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BOWLING FOR NUMBERS!

Hi All,

Here's another simple game, that believe it or not, you can play happily with kids from PK through Grade 12. It's BOWLING FOR NUMBERS. With this game you can work on adding and subtracting, data collection, and data recording. You can deal with whole numbers, fractions, negative numbers, square roots, whatever kind of number you want.

First get some pins. You can buy very inexpensive plastic bowling sets at toy stores or online or you can use plastic bottles to create your own. Any kind of ball will do. I like to use a smaller ball like a tennis ball or golf ball so it is more challenging. Now label the pins with the numbers you want your players to deal with. I just write the numbers on pieces of paper and tape them on the pins (or use sticky notes) so I can re-use the pins any way I want as my players change in ability.

Choose the number of pins you want, set them up in any design you want, then players roll the ball, knock pins down, and add up the VALUE of the pins they knocked down. So for younger players, maybe they knock down a 3 and a 7 pin. Their score is 10. For the very youngest, every pin could be labeled 1.

For more mature players maybe they play with all fraction-labeled pins and they knock down a 3/4 pin and a 1/2 pin. Their score is 5/4 or 1 1/4. Of maybe they knock down a - 4 pin and a +3 pin. Their score is -1. The game is basically a way to generate numbers for practice with operations, but with energy and action for the players. You can have players record their scores in any form you like and add them up at the end.

You can choose the number of rounds (frames to you real bowler-types) and you can also choose how many pins you are going to set up at the beginning so you can limit or increase the number of possible addends. You can really tailor this game to whatever individual ability level you want.

To take it to the next level, invite players to label the pins with the numbers they want to deal with. You'll often be surprised at how they will challenge themselves. Enjoy! 

Stay safe, take care, God bless!
Bob

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