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Math Fact Fluency Races: A Fun and Engaging Math Fact Game for Kids

Math fact fluency is key in the primary grades. By the end of 2nd grade, kids should be proficient with their math facts up to 20. One of the best ways to keep students engaged is by making math fact practice fun and exciting. This math fact game is a classroom favorite. Read on to learn how to play math fact races and how you can differentiate it for your students.

MATH FACT RACES

Math Fact Races Game

Math Fact Fluency Races is a fun math fact game that puts a twist on the traditional game where students go to the board, write a math fact, and see how fast they can solve it. This game is perfect for 2nd grade students, but it can easily be adapted for younger grades or upper grades.

How to Play the Math Fact Game

To play Math Fact Races, first, split your class up into teams. You can have two teams or more if you have the space in your classroom.

Draw two large circles on the whiteboard. Inside of those circles, write the numbers 0-10 all the way around. Leave space in the middle to write a larger number. The number in the middle is the main number.

Students will add the main number with a smaller number and solve for the sum around the outside of the circle.

Math Fact Fluency Races Math Fact Game

When the teacher says go, the two teams race to complete the circle, adding numbers all the way around. The team that completes all of their math facts the fastest and has them all correct is the winner of the math fact game. 

Math Fact Fluency Races Math Fact Game

The students do not have to complete the circle in order. For example, the first student can solve 5+2 and write the sum of 7 on the outside of the circle. Then, they can pass the marker to the next person and they can do 5+9 and write the sum of 14 on the outside of the circle.

Allowing them to solve for the sums in any order allows for differentiation, as some students may struggle with adding higher numbers. This allows all students to participate without feeling left out.

After each round, the team that won that round gets a point. Then, the teacher changes the number in the middle and the game starts over. 

Math Fact Fluency Races Math Fact Game

How to Differentiate the Math Fact Game

This math fact game is so easy to incorporate into your lesson plans. You can add this to your math lesson plans, play as a math warm-up game, or even a fun anytime math game. It is perfect for those small chunks of time between activities or at the end of the day.

This game can easily be differentiated to practice subtraction, multiplication, or division facts. You can make it easier or more challenging by making the number in the middle smaller or larger.

Digital Math Fact Races

If you’re looking for a ZERO PREP way to play math fact races in your classroom, I have digital versions of this game available in my TPT store! You can choose from a spring-themed set or a space-themed set of this math fact game.

These digital math fact games will help you cut down on prep time while keeping your students engaged and having fun as they review their math facts. All you have to do is display and play!

Each set includes addition and subtraction facts within 20 as well as 2 versions each. There is a version with the numbers in order and a mixed order version, which makes for easy differentiation.

Whether you choose to play this math fact game on the whiteboard or with the digital versions, it is the perfect math fact practice game to incorporate into your whole group lessons, math warm-ups, to check student understanding, or even to use during indoor recess!

For more ideas on how to help your students build their fact fluency, check out this blog post.

If you’re looking for more fun and engaging math fact games, fill out the form below to get 5 FREE math fact games delivered straight to your inbox! You’ll get one game delivered straight to your inbox each day for the next 5 days.

Want to find more engaging activities for your math block? Check out my guided math units for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade! Each unit is complete with detailed lesson plans, whole group and small group activities, interactive notebook activities, task cards, games, math crafts, higher order thinking activities, and more!

Comment below and let me know what your students think of the Math Fact Fluency Races game!

space-themed math fact races game
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