Place Value Game: Fun and Engaging Way to Teach the Power of Numbers

We are so excited to share our top tips about how to get your students excited about Place Value. We are Ashleigh and Alisha, the duo behind Rainbow Sky Creations. We love creating content that helps teachers feel inspired and save time. Our motto is to work smarter, not harder and we want to help as many teachers as we can to achieve that!

Math can often be a challenging subject for students, but the right approach can turn it into the most enjoyable part of the school day. 

Understanding place value is fundamental to developing number sense and math proficiency in your students. To make this crucial concept engaging and fun, we are excited to share a place value game that your students are bound to LOVE!

Why Place Value Matters

Place value is the foundation of our number system. It helps students understand the value of digits in different positions. Mastering place value is essential because it:

• Builds Number Sense: Students learn to recognize the value of digits based on their position, which is crucial for understanding larger numbers.

• Facilitates calculation skills: Understanding place value aids in performing addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division more effectively.
• Enhances Problem-Solving Skills: A solid grasp of place value allows students to break down complex problems into more manageable parts.

Understanding place value lays the groundwork for confident learners and will set students up for a year of success in math.

Introducing an Interactive Place Value Game

You don’t need any fancy resources to play this free game, simply a deck of playing cards, without jokers and face cards (we love using UNO cards) and a partner.

How to play:

1. Two students sit opposite each other with a deck of cards upside down. 
2. Each player chooses two cards and makes a 2-digit number (or any size number they are working on). 
3. Students order their cards and compare their numbers. 
4. The player with the largest number gets a point. The first player to 5 is the winner.

Not only is it easy to play and requires simple resources it also allows for:

• Easy Differentiation – It can be tailored to different grade levels and adapted to your students’ needs, ensuring an inclusive and engaging learning experience.
• Variety in Numbers: Use for two-digit, three-digit, four-digit numbers and beyond making it suitable for a wide range of grades and abilities.
• Multiple Uses: This fun place value game is perfect for back-to-school activities, building your students’ number sense skills or a teacher vs. student class game.

Other Ways You Can Use This Game In Your Classroom:

Here are some tips on how to make the most out of this place value game once you have taught your students to play:

1. Math Centers: Set up the game as a station during math centers. This allows students to practice place value in a small group setting.
2. Lesson Starter: Use the game as a warm-up activity to kickstart your math lessons and get students excited about learning.
3. Small Group Instruction: Incorporate the game into your small group instruction for targeted practice and immediate feedback.
4. Fast Finishers: Provide the game to students who finish their work early, keeping them engaged and learning.

Taking This Game to the Next Level for Older Students

We are all about reusing resources at Rainbow Sky Creations. So why not take this free place value game and turn it into a series of activities for your students to build their number sense and number fluency.

Materials Needed:

• Uno cards (without skips, reverse, draw four cards) or regular playing cards (without jokers and face cards)
• Whiteboards and markers for each student
• Enthusiastic learners ready for a math challenge!

How to Play:

• Students pair up and face each other.
• Each student flips over cards (depending on the number size you are working on)
• Students read the cards aloud, emphasizing correct place value usage.
• They then organize the cards to create the largest number possible.
• Each student announces their number and then rearranges the cards to form the lowest number.
• Students write down their final number on their whiteboards.
• To deepen the learning, students round their numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, and thousand, practicing essential skills while reinforcing understanding.
• Taking it a step further, students subtract their largest numbers, honing their subtraction skills and strengthening their mathematical abilities.

Ready to make place value practice fun and effective in your classroom? Download our Place Value Wars game for free and watch your students’ understanding and enthusiasm for math soar. Click here to get started!

Incorporating engaging activities like Place Value Wars into your teaching toolkit not only enhances your students’ learning experience but also fosters a love for mathematics. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make math both enjoyable and educational!

Rainbows ahead,

Alisha and Ashleigh (aka Rainbow Sky Creations)

Still have questions about teaching awesome Math lessons? Feel free to contact us on Instagram @rainbowskycreations, listen to our podcast or you can visit our blog where we have loads of fun teaching ideas.

Alisha and Ashleigh are the duo that make up Rainbow Sky Creations. They are 2 Australian teachers with decades of teaching experience in global classrooms. They have a mission to help teachers create learning magic in their classrooms, one Math lesson at a time!