…And it’s not Kahoot. (I said what I said.) Listen, nothing against Kahoot. I actually love Kahoot. I’m just a wee bit tired of hearing about it every time I search for math game ideas. Time for some fresh faces around here in these math parts, ya know what I mean?

I’m a sucker for any and all math games but without further ado here are the top 3 math games to start in your classroom today:
Math Game #1: Knockout
I know, I know. I’m coming out of the gate strong with this one. I made it, I sell it on TeachersPayTeachers, and I’ve sold thousands–but I’m not saying that to brag. I’m only sharing that fun tidbit to get across *just* how magical of a little beast this game is. Here are a few of my favorites:



Listen: I’d love to shout my love of Knockout from the rooftops but for now, my second-best option is giving you this free Knockout sample pack. Like a flight of beers but better.*






Math Game #2: 4-Square
(No, not that one). Here’s a simple play-by-play to see how we play 4-Square.
- Students, seated at desk or on carpet, draws a simple quadrant on a dry erase board or piece of paper.
- Student writes 1 number in each square. (Let’s say for the sake of this example a number between 1-10).
- The teacher displays facts or writes them one at a time on the board. Every time a fact is revealed, the student crosses out the answer.
- The student who has one square remaining is the winner.

Math Game #3: Garbage
Here we go, one of my favorite games to play not only in math stations but also at home with my own kids. Some people call it Garbage, some call it Trash. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of either name. But the good thing is, it doesn’t matter because the game is just that good. You can read the full list of rules here, but essentially all it takes is one deck of cards, 2 players, and the end goal of lining up cards in order. It’s great for building number sense and counting.
*Not actually better than a flight of beers
Which games are your favorite? Tell me in the comments!
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