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Play Terrific Tens Go Fish!

(not rated)
by Victoria Hoffman
Topics: Second Grade, Math
Play Terrific Tens Go Fish!

Make practicing addition facts more fun with this spin off of the traditional “Go Fish” game.  As you  work with your child on his math facts, it will be helpful to find tricks and strategies to help him build his confidence and skill. One way to do this is to have him learn the combinations of numbers that add up to ten. This game is an exciting way to practice that strategy.  And he'll be building skills that he'll use for years to come.

What You Need:

  • 48 index cards
  • Marker or crayon
  • Lined notebook paper
  • One pencil per player

 

Preparation:
  1. In order to play this game, you will first need to prepare your number cards. Using your marker or crayon and index cards, you will need to make a deck of number cards. You will need four cards each of the numbers 0-10 and four “WILD” cards, for a total of 48 cards.
  2. Simply write the numbers or the word “WILD” on each card making sure that the numbers cannot be seen on the other side.
How to Play:
  1. The object of the game is to get as many pairs of cards as you can that total 10. The winner of the game is the player with the most pairs of cards that equal 10.
  2. Each player is dealt five cards. The remaining cards are placed face down in a deck in the center of the table or play area.
  3. If you have any pairs that total 10 in your first hand, put them down in front of you and replace those cards with cards from the deck.
  4. As you find combinations of numbers that equal 10, each player will use a pencil to write that addition problem on his or her own lined sheet of paper. Place all of your combinations of ten in one pile after you have written that combination on your paper.
  5. Take turns. On a turn, ask one of the other players for a card that will go with a card in your hand to make 10. (Note: a "WILD" card can be whatever number you would like it to be to make a pair that adds up to 10.)
  6. If you get a card that makes 10, put the pair of cards down. Then take one card from the deck. Your turn is over.
  7. If you do not get a card that makes 10 because the other player did not have the card you asked for, take a card from the deck. Then your turn is over.
  8. If the card you take from the deck makes 10 with a card in your hand, put the pair down and take another card.
  9. If there are no cards left in your hand but still cards in the deck, take two cards.
  10. The game is over when there are no more cards left unpaired.  Whoever has the most pairs of tens at the end of the game wins!

This is a great math game that the whole family can play!

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14 comments

Comments from readers

  1. Jun 15, 2009
    This is a great way to practice addition facts!
  2. Jun 24, 2009
    family#1 says:
    This activity is really fun and is not just  for second graders but if you just change the rules of the game you can make it for even fifth graders. I played this game with my little second grader and my middle school girl and they really liked it
  3. Jun 25, 2009
    Rather than making our own cards we used a regular deck of playing cards. We made Aces worth 1 and Jacks worth zero. Queens were the "wild ladies". Great fun!
  4. Jul 15, 2009
    GwenKids says:
    I feel 'slow' asking but what if you have a 10 in your hand?  You only lay down pairs, right?  So, you must have either a zero or a wild (to value zero) in order to lay down the 10.  Right?
  5. Jul 16, 2009
    LnJsmom says:
    My kids had a great time playing this game.  They wanted to play it over and over. I said to them when we were cleaning up, "Did you know that while you played this game you were learning something? " They both reacted with "WE DID?!" When i explained how they both said "Whoa! That's cool!"
  6. Jul 18, 2009
    GwenKids says:
    We played the game (both my 2nd grader and 5th grader) we had such fun.... last round Daddy even joined in!  We played with deck of cards (thanx tuffykenwell for suggestion)! and kept all the cards in.. Joker were Wild along with Queen and Kings and Jacks were 1's and 2's
  7. Jul 20, 2009
    Kaidsmom says:
    We had fun with this one, my son loves to play card games, so this was a big winner
  8. Jul 21, 2009
    grapejelly says:
    Great math builder. Sometimes a stumper.
  9. Jul 25, 2009
    LnJsmom says:
    My daughter really loved this game,we played it several tmes. Each time was  little bit easier for her. She begs us to pla it every night now!  Love the idea of incorporating math into a family favorite game!
  10. Aug 4, 2009
    This was a very fun way to review the numbers that add to 10.
  11. Aug 9, 2009
    cooking says:
    This was a good concept!
  12. Aug 21, 2009
    Mikshannon says:
    We all liked this game.  It was a little too easy for my 8 year old, but she could help my 5 year old and we all had fun.
  13. Aug 31, 2009
    I love finding fun ways to teach and reinforce math lessons.  I wish when I was in school we could have played more games.
  14. Sep 1, 2009
    I tried this activity with my first grader because she liked playing original go fish.  We are going to use it throughout the year as practice!  Fun.

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