Number sense is partly the ability to reason about and compare quantities. The "Addition Top It " game from Everyday Math is good for comparing sums. It requires one deck of cards per pair of players. There are four cards, each with the numbers 0 to 10 in each deck, which are shuffled, then laid face down. Players each flip two cards, add the numbers and compare to see who has the greater sum. The player with the top value wins all four cards. Everyday Math Top It cards contain dot patterns showing the quantities represented by their numbers. Dot patterns help children reason, add and compare.
The game "Eggs-act Sums" from the Learn-with-Math-Games website motivates children to practice addition of numbers up to a sum of 12. The game is designed for two to four players. It requires a pair of dice, an empty egg carton and jellybeans. Each player selects a different color of jellybean. Eleven of the egg cups in the carton are labeled from 2 to 12. An asterisk (*) is marked in the remaining cup. A player rolls the dice, adds the numbers rolled, then places a jellybean in the cup representing the sum. If the player already has a jellybean in that space, she puts a jellybean in the asterisk cup. The game continues until a player has a jellybean in each cup.
Secret Numbers is another game that works with multiple players. The group agrees on a number, such as 20, from which each player subtracts his secret number. A player subtracts an unknown number from 20 and then announces the result, such as "13." He selects another player to identify the secret number (7). If the answer is incorrect, he selects another player to try solving the problem. Secret Numbers is a "minute math" game from Everyday Math that can also be applied to addition.
Measurement is involved in coin conversions, such as exchanging five pennies for one nickel. Classes often are equipped with lots of money manipulatives, including plastic pennies, nickels and dimes. Place different quantities of pennies (from six to 29) in plastic snack bags. Place six nickels and three dimes per container in margarine tubs marked "bank." The teacher also needs to make a reproducible coin-sorter sheet divided in half. It should have five columns of five dots on one side for sorting groups of pennies that will be traded for nickels. The other side should contain three columns of 10 dots for sorting pennies into dimes. Using a sorter, a bank and various penny grab bags, parents and children determine nickel and dime exchanges for the pennies.