Give each small group of students a bead string, a dice, and a different coloured peg for each player. Players take turns to roll the dice and work out where their peg will go when the number of beads is jumped. For example, a player who has their peg at bead 18 and throws a seven must predict that jumping seven beads will get their peg to 25, then check this by moving their peg.

Focus the students on bridging tens. For example, for 18 + 7, firstly 18 + 2 = 20. This leaves five of the seven. So 20 + 5 = 25. If the player incorrectly predicts which bead they will land on, they lose that turn. The player who gets over 100 first wins.

Play the game backwards as well, starting with the pegs in front of 100 and taking the dice number off. This involves going back through tens. For example, to find 83 – 9, firstly do 83 – 3 = 80 leaving six to take off. Then 80 – 6 = 74.

Activity

The students should play the game Bridges to consolidate up through 10 and back through 10 strategies.