Next up on this play with math series–dominoes! There’s something special about dominoes—they are fun, versatile, and a great way to introduce some basic math concepts in an engaging way. Whether you’re introducing addition and subtraction or teaching the basics of multiplication, dominoes can be used to make math instruction more exciting for upper elementary students. Here are just a few ideas on how to use dominoes in your lessons plus a freebie bonus set of posters of classroom expectations for math games.
Place Value
Dominoes can be used to reinforce place value skills by having students use dominoes to create multi-digit numbers. Make a row of side-by-side dominoes the same length as the highest place value you are teaching. You’ll magically have one number on the top half of the dominoes and another on the bottom. Students can practice writing the number in standard form, word form, and expanded form and then compare the two numbers. They can also play Domino Duel using this strategy.
Addition & Subtraction
Dominoes can be used to practice addition and subtraction skills in multiple ways. Start by having your students collect as many tiles as possible that add up to a certain number (for example, 8). Try challenging your students by asking them to find two or more sets of domino tiles that add up to the same number. You can easily take this activity up a level by using the two numbers on one domino to create a two-digit number.
Another way to play with math using dominoes is to build larger numbers using several dominoes lined up like in the photo below. Once the numbers are created, students can add or subtract. The visual support of the dots can even help struggling mathematicians determine the difference or sum of the numbers in each column!
Multiplication Practice with Dominoes
Dominoes are a great tool for teaching multiplication and an opportunity to play with math at the same time. All you need is a set of dominoes and a place to lay them out. Have your students pick a domino from the pile and multiply their dots together. For example, if they pick one piece with 3 dots and 4 dots, their answer will be 12 (3 x 4 = 12). Two of my kids’ favorite domino games for 2-digit multiplication are Sweet Products for 2-digit by 1-digit multiplication using partial products and Domino Stack to practice estimating products.
Fractions & Decimals
Fractions can be confusing for upper elementary students, but dominoes can provide a helpful visual aid for fractions. Dominoes already look like fractions, so why not take advantage of it? Have students draw a domino to create fractions for all types of activities. Add and subtract the fractions created by dominoes, multiply the domino fractions, or practice finding common denominators and comparing the fractions. A favorite domino fraction activity in my classroom is Domino Fraction War where students multiply and compare the fractions created by their dominoes in an adaptation of the classic War card game.
Whether you’re teaching basic operations or introducing more advanced concepts like fractions and decimals, there is always a chance play with math using dominoes! Not only do they help make math fun for your students—they also provide a great way for them to practice their problem-solving skills without feeling overwhelmed by complex equations or formulas. So why not give it a try? Let’s see just how high those dominos can stack up!
Looking for more games? Check out these related posts for Math Games Using Dice and Math Games Using Playing Cards.
Get 4 Free Resources Every Month!
You read that right! I’ll share an easy-to-use and engaging upper elementary resource straight to your inbox every week along with a fabulous classroom idea or two to make teaching a little less work and a lot more fun!
Here’s the first freebie to get you started!
CLICK HERE TO GRAB YOUR FIRST FREE RESOURCE TODAY!