Name the Operation

Problem solving is an essential math skill, and all you need is a deck of cards to practice it. Flip over cards to determine what numbers you can use. Take turns formulating equations and figuring out others players' equations. Use any operation you would like to arrive at answers. Share your answers with other players, and allow them to guess which operation you used to create them. This type of backwards thinking is a great way to improve critical thinking skills!

What You Need:

• One deck of cards (Print a deck.)

What You Do:

1. Provide each player with one complete suit of cards. (For the purposes of this game, aces = 1, jacks = 11, queens = 12, and kings = 13.)
2. Players take turns laying out three cards, face up, for other players to see. Then they must create a problem using a single operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division). They only tell their opponent the answer to their problem. (Look at the picture shown above for an example.)
3. Their opponent must try to guess which operation was used and demonstrate how the answer was arrived at. If they are correct, they are awarded 3 points. If they give an incorrect response, they earn 0 points. If they disprove the other player's answer, they earn 4 points. (In the example shown above, a player might guess, "Your problem is 8 - (6 - 2)," and earn 3 points.)
4. The first player to earn 50 points wins.

Variations:

• For younger players, remove the face cards.
• Change the goal from 50 points to another goal.
• Allow the use of 2 operations to find each answer.
• Make the game more challenging by increasing the number of cards that can be used.