Math Game Monday: Grid Fight

This game uses the area model to visualize and build understanding of integer multiplication.

Many parents remember struggling to learn math. We hope to provide a better experience for our children. And one of the best ways for children to enjoy learning is through hands-on play.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s play some math!

Grid Fight

Math Concepts: integer multiplication, area model for multiplication.

Players: two players or two teams.

Equipment: printed gameboard or square grid paper, playing cards, pencils or colored markers.

The FREE 68-page printable (pdf) Prealgebra & Geometry Printables file features hundred charts, coordinate grids, assorted graph paper, and all the game boards for the Math You Can Play: Prealgebra & Geometry book.

Set-Up

Print a gameboard for the players to share. Or make your own gameboard on square grid paper: two 12 × 12 squares separated by a “zero” line.

Label one square positive (+) and the other negative (−). Choose which player or team will use the positive side of the gameboard grid and who takes the negatives.

Remove the face cards from your deck. Agree on which color represents negative numbers.

How to Play

Deal three cards to each player. Place the rest of the deck face down as a draw pile.

On each turn, both players make their move at the same time. Choose one card to play and hold it face down on the table in front of you. When both players are ready, turn up the chosen cards and multiply the numbers.

If the product is greater than zero, the positive player colors a rectangle of that size on the positive side of the grid. If the product is negative, that player colors a rectangle on the negative side.

Your goal is to fill in as many complete rows as you can, as in the game Tetris. But if you can’t fit your rectangle on the grid, you lose that turn.

Both players discard their used cards and draw to replenish their hands.

Play twelve turns. Whoever fills in the most rows wins the game.

Variations

Do you want a longer game? Play on both halves of the gameboard at once. Players may color their rectangle in either square (on their own side of the zero line) wherever they can fit it in. The game continues until the grids are so full that players lose three turns in a row.

History

I owe this game (and many others!) to the amazing John Golden. Visit his Math Hombre Games webpage for more ideas.