A Game for Two Players





A Game for Two Players emphasizes prealgebra vocabulary & mental computation.

    This game use words such as multiple, multiply, divisible, divide, prime, composite, add, and subtract to reinforce math vocabulary skills and provide practice with mental computation.

    There are multiple copies of some cards.  The game may be won in two moves, but, a player may never get onto the board.

    It is best played with a printed deck of cards and a board with player-found tokens.

    The digital version is not as much fun, but still worth playing. Of course one can not play with a printed deck of cards if the players are miles apart, but, the digital version and a zoom-connection would work. Only one player needs the board and cards, but, all players must be able to communicate.



Make/Print the Materials or Use the Digital Manipulative
  • The Digital Manipulative is linked here.
     
  • A video of this page is found with other digital manipulative videos linked here.
     
  • A pdf file is linked here, or one may choose to print the board and cards through the links below.
     
  • Collect a different small playing piece for each player. Paper clips, buttons, coins (heads up or down), and erasers are usable.
  • Print a game board with sixty squares and number them consecutively from 1 to 60. Window shades or the back of vinyl wallpaper make excellent board material, but printer paper or oak tag is fine.
  • The basic set of cards is linked here and includes those listed here. Add to this set as desired.
  • Below are listed cards

"Reverse the digits of your number." "Move to the next prime number." "Divide by the number you're on." "Triple your number,"

"Double your number," "Move to the next multiple of 4." "Move to the next multiple of 5." "Move to the next multiple of 6."

"Move to the next multiple of 10." "Move to the next multiple of 12." "Square your number." "Cube your number." "Multiply by 2." "Multiply by 3."

"Multiply by 4." "Multiply by 5." "Multiply by 6." "Divide by 1." "Divide by 2."

"Divide by 3." "Divide by 4." "Divide by 5." "Divide by 6." "Decrease by 1."

"Decrease by 2." "Decrease by 3." "Decrease by 4." "Decrease by 5." "Decrease by 6."

"Decrease by 10." "Decrease by 12." "Decrease by 16." "Increase by 2." "Increase by 3."

"Increase by 4." "Increase by 5. "Increase by 10." "Increase by 12.



To Play

  • Shuffle the deck and place the cards in a pile, face down. Place a playing piece just off the board near square 1 for each player, and decide who goes first. Draw a card and move as indicated. The next player draws the next card and moves as directed. The winner is the first person to get to 60, or the person who lands on the highest number after a predetermined time limit is reached.

Rules to Remember


First person to land on 60 wins the game.
 
DON'T go to a square that is already occupied.
 
DON'T go off the board once you get on the board.
 
When dividing, throw the remainder away.


 


History of This Game

    This game was created by Agnes Azzolino and Ronald E. Ruemmler and first published in NCTM Arithmetic Teacher, Vol. 32, No. 2, 10/84.

    Before 2005, the game and cards, board, rules were posted on mathnstuff.com.

    In 2008, the digital manipulative was posted at mathnstuff.com/papers/games/42.xls.

    In 2023, the video was produced.



 
© 9/2023, A2, www.mathnstuff.com/papers/games/42game.htm
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