Teach Your Early Finishers to Play Multiplication War Card Game

Just sharing a quick card game today that my students love to play during math class. It probably isn't new to most of you. But I just have to post it quickly because it is such a favorite of my students. They actually beg to play it when they finish their work.

The game is called Multiplication War (but you could play it with addition, subtraction, and even fractions or decimals.)  If you haven't taught this game to your early finishers, do it now. Seriously! 

There is absolutely no prep time, and all you need are decks of cards.

Here's how you play -

We all know the age old game of War.  The rules are the same.  Two players split the deck.  They both flip over a card and whoever has the higher card, wins both cards.  You play until one player runs out of cards.  If both players flip over the same card, they announce war, flip over two more and keep them upside down, then flip over another two and the highest card wins all.  

The only difference with Multiplication War is that each player flips over two cards instead of one.  Each player than multiplies the two cards together and the player with the highest product wins the four cards.  If the product is the same, war is declared!  I makes aces worth 1, jacks worth 10, queens worth 11 and kings worth 12.  This way students are practicing all of their basic facts.

How do you play it with fractions?  It's simple.  Again, both players flip over two cards - but instead of multiplying them, the first card flipped is the numerator and the second card is the denominator. Whoever has the greatest fraction wins all four cards.  Same or equivalent fractions equals WAR!

How do you play it with decimals?  Equally simple.  Both players flip over two (or three) cards. The first card is the whole number, the second card is the tenths, and in fifth grade we flip over a third card which equals the hundredths.  *NOTE - we take out all face cards for Decimal War.  Aces are still worth one.  whoever has the greatest decimal number is the winner.  Same or equivalent decimals equals WAR!

There you have it!  Great for early finishers, center or Daily 5 time, intervention for those students who STILL don't have their facts mastered, sub plans...........

Enjoy!