A Fun Small Group Number Combinations Game with Rainbow Number Grids

If you’re looking for a simple small group math activity that encourages number combinations, mental math, and playful problem solving, this is a fun one to try with the Rainbow Mixed Number Grids from Math Kit Bundle 2.

Find the Rainbow Mixed Number Grids here.

This activity feels a little like a math picnic game — and students absolutely love the challenge of finding different ways to make a target number.

What You Need

• 4 Rainbow Mixed Number Grid cards
• counters or tokens
• optional: a small picnic basket or container for extra story play and engagement

Set Up the “Picnic”

1. Place the 4 number grids together on the table like a picnic blanket.
2. Invite 3–4 students to sit around the mats ready to play.

You can place counters into a little picnic basket to add some playful storytelling and excitement to the activity.

How to Play

1. Cover a Number. Choose one number from the first mat and cover it. For example: 13
2. Find Number Combinations. Students look across the other 3 mats and search for: 2 or 3 numbers that combine to make the target number. For example: 12 and 1
3. The important rule: 👉 the numbers cannot come from the same mat.

Share and Check 

Students take turns sharing their combinations.
You might:

• go around the group round-robin style
• invite hands up for answers
• encourage students to explain their thinking

The group checks the combination together.

If correct, those numbers are covered too!

Continue Until All Combinations Are Found

Students continue searching for different ways to make the target number until all possibilities have been explored.

This naturally encourages:

• addition understanding
• flexible number thinking
• number decomposition
• mental math
• mathematical discussion

Finish the Picnic!

Once all combinations have been found… the picnic can begin!

As a calm follow-up activity, students could:

• color a picnic-themed coloring page
• record number sentences
• draw their favorite combinations
• tell math stories about the picnic

It’s a playful way to build strong number sense while keeping students actively involved in mathematical conversations.