First Grade Math Games

Make Math Fun with Free Math Games

Make learning fun with first grade math games. With these free math games, your kids won't even realize they're learning and isn't that the way you want it to be?

Which would you rather do? Force your kids to sit down and sit still while learning their math facts

or...

learning them while they're having fun with you? The first grade math games found on this page can actually be used for kindergarten through 2nd grade. So don't skip these free math games just because your child is a little younger or older.

As a matter of fact, these games could really be considered elementary math games.

Same thing with younger children.

It won't hurt a bit if you take these first grade math games and start playing them with your preschooler just as long as you don't force your child. If she is having fun -- play away!

In K-2nd grade, your child should master these concepts:

• Develop Problem Solving Skills
• Probability and Statistics
• Understanding Numbers 0-20
• Understanding Numbers 20-999
• Computation with Whole Numbers
• Money
• Measurement
• Time
• Geometry and Spatial Sense
• Fractions

Just click on the links to take you to the games for each concept. This page is VERY long. Be sure to click on the links so you don't miss any of the information.

• Develop Problem Solving Skills

• Locate objects according to position and direction in space.
• Locate objects according to position and direction in two dimensions

To be successful in math, your child needs to be able to form mental pictures of math problems.

Your child needs to learn:

up down near far before after behindover under inside outside highest lowest next toabove below between right left in front of in the middle

Play these first grade math games to teach these concepts.

1. Play relay games and give oral directions - "Line up in front of ____." "Stand beside ______."

2. Play Simon Says

3. Give Directions using objects - "Put the toy in the box."

4. Give directions using the child's body - "Lay down on the couch."

5. Make an obstacle course - "Go around the chair and around the table."

• Make comparisons

Your child needs to know these concepts:

same different longer longest heavier lightersmaller smallest larger largest shorter holds lessshortest taller tallest more in a group less in a group

Play these free math games to teach this concept:

1. Put items in a bag and have the child find the one described by touch - "Find the biggest thing" "Find the round object."

2. Compare shapes - "How are they the same?" "How are they different?"

3. Put objects in order according to quantity - "Which group has less than _____?"Which group has more than _____?" After they understand more than and less than, begin teaching the < and > signs.

• Classify and sort according to sameness of kind, color, size, and shape

  Before your child begins to classify, she must know color, size, and shape. Don't play these games until then. Doing so will only frustrate your child and they willrefuse to play and games with mommy.

  Use attribute blocks to play these educational games.

  1. Let the child choose the property in sorting. Let the child tell you their rule or you try to guess their rule - "They're all yellow." "They're all round."

  2. Give your child a small set and have them guess your rule.

  3. Set out four to six objects and have the child guess which one doesn't belong. "All are square except this round one." "All are purple except this red one."

  4. Sort with more than one attribute - "These are yellow and square."

• Identify and use patterns

  1. Place three objects in a row and see if the child can guess what comes next - "blue bead,yellow bead, blue bead, what color bead comes next?"

  2. Let the child make up his own patterns and have you guess.

  3. Let the child make patterns in other areas of school work such as crafts - making paper chains with their colors in a pattern or making necklaces with colored beads.

• Solve one-step word problems requiring a choice between addition and subtraction

Give your child manipulatives to act out word problems. Emphasize "clue" words in the problem that tell your child whether to add or subtract.

Susie had 4 red hair ribbons. Sally GAVE her 2 yellow hair ribbons. How many hair ribbons did Susie have?

Write out 4 + 2 = 6

Help your child work word problems like these. If you make them silly, it will be a fun math game for your child.

Probability and Statistics

• Probability is simply finding out the likelihood of something happening. "It will rain 2 out of 30 days." Show how you write this as 2/30.

  Stastics at this level consists of collecting, recording, and interpreting information. It is to prepare for statistics at later levels.

• Explore Chance
• Construct a chart or graph
• Collect and interpret information

  Here are some first grade math games to help you teach these concepts:

  1. use a spinner that is divided into 2 or 3 equal sized colors. Predict how many times it will land on a certain color. "I think it will land on blue 5 times out of 10."

  Let the child keep track and record the results. If he's right, he gets a small piece of candy or he can just have the satisfaction of beating you :)

  2. Use coins and make predictions on flipping the coin.

  3. Teach your child to make a graph to let you child record the results.

Understanding Numbers 0 - 20

• Recognize, name, write, compare, and order the numbers.

  For these math games, you will need an assortment of objects, number cards from 0 to 20, symbol cards (+ - = < >).

  Take this in steps - first teach numbers 1-4 and count, compare, order, match, and identify the next number. Continue adding numbers until they can do this with all numbers 0 to 20.

• Counting

  1. Let your count a variety of objects. Rearrange them and have him count again so he understands it is the same number of objects, just rearranged differently.

  2. Give your child directions that involve numbers - "Put two dolls on the table." "Get me three spoons." Children love this. It may not seem like much of a game to you, but to a child it is great fun.

>
• Compare and Order Sets

  1. Let your child guess which pile has more or less. Have her see if her answer is correct by having her match them in pairs.

  2. Have them guess the quantity and remember the amount. "This group had 5 and this group has 2. So this group has three more than that group."

  3. Have them compare sets. Give the child two numbers and have them draw sets for those numbers. Ask them which set is greater, larger, more than, less than, smaller, etc.

  4. Have your child put sets in order for least to greatest and vice versa.

  5. Match numbers to sets. Make a set and have your child find the number card that represents the amount in the set.

  6. Play guess which number comes next. Give your child two numbers and let them guess which number will be next or which number comes before.

  7. Play connect the dot pictures with numbers for the dots.

  8. Use calendars to teach sequence - leave some days blank and let him fill in the number.

  9. Play "mystery number."

  "Can you guess the number? It is one more than the triangles in this set?"

More first grade math games will be added to this page soon. Please click on the RSS feed button on the left-hand side of this page so you will be notified when the information is added.

Or, you're welcome to bookmark Home Schooling Haven and stop in for a visit any time you like!

Be sure and check our section on Free Educational Games for more free math games and elementary math games.

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