Top 12 Fun Games to Improve Mental Math and Quick Calculation Skills for Elementary School Students

Objective: Practice and reinforce quick mental math and calculation skills.

Preparation: No materials are needed.

How to Play: The teacher asks a question, such as "4 + 5 = ?" (or "9 - 3 = ?" or "What plus 0 equals 3?") and randomly points to a student to answer. Once the student answers, they ask another question to a different student, and so on. This continues until the teacher signals to stop. The student chosen must respond quickly. Any student who answers incorrectly faces a penalty.

Note: The game can be adapted to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, depending on the lessons taught, to reinforce students' knowledge.

Game Objective: Practice mental math skills for addition and subtraction (rounding to tens, hundreds, and thousands), and multiplication and division in tables. Improve quick calculation abilities.

Preparation: Choose two teams, and let each team come up with a name (e.g., White Rabbit - Brown Rabbit). Assign judges, secretaries, and the remaining students as cheerleaders for their respective teams.

How to Play: The two teams compete against each other. A representative from each team plays rock-paper-scissors to determine which team will ask the first question. The first team gives a multiplication, division, or addition/subtraction question using rounded numbers (e.g., 10, 100). The second team answers the question (if they answer incorrectly, the audience can give the correct answer).

After the answer, the second team asks a new question for the first team to answer. This continues for about 5 minutes, after which the secretary tallies the number of correct answers. Each correct answer is worth 10 points. The team with the most points wins.

Mục đích: Kiểm tra kỹ năng tính nhẩm của học sinh. Ví dụ : củng cố các bảng nhân, chia…

Chuẩn bị: Một tờ giấy viết sẵn các phép tính nhân, chia trong các bảng nhân chia trong các bảng đã học

Cách chơi: Một em được chủ định làm đầu rồng lên bảng

Em cất tiếng hát:

"Rồng cuốn lên mây

Rồng cuốn lên mây

Ai mà tính giỏi về đây với mình”

Sau đó em hỏi: “Người tính giỏi có nhà hay không ?”

Một em học sinh bất kỳ trả lời:“Có tôi ! Có tôi !”- Em làm đầu rồng ra phép tính đó, ví dụ : “42 : 7 bằng bao nhiêu ?”

Em tính giỏi trả lời (nếu trả lời đúng thì được đi tiếp theo em đầu rồng). Cứ như thế em làm đầu rồng cứ ra câu hỏi và cuốn đàn lên mây.

Lưu ý: Ở trò chơi này nên chọn em làm đầu rồng (là em Trưởng trò) phải nhanh nhẹn, hoạt bát.

Mục đích: Rèn các kỹ năng tính nhẩm cộng, trừ, nhân, chia kỹ năng giải toán.

Chuẩn bị:

Một cây cảnh, trên có đính các bông hoa bằng giấy màu trong có các đề toán. Chẳng hạn:

Em hãy đọc bảng nhân 8.

Em hãy đọc bảng nhân 9.

Tính chu vi mảnh đất hình chữ nhật có chiều dài 125m, chiều rộng 68 m

Kim ngắn chỉ số 3, kim dài chỉ số 11. Hỏi là mấy giờ ?

7m3cm, bằng bao nhiêu cm

Vẽ lên đồng hồ chỉ 14 giờ 27 phút

Câu đố:

"Vừa trống vừa mái

Đếm đi đếm lại

Tất cả sáu mươi

Mái một phần tư

Còn là gà trống

Đố em tính được

Trống, mái mấy con ?

Cách chơi: Cho các em chơi trong lớp. Lần lượt từng em lên hái hoa. Em nào hái được hoa thì đọc to yêu cầu cho cả lớp cùngnghe. Sau đó suy nghĩ trong vòng 30 giây rồi trình bày câu trả lời trước lớp. Em nào trả lời đúng thì được khen và được một phần thưởng.

Objective:

• Help students practice mental addition, subtraction, and two-digit numbers (both with and without carrying), as well as multiplication and division in tables.
• Develop creative thinking skills and foster a sense of teamwork among students.

Preparation: The teacher prepares two paper rabbits, each labeled with a number (the result of a calculation), and several paper carrots, each with a math problem written on them.

How to Play: The teacher places the rabbits on the board and arranges the carrots on one side. Students take turns picking carrots with math problems that match the number on the rabbit's card and bring them to the rabbit for it to 'eat.' The team that collects the most correct answers within 3 minutes wins. This game can be used to practice addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in tables.

