Scan for Compatible Sums

Add up to ten in this math game. Find a deck of playing cards and shuffle them. Lay them out, then scan the cards to find different combinations that equal ten. If you can find them, they’re yours! Play against a friend and try to find the most. You’ll have great fun practicing addition facts in a whole new way! Soon you’ll be ready to find sums of 12, or 23!

Skill:

• Simple addition

What You Need:

• One deck of playing cards (Print a deck.)

What You Do:

1. Shuffle the deck of cards. Lay out 10 cards, face up, in a long row.
2. Player 1 looks for sets of cards that equal ten. (For example, they could pick up 1 + 7 + 2, or 6 + 4. All face cards equal 10, so a player can pick up a J, Q, or K easily.) Player 1 picks up all of the sets they can find. If they pick up all 10 cards, a new set of 10 cards is dealt, and they get another turn.
3. When a player can’t find any more sets of 10, the empty spaces are filled in so that there are 10 cards total once again, and the next player gets a turn.
4. Play until the deck runs out, or there are no more possible combinations. This may mean that the last round will consist of less than 10 cards.
5. The player who has collected the most cards wins.

Variations:

• Instead of adding up to 10, try adding up to a larger number, like 15.
• Deal less cards each round, or deal more cards each round.
• Make face cards worth a larger point value: Jacks = 11, Queens = 12, Kings = 13. Make Jokers WILD.
• Make each card worth 10 times its value. Aim for sums of 100. (This is a great way to help your child compare adding by tens with adding by ones.)