These five math games need no worksheets and almost no setup. All you need is a deck of cards, a pair of dice, or nothing at all, and a few minutes at the dinner table or in the car.
Each game below states the age range, what you need, and how to play. For structured practice instead of games, see our word problems section or the math hub.
What is Math War?
Math War is a two-player card game where players compare the sum or product of two flipped cards, and the higher total wins the round. It works for ages 6 and up, once a child can add or multiply small numbers.
You need: A standard deck of cards with the face cards removed (or count jack, queen, king as 11, 12, 13).
How to play:
- Split the deck evenly between two players, face down.
- Each player flips their top two cards and adds them together (or multiplies them, for a harder version).
- The player with the higher total takes all four cards.
- Keep playing until one player has all the cards, or set a timer and see who has the most cards when it ends.
For example, if one player flips a 6 and a 3, that is 9. If the other flips a 7 and a 5, that is 12, so the second player wins the round and takes all four cards.
This game does not work well for more than two players at once. For a group, play several pairs side by side instead.
What is Buzz?
Buzz is a spoken counting game where players count up in order and say “Buzz” instead of any number that is a multiple of a chosen number, usually 7. It works for ages 8 and up, once a child knows multiplication facts for the chosen number.
You need: Nothing but the players.
How to play:
- Sit in a circle or a line. Pick a target number, such as 7.
- Going around the group, each player says the next counting number in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- Any number that is a multiple of 7 gets replaced with “Buzz” instead of the number. So the sequence goes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Buzz (for 7), 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Buzz (for 14), and so on.
- Anyone who says the number instead of “Buzz,” or who hesitates too long, is out or starts the count over from 1.
This game does not work well with players who have not yet memorized multiplication facts for the target number. Start with a smaller number, like 3 or 5, for younger players.
What is Salute?
Salute is a three-player card game where two players hold a card on their forehead and must guess their own number from the sum a third player calls out. It works for ages 7 and up.
You need: A standard deck of cards with face cards removed.
How to play:
- One player is the caller. The other two players each draw a card without looking at it and hold it face-out on their forehead, so they can see their partner’s card but not their own.
- The caller looks at both cards, adds them together, and says only the sum out loud.
- Each of the two players looks at the other player’s card and the sum, then works out their own card by subtracting.
- Whoever guesses their own number first wins the round. Rotate who is the caller and play again.
For example, if the sum called is 11 and a player sees a 4 on their partner’s forehead, they can work out their own card is 7, since 11 minus 4 equals 7.
This game needs exactly three players for each round. Split into groups of three if you have more players.
What is Guess My Number?
Guess My Number is a question-and-answer game where one player picks a secret number in a range and others narrow it down using yes-or-no clues like “higher” or “lower.” It works for any age once a child can compare two numbers.
You need: Nothing but the players, or paper to track guesses.
How to play:
- One player secretly picks a number in an agreed range, such as 1 to 100.
- Other players take turns guessing a number.
- After each guess, the picker says “higher,” “lower,” or “correct.”
- Players use each clue to narrow the range, aiming to find the number in as few guesses as possible.
This game does not teach a specific math fact on its own. It builds number sense and a simple form of the binary search strategy, where each guess cuts the remaining range roughly in half.
What is Shut the Box?
Shut the Box is a dice game where players roll two dice and cross off numbers that add up to the roll, trying to cross off every number from 1 to 9 or 10. It works for ages 6 and up.
You need: Two dice and a sheet of paper with the numbers 1 through 9 (or 1 through 10) written out for each player.
How to play:
- Roll both dice and add the two numbers together.
- Cross off any number or combination of numbers still open that add up to the roll. For example, if you roll a 9, you can cross off just the 9, or the 4 and 5 together, or the 3, 2, and 4 together.
- If no open numbers add up to the roll, your turn ends.
- Keep rolling and crossing off numbers until you either close every number (“shut the box”) or run out of moves. Add up any numbers left open at the end. Lowest total, or a full shut, wins.
This game does not work once a player has crossed off enough low numbers that no combination can match a new roll. That is part of the strategy, not a flaw in the rules.
What are some good current online math games?
These three sites offer free math games and practice with no purchase required to get started. This list does not include sites that require an account or a paid subscription before you can try a game.
- Math Playground. Free games for kindergarten through 6th grade covering addition, fractions, and pre-algebra, with no sign-in required.
- Toy Theater Math Games. Simple browser games for kindergarten through 3rd grade, organized by topic like counting, telling time, and geometry.
- Khan Academy Math. Free practice exercises and short video lessons across grade levels, from early counting through high school math.
Pair any of these with our percentages or ratios and proportions pages for more structured practice on a specific skill.
Sources
- Math Playground. Math Games
- Toy Theater. Math Games
- Khan Academy. Math