Family
Games for maths and reading practice at home
Why games work for practice
Children often need many repetitions of the same skill, such as number bonds to ten or reading common words. A game gives those repetitions a reason, and short games can fit into the time before dinner or bedtime.
With a deck of cards
| Game | How it works | What it practises |
|---|---|---|
| Make ten | Lay out cards face up. Players take pairs that add to ten | Number bonds |
| War with a twist | Each player turns two cards and adds (or multiplies) them. Highest total wins the round | Addition, times tables |
| Closest to 100 | Turn cards to make two-digit numbers and try to get a total near 100 | Place value |
| Ordering race | Each player gets five cards and races to put them in order | Comparing numbers |
Remove the picture cards for younger children, or give them a value such as ten.
With dice
- Roll two dice and add, subtract or multiply.
- Shut the box: players roll two dice and flip down numbered tiles that add up to the roll.
- Race games on a home-made track, where children count spaces aloud.
Reading games
- Word matching: write common words on two sets of cards and play Snap or a memory game with them.
- Sentence building: shuffle word cards and ask children to build the longest sentence they can.
Editor's notes
Stop while the game is still fun. Five good minutes are worth more than twenty tired ones.
Entry last checked: October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Use the contact page.