Using a Deck of Cards: Math

Using a Deck of Cards: Math - Addition

It is tremendously important to be able to add efficiently but worksheets can be so boring. Here’s how you can use a deck of cards to make addition practice more fun.

Number of players

You can play with as many as you like as long as each player has 1 full deck of cards.

If you have only 1 deck of cards at home, you can time how long each player takes to finish their deck. The fastest player wins.

Setting up

  1. Remove all Jokers, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and 10s

  2. Ace is 1.

Objective of the game

  1. Finish the deck of cards as quickly as possible

  2. Work on number bonds of 10, i.e. numbers that add to 10 (e.g. 2 & 8, 3 & 7)

How to play

  1. Open 9 cards face up.

  2. Pick out all the pairs that make number bonds of 10, e.g. Ace (1) and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, etc.

  3. Lay out new cards to replace those that have been removed.

  4. Do as quickly as possible and until the deck has been completed.

  5. The first player to finish their deck wins.

Note: This is game has been explained for number bonds of 10. But you can make the following variations depending on your child’s level:

  1. Make smaller number bonds (e.g. 5, 6, etc.) bigger number bonds (e.g. 12, 13, etc.).

  2. Use 3 cards to make the specified number bond (e.g. 2 + 3 + 5 = 10)

If you choose to vary the game, you will also need to change the way the game is set up. E.g. If you want to work on number bonds of 11, add 10 back into the deck.