If your 2nd graders are like my 2nd graders, then they love games! In the past, I drilled my 2nd grade students daily on timed tests to help them learn math facts. Students hated it, and they didn’t really make progress in learning their addition and subtraction facts. Then I started introducing math fact games for 2nd graders. My students’ attitude towards math facts changed entirely. They actually wanted to practice math facts and had fun doing so. As a result, they became fluent with their math facts.

As I did this, I learned ways to incorporate math fact games into our 2nd grade classroom. So today I thought I would share 3 ways I use math fact games for 2nd graders in my classroom.

 

Math Fact Games For 2nd Graders

 

 

Math Fact Games Center

Have a center during your center time that has students playing a math fact game. I choose a game for my students to play each week, but depending on how you set up your centers, you could have options for students. Have students play the game for 10-15 minutes and then move on to the next center.

A lot of the math fact games for 2nd graders I use have a recording sheet included for students to record the answers to math facts. I have students record their answers and turn that in. This keeps students accountable for using their time to play the game. It works great to keep students on task. Plus, they are having fun while they are practicing their addition and subtraction facts. 

Want a whole list of all the math fact games my 2nd graders play? Check out this blog post: The Best 9 Games for Practicing Math Facts

 

Math Fact Games as Fast Finisher Activities

I also like to set out math fact games as fast finisher activities. When students finish their work in class and there is still time before we move on to something new, one choice for students to do is to play a math fact game. At the beginning of the school year, I will introduce 5 or so games. Then I’ll do quick little rotations with them so that students get a chance to play all the games. This way everyone knows how to play them.

Then I set out all the math games in a bin so that it’s easy for students to play when they choose. When it’s time for students to clean up they know to put all the games back in the bin. Find all the math games I use as fast finishers in this money saving bundle here: Math Facts Fluency Games

 

Math Fact Games as Year of End Time Fillers

If your math curriculum is like mine, it doesn’t quite get you all the way to the end of the school year. Well, what are you supposed to do the last couple weeks of school? You’re tired and don’t want to think of new math activities for students. A colleague of mine shared with me that she uses my math games the last couple weeks of school during her math block.

She splits up the class into groups and one group plays Math Facts Old Maid, another one plays Math Facts War, and then another will play Math Facts Memory Match. She rotates them through all the games and students love it. Plus it gives her brain a break from thinking of new things to do at the end of the school year.

 

Math Games for 2nd Grade

 

Now that we have gone over the best ways to use math fact games for 2nd graders, let’s talk about my students favorite math games to play.

Math Facts Board Game

This game is kind of like Candy Land. The board game has sums, and then students take a card with an equation. They go to the next spot with the sum. Find this Math Facts Board Game here.

 

Math Facts War

Students get in small groups and pass out the cards evenly. They put their cards into a stack and on the count of 3 flip over their top card. The card with the greatest sum gets the cards in that round. Students keep playing until one person has all the cards or until time is up. Find the addition version of this game here and the subtraction version here.

 

Math Facts Bingo

This game you can play with the whole class or students can play in small groups. Each student playing gets a bingo card. The bingo cards have sums 1-20, then someone pulls out a call card and says the equation. Students have to figure out the answer to know what space to cover up. Five in a row makes bingo! Find this Math Facts Bingo game here.

 

Get all of the math fact games in a money saving bundle here. To learn more about each game, read this blog post here: Games With Math Facts That Students Love

Change up how you have students practice math facts in your classroom with math fact games. Students love them and they make progress towards math fact fluency. 

Need other tips for helping 1st and 2nd grade students to math fact mastery? Download my free workbook for teachers here: The 7 Steps to Ensure Math Fact Fluency