A Winter Wonderland of Second Grade Math Center Games

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It’s no surprise… I’m all about using games for teaching! Whether literacy, math, or beyond – I’m a firm believer that games ENGAGE students, help them move toward MASTERY, and give them a context to use ACADEMIC VOCABULARY and PROBLEM SOLVING skills.

Today I’d love to share a set of Second Grade Winter Math Center Games that I created for my class last year. They absolutely loved them! I just never got around to sharing them on the blog because, let’s be real, December is CRAZY.

These games are low prep, easily differentiated, include a full page of directions to keep with the games so you, students, and volunteers can easily refer to them year to year, and pair perfectly with those erasers from our favorite dollar spot. Don’t have erasers? No worries! I’ve included printable game pieces!

The first game is called Function Machine Freeze, and let me tell you, my kids were obsessed with function machines last year! Every time I said we would be working on function machines there was a collective “yeeeessss” that reverberated through the classroom – who knew?!

In this game students draw cards to determine either the missing rule (adding/subtracting), the missing number put into the function machine, or the missing number that comes our of the function machine.

Up next is Yuletide Yard! In this game students roll two dice to determine a candy cane to measure in inches. Students work together or competitively to accumulate thirty-six inches (AKA a yard)!

Money and coins can be an area some kiddos struggle with. And let’s face it… As adults we typically use debit cards everywhere so the days of counting mom and dad’s loose change are few and far between. That’s why it’s so important to give kiddos lots of opportunities to practice with money!

In Hot Chocolate Change students land on a space that gives them a specific amount they have to buy hot chocolate, they draw a hot chocolate card to see how much that cup will cost, and if they have enough to buy it they then calculate the change given. I recommend having scrap paper or coin manipulative at the ready as kiddos work towards coin/change mastery!

There’s no time like the present to practice time! In Gingerbread Time students work to read time to the hour, half hour, or nearest 5 minutes. That’s right! This game includes 3 versions for easy differentiation! First player to snag 4 in a row wins!

And last, but certainly not least, Arctic Arrays allows students to build a solid understanding of arrays with hands-on application! Who can black out their card with arrays first? Help your students transition to multiplication by introducing arrays first!

And there you have it! I hope your kiddos love these games as much as mine have! You can grab a copy for you class by clicking here or on the picture below!

Math games for Second Grade don't have to be a challenge!  I love that this set of winter centers comes with everything needed to engage students while helping them master foundational math skills!  These games truly cover so much - from arrays, function machines, making change, telling time, and measuring!

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