When you don’t want to spend a lot of money on games, or you don’t want to spend time gathering supplies or laminating parts, etc….playing cards are your friend for fraction games. A lot of math games really, but we’re talkin’ fraction games here today. These games range from about 3rd grade to 6th grade in the standards they practice.
The following fraction games include chances to practice:
-simplifying fractions
-changing improper fractions to mixed numbers and vise versa
-comparing fractions
-adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators
Let’s get started!
For all these games, you can remove jokers or keep them wild. Also, J=12, Q=14, K=15, A=1. I keep this key on my white board when playing for the kids to refer back to. It might seem weird to not just use numbers that go in order after 10, but I find that these are better suited to supplying fractions that will provide opportunities to practice the skills below.
Also, students could use pencil and paper to help them figure out computations, but hopefully they will get faster at doing it in their heads as time goes by.
Game 1 – Simple Simon – Skill: Simplifying Fractions – 2 Players
Shuffle the cards and place them face down in one deck.
Players take turns flipping over two cards and putting the smaller number on top. (They can use a pencil as a fraction line if they need to). Players either state that it is already in a Simple Simon (already in simplest form) or they say what the simplest form is. If they are right, they can keep the cards. If they are wrong the other player gets to keep the cards. It is the other player’s job to determine if the answer is right or wrong. When the deck is gone, the player with the most cards wins.
****Alternate way to play*** You can also play this where each player goes through the deck on their own, saying either Simple Simon or the simple form, as fast as they can. Then the next person shuffles and does the same. These are timed races. The fastest person wins.
Game 2 – Improper Ivan – Skill: Turning an Improper Fraction into a Mixed Number – 2 Players
This is played the same as above, except the players put the largest card on the top of the fraction. There should not be already ‘simplest form’ in these. The closest students will come is a 1 (like 7/7). The students turn cards over, biggest number on top, and then say the same fraction as a mixed number. For example, a student turns over 9/5, says 1 and 4/5 and gets to keep those cards. Next student’s turn. They check each other for correctness as they play because if a student gets it wrong, the other player gets their cards.
Game 2 B- Mixed Number to Improper Fraction
You can also play this in reverse- Have students draw three cards and arrange them as a mixed number. Then they can to convert them to an improper fraction.
Game 3 – Fraction War – Skill: Comparing Fractions – 2 Players
***Versatile! Can be used to compare regular fractions, improper fractions, or mixed numbers!
Shuffle the deck and deal all the cards so each player has half the deck. At the same time, the players each pull two cards and arrange them as a fraction. Depending on what your students are learning here, you can tell them smaller number on top, improper fraction, or let them decide how to arrange theirs (strategy comes into play here because they’ll want to form the biggest fraction they can). Students compare the two fractions created and the player with the largest fraction takes all the cards. Whoever has the most cards at the end wins. And just like with War, if they are the same value then each player has to lay more fractions until there is a winner to take them all.
Game 3 B – Adding and Subtracting Fractions with Unlike Denominators
Play the same way as above, except instead of deciding who has the largest fraction, you have students add the cards from both players. The first one with the correct answer gets the cards. You can also do subtraction, as long as students have the skills to understand which fraction is larger so they’re subtracting without going into negatives. Or if your students need a challenge and know about negatives, go ahead and let them try that way!
Game 4 – Fraction Slap & Say – Skill: Simplifying Fractions or Creating Mixed numbers – 3 Players
After trying this several ways, I decided on this 3 player approach. Just makes sure kids take turns being the dealer. And the dealer isn’t allowed to always deal, even if they want to. They need to play.
The deck gets shuffled and the dealer holds all the cards. The dealer takes the two off the top and takes a moment to figure out how to arrange them according to teacher directions. This can be either smaller number on top for simplifying, larger number on top for mixed numbers, etc…. Give them those particular directions ahead of time. Then the dealer lays the cards down the correct way so that they players see them at the same time. The student who figures out the direction (simplest form, mixed number etc.) slaps the card and says it. It’s important to have the rule that students who slap the cards have to say the answer right away. You don’t want students trying to be the first to slap and then thinking about the answer afterward. You can make that a ground for disqualification if it’s a problem.
Again, winner keeps the cards and the one with the most cards wins. If a player says the wrong answer, the other player gets the cards.
Game 5 – Comparing Fractions Poker – Skill: Comparing Fractions – 2-6 Players
This game involves no betting – just FYI! 😂. If you don’t like the word poker in the name you can call it Build the Biggest.
For this one the cards are shuffled and dealt, 5 cards to each player. Each player looks at their own cards and tries to make the largest fraction they can with any two of their cards that they choose. You can limit them here to proper fractions or let them go with improper fractions depending on your class and what you want them to practice. They lay their fraction out. When all players have their chosen fraction laid out, they all agree on the largest one created. That player gets to keep all the cards from the round on the side. The dealer then deals each player two more cards. Everyone goes again. Repeat until they’re out of cards. The player with the most cards at the end wins.
If there is a tie during a round, the players with the highest fractions lay down two more cards to try to create a larger fraction and they compare again. Winner takes them all. Kind of like War. And when the dealer is dealing everyone else two cards for the next round, they would also deal these players the extra needed so that everyone starts each round with 5 cards.
6 Responses
These games are so much fun and Iove that you can play them using only a deck of cards! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Julie! Enjoy playing them!
For Game 5, do you play with the face cards too? And if so, what are their values .
You can do either one. If your kids are just starting out with fractions, I’d leave them out. If they need more of a challenge, I’d include them. With the way that particular game works, you could go the easy route and make them J=11, Q=12, K=13.
Super Cool ! I’m home schooling and looking for good ideas in teaching. thank you for sharing.