Subtraction Game

Help your child visualize the subtraction process using a deck of cards and a place value mat! Using hands-on materials is an excellent way to improve understanding of basic math concepts. This activity is simple and fun. You can play it as a team or competitively. Talk through the process of using borrowing in subtraction, and your child will be ready to tackle bigger problems in no time!

What You Need:

• One deck of cards for each player (Print a deck.)
• One die
• Five rubber bands for each player
• One place value mat for each player (Print these out.)

What You Do:

1. Each player needs to separate their deck into five piles of 10 cards with two cards left over. Each pile of ten cards should be rubberbanded separately. Place these groups of ten on the "Tens" side of the place value mat and the two ones on the "Ones" side of the place value mat.
2. Players take turns rolling the die and removing cards. Cards may only be removed from the Ones place. If there aren't enough ones in the Ones place, a player must borrow from the Tens place. Take the rubber band off of one set of ten and place your ten new "ones" in the Ones place before subtracting them.
3. The first player to clear their mat wins.

Variation:

Use two dice. Add up the sum for each roll, then subtract that sum from the place value mat.