Operations with Decimals

Become more familiar with decimals and multiplication while tossing playing cards into boxes. This fun math game will get your child actively learning the values of decimals. Every fourth grader needs to master work with decimals, and your student will love practicing in "Box Shot!" Feel free to adapt the rules to practice other computation skills, and you'll be able to use this game over and over again.

Skills to Practice:

• multiplying with decimals: Remember to add in the decimal after you're done multiplying the numbers! Use a calculator to check your work.
• adding with decimals: Remember to line up the numbers before adding, decimal point on top of decimal point. Use graph paper to help you stay organized.

What You Need:

• Deck of playing cards
• 3 small boxes (such as shoe boxes)
• Scratch paper and pencils
• Box Shot records sheets (Print these out or create your own.)
• Calculator (optional - to check work)

What You Do:

1. Remove the tens and face cards from the deck. Shuffle the remaining cards.
2. Place the boxes, open side up, three to four feet away from a starting point. Label the boxes ".01", ".1" and "1".
3. On each turn, a player throws 3 cards into the boxes. Each card that makes it into a box can be multiplied by the value of the box. (For example, a 7 thrown into the ".01" box would work out as 7 x .01 = .07 points.) Players should add up and record their score for each turn.
4. At the end of 10 rounds, players add up their scores to see who's won.

Variations:

• Change the values on the boxes.
• Add face cards into the mix (jacks = 11, queens = 12, kings = 13).
• Add or subtract boxes.
• Place boxes at varying heights using tables, chairs, etc.
• Instead of boxes, use buckets, a laundry basket, or anything else you can find around the house!