Count Down

Careful subtraction is an important skill. Flash cards can get repetitive and your child may lose interest in practicing. Try this fun game for an exciting change! Roll the dice and hope for big numbers! In Count Down, players begin with 99 points. On each turn, they'll subtract the total they roll on the dice. The first player to reach or pass zero wins! Subtracting has never been so fun, and the competitive spirit of this game will keep your child engaged and ready to learn.

What You Need:

• 2 dice
• Paper and pencil for each player for keeping score

What You Do:

1. Have each player write "99" at the top of their papers, as the starting number.
2. Players take turns rolling the dice, finding the dice sum and then subtracting that sum from the starting number. After computing their result, the score is recorded and the dice pass to the next player.
3. Play continues until one person reaches or goes below zero.

Variations:

• Change the starting number. (29 is good for younger players.)
• Use dice that are numbered differently (1-10, 6-10, etc.). (Print out blank dice templates.)
• Play the game with a calculator. This puts the focus on the skill rather than the computation.
• Make the game more challenging. Require players to finish exactly at zero.
• Start with a much larger number (e.g. 1999) and subtract a two digit number, represented by the dice, each time.
• Change the number of dice.