Small Group Math Game: Learning Addition with Colors! 🌈✏️
This fun, hands-on math activity is perfect for addition in kindergarten or first grade. After plenty of play where students combine 2 groups of objects (and describe the action of joining 2 groups) they will be ready to begin to use a more formal addition number sentence.These balance cards from the Math Kit bundle are practical and can be used in a huge range of activities.
This game not only builds counting and addition skills, but it also helps students visualize how two groups come together to make a total. Plus, it's simple to modify based on what materials you have available!
Here is just one quick warm up idea for using the cards.
Count Up in Colors - Math Warm Up
How to Play:
- Pick a Number Card: Each student gets a number card from 1-10. They count out loud up to that number, placing one counter down with each number spoken.
- Switch Colors: Partway through counting, students switch to a different color counter. For example, if they count to 6, they might use yellow counters for the first 3 and green for the last 3. This helps students visually see the two groups they are adding.
- Identify the Addition: After placing all the counters, they can say, “3 and 3 makes 6,” or whatever their numbers are.
Extend the Learning:
These cards show two boxes where students place their counters, making the two groups easy to compare. Alternatively, you can use a simple piece of paper divided into two sections to achieve the same result!Keep It Simple, Then Grow!
- Start with small numbers (1-5) before extending to larger numbers as students become more confident.
- Encourage students to use terms like put together, join, add, makes to describe the addition.
- Have students record their work in their math journal by drawing dots in two colors and writing the total—this makes learning visible and fun!
More Ways to Explore: Mix it up with other materials!
Students can:
- Join cubes of two colors together to model the groups
- Thread beads onto a string to make colorful patterns representing their two groups
- Use dot pattern cards to find out how many altogether by combining two cards
This game not only builds counting and addition skills, but it also helps students visualize how two groups come together to make a total. Plus, it's simple to modify based on what materials you have available!