Close Call: An Addition Card Game

Give this fun addition game a try! Challenge your child to create sums as close to 100 as he can, without going over. This requires him to evaluate all possible sums, based on the numbers he is given. He'll learn common patterns in addition as he works out the best plays. Try talking through the game with your child, asking him what he's thinking as he selects cards, and making discoveries together!

What You Need:

• Deck of cards
• Paper and pencils (for scratch paper)
• Close Call score sheets (Print these out.)

What You Do:

1. Remove 10s and face cards from the deck. Shuffle the deck and deal each player 6 cards.
2. Each player selects four of their cards and creates two 2-digit numbers from them. The goal is to create two numbers that have a sum as close to 100 as possible, without going over.
   • (For example, a player may choose to use the cards 4, 6, 8, and 1, creating the problem 14 + 86 = 100.)
3. After players have made their selections, they place their cards face up in front of them, arranging them so other players can see which two numbers they have created.
4. The player with the numbers closest to 100, without going over, wins a point. In the case of a tie, a point is awarded to each team.
5. Shuffle the cards before dealing another round.
6. Play continues for 5 rounds. The player with the most points after the last round wins the game.

Variations:

• Change the number of cards dealt, the number of cards used, or the goal.
• For younger players, restrict the number of cards dealt to 4 per player, allow them to use only 2 of the cards, create single-digit numbers, and set the goal to 10.
• To make the game more challenging, deal 8 cards to each player, let them choose 6, create 3-digit numbers, and set the goal to 1,000.