Kindergarten Math Games Using Go Fish Cards

Whether your child is getting ready for kindergarten, or you want to reinforce or review kindergarten math concepts over the summer, there are several games that you can play using a deck of Go Fish cards that can take 10 minutes or less, are fun and are helpful.

You would think any old Go Fish deck would do but beware. We purchased a pack of Dora the Explorer Go Fish cards and the numbers were only printed on the right upper and left lower corners so that the number from only one card could be viewed when held overlapping in your hands. Learning kids, or adults for that matter, don't need this kind of challenge. Make sure your deck is user friendly.

Standards for kindergarten math under "numbers and numbers sense" include recognizing numbers, counting with one to one correspondence and understanding more, less or the same. Math games with Go Fish cards will reinforce identifying numbers, counting sets up to four, and understanding more or less.

Traditional Go Fish: Remember this?

Everyone is probably familiar with traditional Go Fish games but here's a refresher if needed. Go Fish usually includes passing out 7 cards to each player. Each player will in turn ask the next "Do you have any fours (or whatever number they have chose)? A player can only ask for a card they hold and all cards held must be handed over if asked for. If a player does not have the card asked for, the next player will reply, "go fish." The asker will then draw a card from the deck and if they draw what they asked for they can go again. If not the game moves on. Whenever a player has gathered four matching numbers they can put down a match. The first player to unload all of their cards wins.

Sounds simple right? Until you try to play it with your four year old. Here are some variations to play with beginners or younger children until they get the hang of it.

Easier Variations: It can be done and it can be fun!

1. Hand out only 5 or even 4 cards per person at first.

2. Go through the deck and take out only the 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 cards for one game and the use only the 6, 7, 8 and 9 cards for another. You can personalize by choosing numbers you know your child needs to work on but always include a couple they know well for a balance of challenge.

3. If they are agreeable, let the new player have a partner. Try to use words like "team" as opposed to "helper" with these little ones.

4. Allow the beginner to place their cards down on a place mat to organize them and let everyone play as they would if they could not see the cards.

Teaching tip: Identifying numbers can be done two ways, receptively and expressively and kindergarteners will need to do both. An example of receptive is when a child points to (or hands over a card in a game of Go Fish) a number when asked to find a number. Expressive of course is when a child verbalizes that number such as in "What number is this?" "Seven."

Often young children playing Go Fish will simply show you a card and ask, "Do you have any of these?" Ask them to name it. Tell them you need to be sure about which number they want and ask them to tell you its' name.

Along with building kindergarten math skills, playing Go Fish also practicing other important kindergarten skills like taking turns, organizing manipulatives (cards) and staying on task until finished.

There are other fun ways to use Go Fish cards to teach kindergarten math skills that don't involve sitting a table.

Go Fish Relay Game: Got Math? Get Moving!

The Go Fish Relay Game can be played with one or more players. You will need a large room or an outside space is even better. Keep one card of each number and spread the remaining three of each number out in a line. Create a starting line a reasonable distance away from the cards. Allow the child to draw a card and then run to collect the other three for a match. The players will get math and exercise out of this one. Adults should be a good sport and let the kids "be in charge" while they take their turn running if able.

More or Less Go Fish Card Game: Play With Dolls or Stuffed Animals

You can work on reinforcing the kindergarten math skills of identifying more or less or the same using Go Fish Cards. You can play with your child and have each of you draw a card and let your child decide which of you has more. If your cards do not have objects to count that relate to the number, have manipulatives like chips or cubes available if needed. This is even more fun for kids if they can include their "friends." Let them choose two friends whether they are dolls, stuffed animals or action figures. They can deal a card to each, name the numbers and identify who has more. This is really fun. Vicky Vet just beat out Fred Firefighter at our house today.

Go Fish cards provide many easy, fun ways to work on kindergarten math skills. Of course numbers aren't just for playing cards so point them out on clocks, signs, calendars, recipes, labels and everywhere you find them but your child can really "catch" kindergarten math skills when you play fun Go Fish games.