ArithmeTic Level 1 (best for grades 2-4, age 7-9)
Difficulty: Easy
Number of players: 2 to 5
Length: Players determine the length, but approximately 5min per round.
Point Tallying: Yes
Style: Building the best hand
Objective: Achieve the best five-card hand worth the most points by swapping one card at a time with the centre cards on one’s turn. The goal is to try and maximize the number of cards that match in the number, or the shape, or the colour, while also trying to have the number value on these cards as high as possible. Finally, one tries to minimize the number value of any cards that do not match with the others, as the non-matching cards count against the hand at the end of the round.
Setup: All players are dealt 5 cards. The remaining cards are placed face-down in the middle. The top card is flipped over and placed beside the deck.
Play: Decide who plays first then take turns moving around the table in one direction. To start, a player picks up either the centre face-up card or chooses to pick up from the centre deck. A player tries to organize their hand into the best collection of cards that have one thing in common with the highest number value possible, and then discard their worst card to the face-up pile in the centre. The next player in turn does the same thing and play progresses around the table as players take turns trying to improve their hand. When a player thinks they have a winning hand, instead of picking up a card form the centre on their turn, they knock twice on the table. All other players have one more chance to improve their hand with a pickup and discard, before everyone lays their cards down at the same time for all to see.
There are five possible 5-card hands that can be laid down:
No cards have anything matching (all 5 cards count against)
2 cards with one thing in common (3 cards count against)
3 cards with one thing in common (2 cards count against)
4 cards with one thing in common (1 card count against)
5 cards with one thing in common (0 cards count against)
“One thing in common” could be the number, or the shape, or the colour. We call this cards that "Single" as they have a single property in common. For the hand one lays down at the end of the round, count the number value of each card to get the points. For example, if you decide to lay down 4 cards that all have one thing in common, such as 4 cards that are all the colour blue, add up the number value for each of these 4 cards.
Any card(s) that do not have something in common with the ones you lay down for points count against the score. For example, for the 4 blue cards, the last card in the player’s hand will count against. Subtract the number value of this remaining card from the score of the hand to achieve the final score.
Other rules or comments: Have every student keep track of their own score with paper and a pencil: recording the score on each round and tallying each round together for the total. Everyone can check their neighbour's math too for accuracy. Set a pre-determined number of rounds to play (such as 5) and whomever has the highest score at the end of all the rounds wins.
Strategy Tips: Whether you are going for 5 cards that are all orange, 4 cards that all have triangles, or perhaps 3 cards that all have the number five, it is best to try and acquire high number value cards (such as 4s and 5s) and discard high value cards that could count against your hand. However, each player needs to make decisions on what is going to be worth more points. Are 5 orange cards worth more than 4 cards that have triangles, or 3 cards with the number 5? The answer depends on the number values of each card and what numbers will count against the hand. If you want to win, players are forced to do mental math to determine the best hand to use.
Difficulty: Easy
Number of players: 2 to 5
Length: Players determine the length, but approximately 5min per round.
Point Tallying: Yes
Style: Building the best hand
Objective: Achieve the best five-card hand worth the most points by swapping one card at a time with the centre cards on one’s turn. The goal is to try and maximize the number of cards that match in the number, or the shape, or the colour, while also trying to have the number value on these cards as high as possible. Finally, one tries to minimize the number value of any cards that do not match with the others, as the non-matching cards count against the hand at the end of the round.
Setup: All players are dealt 5 cards. The remaining cards are placed face-down in the middle. The top card is flipped over and placed beside the deck.
Play: Decide who plays first then take turns moving around the table in one direction. To start, a player picks up either the centre face-up card or chooses to pick up from the centre deck. A player tries to organize their hand into the best collection of cards that have one thing in common with the highest number value possible, and then discard their worst card to the face-up pile in the centre. The next player in turn does the same thing and play progresses around the table as players take turns trying to improve their hand. When a player thinks they have a winning hand, instead of picking up a card form the centre on their turn, they knock twice on the table. All other players have one more chance to improve their hand with a pickup and discard, before everyone lays their cards down at the same time for all to see.
There are five possible 5-card hands that can be laid down:
No cards have anything matching (all 5 cards count against)
2 cards with one thing in common (3 cards count against)
3 cards with one thing in common (2 cards count against)
4 cards with one thing in common (1 card count against)
5 cards with one thing in common (0 cards count against)
“One thing in common” could be the number, or the shape, or the colour. We call this cards that "Single" as they have a single property in common. For the hand one lays down at the end of the round, count the number value of each card to get the points. For example, if you decide to lay down 4 cards that all have one thing in common, such as 4 cards that are all the colour blue, add up the number value for each of these 4 cards.