Objective: Help students practice mental addition, subtraction, and two-digit numbers (both with and without carrying), as well as multiplication and division in tables.

Preparation: The teacher prepares two additional boards with drawings of coops corresponding to different results, and several chickens with math problems (there should be more chickens than coops).

How to Play: The teacher places the boards on the classroom board. Each team of 3 students takes turns using chalk to match each chicken with the correct coop that matches the result of the math problem. The team that completes the task the quickest and with the most correct matches wins.

This game is suitable for practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division in tables, and mental arithmetic.

Objective:

• Practice mental addition and subtraction (without carrying) within 100.
• Develop agility and teamwork skills.

Preparation: The teacher prepares a grid with 9 squares and a set of math problems, both addition and subtraction, written on cards. These problems must be kept hidden before the game begins. Examples of problems include: 45 + 4, 64 + 3, 92 + 3, 69 - 8, 96 - 6, 56 - 5, 47 - 4, 26 - 6, 57 + 23.

How to Play: Divide the class into two teams, each with 3 players. The teacher provides one team with green pens, called the 'Green Army,' and the other with red pens, called the 'Red Army.' When the teacher announces a problem, both teams quickly calculate the result. The first team to correctly call out the answer is allowed to write the result in one of the squares on the board. The first team to complete a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) of 3 correct answers wins the game.

Objective:

• Reinforce mental addition and subtraction within the tables.
• Enhance teamwork skills.

Preparation:

• Two cardboard flowers, each with a magnetic back.
• Ten green leaves with magnetic backs, each containing a math problem.

How to Play:

• Choose two teams, each with 4 players.
• Place the two flowers and the leaves on the board. Each flower's center holds the correct result, and the leaves represent problems that correspond to the results. Players must quickly match the correct leaf with the flower's center and attach it to the flower's stem to create the correct 'mathematical' flower.
• The teams line up, and when the signal is given, both teams begin. The team that finishes quickly and correctly wins.

Objective: Practice quick mental calculations with various math problems.

Preparation:

• Two plant pots labeled 1 and 2.
• A set of paper flowers with white fronts, each displaying a math problem.
• Colored chalk.
• A stopwatch to track time.
• Select 3 of the best students in the class to serve as judges and recorders.

How to Play: Split the class into two teams. When the signal "start" is given, one player from each team will take turns picking a flower from the teacher’s desk. They must quickly solve the math problem on the flower and place it onto their team's pot. Once a player completes the problem and places the flower, another player takes their turn. This continues until the 2-minute timer ends. After time is up, each team selects a representative to read aloud the problems on their flowers and show the class. Judges will score the answers, and the recorder will write down the results.

Scoring:

• Each correct answer earns 10 points.
• The team with the highest score wins.

Game Duration: 5 – 7 minutes.

Objective: To develop students' mental calculation skills for addition and subtraction within the range of 10, reinforcing the relationship between addition and subtraction within this range.

Preparation: Cards with math problems:
4 + 5 = 9 – 5 =
5 + 4 = 9 – 4 =
8 + 2 = 10 – 2 =
2 + 8 = 10 - 8 =
6 + 3 = 9 - 3 =

How to play:

In the classroom, the first student holds the card with 4 + 5 = and 9 – 5 = and reads the problems aloud. The class reads the answers (four plus five equals nine, nine minus five equals four). Then, the second student holds up the next card with 5 + 4 = and 9 – 4 =, and the class repeats the answers (five plus four equals nine, nine minus four equals five). This continues until the time is up. If any student makes a mistake, they must repeat the problem and answer five times as a penalty.

Objective:

• To develop and reinforce quick mental calculation skills for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division (round numbers like tens and hundreds).
• To improve agility and sharpness.

Preparation: The teacher prepares 10 to 15 rectangular cards (10x15 cm) with straps. Each card contains a math problem or its corresponding answer.

How to organize:

Students volunteer to pick their card, then they form a circle. Each student wears a card in front of their chest and observes the numbers on the cards in front and behind their group members. They mentally calculate the result or the corresponding problem on their card.

The whole team moves in a hop-skip manner, singing and clapping along with the class: "Hop-skip to make the leg strong, walk alternately to strengthen the leg."
When the teacher calls out “Find your partner! Find your partner!”, the students quickly locate and run to their partner wearing the corresponding card with the result or math problem.