Card Games

So you've got your flash cards (if you haven't you can order them online here) and you're feeling pretty confident of your tables, but wondering how you can test them next. Well, below we've put together a few ideas for some more games you can play with your cards.

Conkermaths Rummy

Deal out 7 cards each. Place the remainder answer upwards in the centre of the table. Players are trying to lose cards by placing either pairs/triples (2x5,2x4 etc) or runs of a x table (4x5,5x5,6x5 etc) on the table when it is their go. First player to put down all their cards wins. For each turn players take 1 card from the pile created at the start of the game or from a discard pile created as the game progresses. Then they put down any cards they wish either by adding to any cards put down by themselves or other players, or putting down a new set. Finally they have to discard 1 card; even to win the game. (players could either be allowed to hide their cards or place them answer side up on the table so that other players can see what people have.

Conkermaths Pelminism

Layout all the cards answer up. Players take it in turns to turn over cards looking for 2 cards that are the same x e.g. 4x5, 4x2. If they find a pair they could get an extra go. When players are better this could be removed. To make the game harder Conkermaths cards could be covered with an ordinary playing card to obscure the answer until the ordinary playing card is turned over.

Conkermaths Solitaire (or up to 4)

Shuffle the cards and layout 9 cards as a square answers up, with a little space between them. Keep the rest of the cards as a pile in your hand. Now look for 2 cards which have multiplers that add up to 11, e.g. 5x2 and 6x4. Check that you are right by turning each card over. Then place a new card onto each of the cards you spotted. Repeat the process until you have used up all the cards in your hands. Then pick up a pile of cards from the row nearest to you and continue. Eventually you will be unable to go, but how many piles of cards are left? Try and beat your record for the fewest number of piles. This can be played by up to 4 players, each player having a pile of spare cards and picking up a new pile when they run out. 1 point each time they spot a pair.

Conkermaths Trumps: (2-4 players)

Shuffle the cards and then deal out 7 each. Place the remainder in the centre of the table answer side up. Turn over the top card to find the x table (suit). This x table is trumps. The player to the left of the dealer? Puts down a card and the others have to follow playing a card of the same x table if they can. All cards are placed down with the answer up. The player says the number sentence as they lay down the card. The highest answer wins the hand. The process is repeated and the winner is the player that wins the most hands. They become the next dealer. There is the opportunity to win a hand by legitimate cheating. If you have an answer that is in more than 1 x table you can play it in another x table hand. Players who spot this could 'challenge' and the offending player would forfeit 1 hand that they've won that game. Answers are checked using the x table square.

Conkermaths 'make a multiple of 10' (1-4 players)

Players are dealt 5 cards each. Each player places down a card (answer upwards) in turn and the cumulative score is calculated by the dealer who has a calculator. Points are gained by being the player to put down a card that gives a total that is in the 10x table. Solitaire involves a player trying to beat their best score. Variations for more able pupils include points for making the cumulative total a prime number, a power of 2, a square number, cube number etc. Lists of these would be attached to the rules for this game.

Conkermaths x table snakes (1-4 players dice and coloured counters required)

All but 1 of the cards are laid answer side up to form a 7 x 7 grid. The players take turns to roll the dice and then put a counter of their colour, on a card whose answer is divisible by the number thrown +1. This can be checked by turning the card to look at the question. Players are trying to make a snake of their colour that leads from from 1 corner to an opposite corner. In the easy version more than 1 counter is allowed on each card. Harder versions include not allowing multiple counters on a card and also varying the number thrown by adding 2/3 etc or by having a 1-10 die/spinner.