Description
How it works
The easier version has partners drawing two cards and covering a square with that sum until someone gets four in a row. The strategic version is the one worth playing: numerals 0–9 sit below the board, the first player sets markers on any two and covers a square with their sum, and after that each player may move only one marker per turn. Suddenly every move is a choice between building your own row and blocking your opponent’s — and each choice requires computing several sums to evaluate it.
What you’ll need
- The printable 6×6 game board
- Counters in two colours
- A deck with kings and jacks removed (ace = 1, queen = 0) for the easier version
Skills practiced
Addition within 18, working backwards from a target sum to the addends that make it, and strategic planning.
Grade level
1st through 5th grade. The two versions mean one board serves a wide spread of children.
Instant PDF download. Game instructions and printable boards adapted from the ideas in Math Fact Fluency by Jennifer Bay-Williams and Gina Kling (ASCD / NCTM, 2019).
