This game requires learners to think about strategy as they build numbers with decimals. A spinner with the numbers zero through nine is needed. Participants draw a decimal point on a sheet of paper. They draw three lines before the point to represent whole numbers through hundreds and three lines after the point to represent tenths, hundredths and thousandths places. They take turns spinning the spinner and deciding on which lines to place the numbers they’ve spun. Once a digit is placed, it can’t be moved. The object is to see who can make the greatest number. A variation would be to make the least number possible.
When children first encounter decimals or fractions, “th” endings sound foreign to them. It helps when they hear decimal numbers spoken, and a bingo game provides the ideal opportunity. Write a list of 30 to 40 decimal numbers such as 3.5 and 0.231 to give to each child. They’ll choose decimal numbers from the list to write on their blank bingo cards. Cut one copy of the list into strips and place the numbers in a container. The caller pulls numbers from the container and reads them aloud. Children cover the corresponding spots on their cards. The winner is the first person to cover a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row.
Teamwork plays a vital role in this game, so it works best when there is a large group of children. Divide the group into two teams. One person from each team stands at a whiteboard. The adult reads a decimal number aloud, and the two students try to write it correctly on the board. The first person with a correct answer receives 20 points for his team; the second person with a correct answer gets 10 points. If a team member is recruited for help, the point value is cut in half. The winning team is the one with the most points after a predetermined amount of time.
Three standard dice are at the heart of this game. Each child needs a sheet of paper and a pencil. One person rolls the three dice, and the players arrange the three numbers as many ways as they can after a decimal point. They then put those numbers in order from least to greatest. For example, if the numbers rolled are 4, 3 and 5, the players should write .345, .354, .435, .453, .534 and .543. The first person to place the numbers in the correct order wins the game.