comb, a teacup, a packet of tissues, an apple, a toy dinosaur and so on) on a tray.
Have your children count them to make sure there are ten items, and then chat about which items you have.
What are they all? Invite your children to take a good look at all the things because they’re going to see if they can remember them.
Then cover over the items with a towel or piece of fabric and invite one child to come and take one item away. Don’t let anyone else see which item they have taken! You might want to have everyone close their eyes and have a box with a lid to hide the item in.
Then, when everyone is looking again, remove the towel/fabric to show the tray.
One item was taken away: how many things are left?
Count out the nine remaining objects and say 10 – 1 = 9.
Can anyone remember what item was taken away?
If no-one can, you can give clues to help them remember.
Keep things fun and work as a team, rather than putting anyone under pressure to remember.
Repeat the game taking one, two or even three items away at a time.
Keep counting and saying the subtraction sum each time and trying to remember which item(s) were removed.
Transform your teaching with Fun Math
The Fun Math series gives you a math curriculum that is easy to teach and highly effective.
Children love these lessons because they are engaging and fun.
You’ll have a clear set of ready-made math lessons and activities that are simple to lead using our step-by-step lesson guides, and which children really understand.
Be the best math teacher and boost your children’s confidence and skills with Fun Math.
See more and transform your teaching here.
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