Math fact fluency is crucial for students’ developing math skills. What fluency looks like varies depending on the age and skill level of your learners, from instant number recognition to seamless subtraction to memorizing the times tables. If kids aren’t spending lots of time worrying about the fundamentals, they can spend it problem-solving and applying higher-level skills instead.
One fun way to work on those pesky math facts is to combine practice with one of the ways we deal with summer’s pesky bugs: flyswatters!
Materials Needed:
sheet of paper with math facts to call out
2 flyswatters (only 1 if doing the modified solo version)
a white board and dry-erase markers
index cards and a writing implement (alternate)
timer (optional)
Step 1: Set-up
Start by coming up with your fluency facts. Write out the full list of facts on a sheet of paper for the caller to use as an easy reference.
If you’re playing with a whiteboard, use a dry erase marker to write the answers on the board. You can put them in neat rows and columns or you can add an extra element to the game by scattering them. If you’re playing on a table or floor, use index cards to write out the answers and scatter those around the playing space.
The number of facts should depend on the number of students and the size of your whiteboard or playing space. Don’t be shy filling up the space, and keep in mind that more facts means more interesting gameplay and more practice opportunities.
Step 2: Gameplay
Whether using a whiteboard or a horizontal surface, there are two main approaches to the game: team play or solo practice. Either way, make sure to review that the flyswatters are game tools and should not be wielded against their classmates or any other property!
Option 1 - Team or Pair Play
Split students into pairs or teams. In teams, students should form lines facing the whiteboard or surface where fact cards are scattered. The students will then take turns holding the flyswatter.
The caller announces a math fact or number name, such as “6 times 4” or “thirteen.” The students with the flyswatters then race to find and swat the answer first (“24” or “13” respectively). Whoever hits the answer first wins the round and adds a point to their or their team’s score. Pass the swatter to the next student on the team, then repeat. If only two students are playing, simply put them back in their starting positions.
You can either play to a certain point value—such as “first to 15 points wins”—or set a timer and see who has the most points at the end.
Option 2 - Solo Play
This activity also works one-on-one with a child. Use the same call and race-to-find-the answer mechanic, but play against the timer. Challenge your young mathematician to correctly answer a certain number of questions before the timer is up and to keep beating their previous record of questions answered within the time limit.
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This fun and adaptable math fact activity is perfect for adding a bit of excitement to your pursuit of mathematical fluency. Try some of the other activities and worksheets offered here to ease your students’ path to math skill mastery!
