Match Up: An Ordinal Numbers Card Game

Check out this excellent way to practice ordinal numbers, or numbers that identify order within a group. First, find a deck of playing cards. Second, divide the deck by suit. Third, you're ready to play! You and your child will have endless fun trying to match numbers as you turn over cards. Practice saying the numbers together, and your kindergartner will be a pro in no time!  

What You Need:

• One deck of playing cards (Print a deck.)
• Paper and pencil (to record scores)

What You Do:

1. Prepare your materials by removing one suit from the deck for each player. Each player should have a set of all 13 cards (ace through king).
2. The first player shuffles their set of cards. Then, they flip the cards over one by one to create a line of 13 cards. While flipping the cards over, they should say "First, second, third, fourth," etc., for each card, all the way to "Thirteenth."
3. The player is awarded one point for each number that matches its position. (For example, turning over an ace first would earn a point, turning over a two second would earn a point, turning over a three third would earn a point, and so on.)
4. The scorekeeper records the number of points player one received, and play continues on to the next participant.
5. Play continues on for 10 rounds, or until time is called. The winner of the game is the person with the highest score.

Variations:

• Instead of playing for 10 rounds, play until someone earns 100 points.
• Instead of rewarding points for matches, have each player start with 100 points and subtract for matches. Rename the game "Match Down."
• For additional practice with ordinal numbers, ask players to rename the position of their cards. Ask questions such as, "Which card is third from the right?" and "What position is your king in?"