Math Game: Snap Plus One

Welcome to the Math Games Series where I share easy and fun math games to develop and support early numeracy skills. 

Our last math game, teen bingo, develops early numeral identification skills. My kids love playing it to no end, (I think the stamps have something to do with it).

Today we will continue with another math game, snap plus one. This counting and numeral identification game is great for children who know how to count to ten or beyond, but always begin at one when they count. They may also also be at the point where they are learning to add two collections of items.

This game of snap plus one, is a great way to introduce children to a more efficient strategy for solving number problems.

Instead of always beginning at one when counting, children who can “count-on”, can count on from any given number. When solving number problems, the ability to count on is much more efficient than counting from one.

Snap Plus One: Counting & Numeral Identification:

Focus: Math Number, Counting & Numeral Identification

Desired Results: Say the number word just after a given number in the range of one to ten.

Pre-Test: Ask a child to say the number word just after a given number word in the range of one to ten. Can they say the correct number word after a given number, without beginning at one when they count?

Evidence of Learning: A child is able to say the number word just after a given number word in the range one to ten without beginning at one.

When working with young children, remember to:

• Show them how to do the task before expecting them to complete the task independently.
• Limit the range of numbers being presented when introducing a new mathematical idea.
• Provide children with a variety of math games, which repeat the same mathematical understanding (e.g. counting, numeral identification, subitising, etc). To support this, I will be sharing a variety of counting games, numeral identification games, subitising games, etc. as part of this Math Games series.

Teaching & Learning Experiences:

You will need a deck of playing cards. Remove all the picture cards. Ace refers to one in this game.

Just like snap, cards are dealt face down to all the players. Each player takes turns to turn one card from their pile over and places this in the middle. However, instead of slapping the pile of cards and saying snap when two cards match, in this game of snap plus one, the pile of cards are snapped only when the new card is one more than the previous card.

For example if 5 is placed in the middle and the new card placed on top is 6, players may slap the pile. The quickest player to slap the pile and say snap picks up all the cards.

When any player runs out of cards, the game is over. The player with the most cards, is the winner.

Possible Variations to the Game:

• For children who are working on their number recognition, play the standard game of snap where they have to match the same cards.
• To extend this game, play Snap +/- 1, or Snap +/- 2

After more math games? Browse through our collection of math games.

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