Thanks for visiting NZMaths.
We are preparing to close this site and currently expect this to be in June 2024
but we are reviewing this timing due to the large volume of content to move and
improvements needed to make it easier to find different types of content on
Tāhūrangi. We will update this message again shortly.

For more information visit https://tahurangi.education.govt.nz/updates-to-nzmaths

Purpose:

  • To reinforce the quick recall of basic facts: addition and multiplication.

You need:

  • Pack of cards with the picture cards removed. (The aces act as 1.)
  • Three players

How to play:

  • Place the cards in a pile, face down.
  • Two players pick up a card.
  • Players do not look at their card but hold the card, facing out, on their foreheads in a “salute.”
  • Player three adds the numbers on the two cards they can see and calls the answer.
  • Player one and player two have to work out from the answer the value of the card on their forehead.
  • The game is repeated with the players swapping their roles.

Variations:

  • To begin the game you could select cards from 1- 5 to form the pack face down on the table. As children become familiar with the game you can add the higher numbers.
  • You could extend this by multiplying the two numbers together instead of adding them and play in the same way.
  • You could extend the game with four players, three with a card on their forehead and one adding or multiplying the numbers together.

Download a file of this activity:

PDF (8KB) or Word (27KB)