Math Games for Kids in Grades 1-3: 20 Games Without Apps

The best math games for kids in grades 1-3 use things you already have at home: cards, dice, play money and buttons. This article gives you 20 games without apps, sorted by grade and by topic: number sense, addition, subtraction, early multiplication and money. Each game takes 10-15 minutes, so you can play one with your child after school.

Why do games help children learn math?

Games help because your child practises the same sums again and again without feeling tested, and short math games for kids are easy to fit into every day.

UNICEF Indonesia describes learning through play as one of the most important ways children build skills. At a parent workshop in Kupang, old cardboard boxes and egg cartons were enough to make learning tools. So math games without apps are easy to set up, and you don't need expensive toys. The Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI) reminds parents to choose toys that match a child's stage of development, which is why the games below are grouped by grade.

Put together one box with number cards 1-10, two dice, buttons, straws, rubber bands, tape and play money. Every game below uses what is in that box.

7 math games for grade 1

For math games for grade 1, pick ones that get your child comfortable with numbers up to 100 and with adding and taking away using objects they can hold. For children aged 6-7, Algonova also has a math program for kids aged 6-7.

1. Number Line Jump

You need: tape and paper numbers 0-20.

1. Tape a number line to the floor.
2. Your child stands on a number and you call out "forward 5 steps" or "back 3 steps".
3. Your child steps along and says the number they land on.

Practises: adding and subtracting on a number line.

Sample problem: start at 8 and move forward 5 steps. Your child lands on 13.

2. Guess and Count the Buttons

You need: buttons or peanuts and a bowl.

1. Grab a handful of buttons and ask your child to guess how many there are.
2. They count them one by one, then count again in twos.
3. If the guess is off by 3 buttons or fewer, they score a point.

Practises: counting and skip counting by 2.

Sample problem: there are 14 buttons. Counting in twos gives 7 steps, or 7 groups of 2 buttons.

3. Number Card Battle

You need: number cards 1-10.

1. Deal the cards evenly. Each player turns over one card.
2. Whoever has the bigger number takes both cards.
3. The winner says the difference between the two numbers.

Practises: comparing numbers and subtraction.

Sample problem: a 7 against a 4. The difference is 3.

4. Make Ten Pairs

You need: number cards 1-9.

1. Spread the cards face down and take turns flipping two.
2. If they add up to 10, your child keeps the pair.
3. If not, turn them back over. The most pairs wins.

Practises: number pairs that make 10.

Sample problem: a 6 pairs with a 4, because 6 + 4 = 10.

5. Dice Addition

You need: two dice and a score sheet.

1. Your child rolls both dice.
2. They say the total and write it down.
3. After 5 rolls, add up all the scores.

Practises: adding up to 12 and counting quickly.

Sample problem: the dice show 5 and 4. The total is 9.

6. Button Shop

You need: 10 buttons to use as money.

1. You are the shopkeeper and give snack prices in buttons.
2. Your child pays with their buttons.
3. They say how many buttons are left.

Practises: subtraction in word problems.

Sample problem: your child has 10 buttons and buys a sweet for 3 buttons. They have 7 left.

7. Secret Number

You need: paper and a pencil.

1. Secretly write down a number between 1 and 100.
2. Your child guesses and you answer "bigger" or "smaller".
3. Swap roles once the number is found.

Practises: number order up to 100 and comparing.

Sample problem: the clues are "more than 60, less than 65, the ones digit is 3". The number is 63.