Any card(s) that do not have something in common with the ones you lay down for points count against the score. For example, for the 4 blue cards, the last card in the player’s hand will count against. Subtract the number value of this remaining card from the score of the hand to achieve the final score.
Other rules or comments: Have every student keep track of their own score with paper and a pencil: recording the score on each round and tallying each round together for the total. Everyone can check their neighbour's math too for accuracy. Set a pre-determined number of rounds to play (such as 5) and whomever has the highest score at the end of all the rounds wins.
Strategy Tips: Whether you are going for 5 cards that are all orange, 4 cards that all have triangles, or perhaps 3 cards that all have the number five, it is best to try and acquire high number value cards (such as 4s and 5s) and discard high value cards that could count against your hand. However, each player needs to make decisions on what is going to be worth more points. Are 5 orange cards worth more than 4 cards that have triangles, or 3 cards with the number 5? The answer depends on the number values of each card and what numbers will count against the hand. If you want to win, players are forced to do mental math to determine the best hand to use.
ArithmeTic Level 2 (best for grades 4-6, age 9 to 11)
This is the same game as ArithmeTic level 1 above, but now one can not only try for a hand with multiple cards that have one thing in common (cards that "Single"), but multiple cards that all have two things in common (cards that "Tic"), which is worth more points.
Possible “Single” 5 card hands
2 cards with one property in common (3 cards count against)
3 cards with one property in common (2 cards count against)
4 cards with one property in common (1 card count against)
5 cards with one property in common (0 cards count against)
Possible “Tic” 5 card hands
2 cards with two properties in common (3 cards count against)
3 cards with two properties in common (2 cards count against)
4 cards with two properties in common (1 card count against)
5 cards with two properties in common (0 cards count against)
One more unlikely but possible hand:
No cards have anything matching (all 5 cards count against)
Similar to the game above, if you decide go with a Singles hand (such as multiple cards with one thing in common), simply count the number value of each card to get the total. However, if you decide to lay down a Tic hand (such as 4 cards with two things in common), again get the summed number value of all the cards, but now double it get the total.
Strategy Tips: Whether you are going for 5 cards that Single or 3 cards that Tic for example, each player needs to make decisions on what is going to be worth more points. Are the cards that Tic, in which the points get doubled, worth more points than the cards that Single? Also ask yourself what cards count against the hand in each scenario. If you want to win, players are forced to do mental math during the game to determine the best hand to use.
Variation with more challenging arithmeTic (level 3): Instead of only counting the number value on each card to determine the score, make the shape value and the colour value worth points too. The circle, a one sided shape, is worth 1 point, the crescent, a two sided shape, is worth 2 points, the triangle 3, the square 4 and the 5 sided star is worth 5 points. For the colours we move across the rainbow: violet is worth 1 point, blue 2, yellow 3, orange 4 and red 5. In this variation, each player needs to strive for not only high number values, but to find the matching cards with the highest total value considering the number, shape and colour.
This is the same game as ArithmeTic level 1 above, but now one can not only try for a hand with multiple cards that have one thing in common (cards that "Single"), but multiple cards that all have two things in common (cards that "Tic"), which is worth more points.
Possible “Single” 5 card hands
2 cards with one property in common (3 cards count against)
3 cards with one property in common (2 cards count against)
4 cards with one property in common (1 card count against)
5 cards with one property in common (0 cards count against)
Possible “Tic” 5 card hands
2 cards with two properties in common (3 cards count against)
3 cards with two properties in common (2 cards count against)
4 cards with two properties in common (1 card count against)
5 cards with two properties in common (0 cards count against)
One more unlikely but possible hand:
No cards have anything matching (all 5 cards count against)
Similar to the game above, if you decide go with a Singles hand (such as multiple cards with one thing in common), simply count the number value of each card to get the total. However, if you decide to lay down a Tic hand (such as 4 cards with two things in common), again get the summed number value of all the cards, but now double it get the total.
Strategy Tips: Whether you are going for 5 cards that Single or 3 cards that Tic for example, each player needs to make decisions on what is going to be worth more points. Are the cards that Tic, in which the points get doubled, worth more points than the cards that Single? Also ask yourself what cards count against the hand in each scenario. If you want to win, players are forced to do mental math during the game to determine the best hand to use.
Variation with more challenging arithmeTic (level 3): Instead of only counting the number value on each card to determine the score, make the shape value and the colour value worth points too. The circle, a one sided shape, is worth 1 point, the crescent, a two sided shape, is worth 2 points, the triangle 3, the square 4 and the 5 sided star is worth 5 points. For the colours we move across the rainbow: violet is worth 1 point, blue 2, yellow 3, orange 4 and red 5. In this variation, each player needs to strive for not only high number values, but to find the matching cards with the highest total value considering the number, shape and colour.