Second grade math students are mastering their math facts and moving on to multi-digit addition and subtraction. They’re conquering time-telling and money skills, measuring and graphing, and even tackling skip counting in preparation for multiplication. Help them learn all the required second grade math skills with these fun and interactive games!
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1. Use flashcards to play Fifteen in a Row
When it comes down to it, flashcards are still one of the best ways to practice fact fluency, but a game can at least make them more fun. The goal is to lay out 15 flashcards in a row by the total of their sums, from smallest to largest. Learn how it’s played at the link.
Learn more: The Measured Mom
2. Spin the marker for facts practice
Here’s another easy way to make flashcard drill more fun. Lay cards out in a circle with a marker in the middle. Kids spin the marker and answer the problem on the card. If they get it right, they keep the card and replace it with a new one.
Learn more: Mrs. Smithen With Teaching
3. Circle math facts in a number search
These number search puzzles are harder than they look! First, kids complete the addition facts. Then, they search for those equations in the puzzle. Get three free puzzles at the link, where you can purchase more if you like them.
Learn more: The Sprinkle Topped Teacher
4. Hit a home run for math fact fluency
Work on addition and subtraction fact fluency in this fun baseball game! Learn how to play at the link.
Learn more: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
5. Toss cotton balls to learn evens and odds
A chance to throw stuff in the classroom? Kids will love it! In Buddy Ball, second grade math students take turns throwing cotton balls into the cup their partner is holding. Then they count them up by twos to see if the total is even or odd.
Learn more: Camping Out in Second Grade
6. Roll and compare for place value practice
There are so many ways to use dice in the classroom. In this game, each player rolls three dice and arranges them to give themselves the highest possible number. Then they compare with their partner to see who wins. Great for place value and understanding greater than/less than.
Learn more: Still Playing School
7. Toss beanbags to work on place value
Kids toss beanbags into bins labeled with different place values, then count how many are in each and write out the number. The students who aren’t throwing play along by writing the number on their own, earning a point if they get it right.
Learn more: Saddle Up for 2nd Grade
8. Go on a place-value scavenger hunt
Reinforce place value skills with a fun scavenger hunt. Grab a stack of old magazines or newspapers and send kids out to find the required numbers.
Learn more: Place Value Scavenger Hunt/Primary Theme Park
9. Jump into skip-counting hopscotch
Second grade math students master skip counting to pave the way for multiplication. Hopscotch is such a fun way to work on this skill! Number the board for whatever you’re working on (twos, fives, 10s, etc.) and offer a few choices to make along the way.
Learn more: Math Geek Mama
10. Solve puzzles with skip counting
There are lots of printable skip-counting puzzles out there. Visit the link below for some free ones to try with your class.
Learn more: Life Over C’s
11. Stack cups to practice skip counting
Kids LOVE to stack paper cups. Number yours to practice counting by twos, fives, tens—whatever you’re working on. Then challenge students to race to see who can stack theirs in the correct order the fastest!
Photo: Christina Jacobucci/Pinterest
12. Flip cards and add to 100
This simple second grade math game uses a standard deck of playing cards (take out the face cards or assign them values, like 1 or 10). Players draw a card and add it to their running total, trying to be the first to reach 100 without going over. Increase the difficulty level by having players draw two cards and add them together, then add the sum to their total.
Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me/Second Grade Math Game
13. Compete at Close Call
Here’s another way to use cards, this time to practice two-digit addition. Each player flips four cards, then arranges them so they add up to the highest possible amount. The person with the highest sum wins that round.
Learn more: Math Geek Mama
14. Subtract your way to bingo
Use a hundreds chart and deck of cards to play bingo with subtraction facts. Find full instructions at the link.
Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me/Subtraction Bingo
15. Measure and find objects
For a fun practice activity, have kids find objects that fit certain criteria. They’ll have to estimate, then measure to see if they’re right.
Learn more: Measurement Hunt/123Homeschool4Me
16. Race cars and measure the distance
Vroom! Grab some toy cars and race them across the floor. Then, measure the distance in both inches and centimeters.
Learn more: Playdough to Plato
17. Host the Measurement Olympics
Olympic events are all about measuring, so it’s a perfect way to get second grade math students to practice these skills. Hold a variety of events (see the link for ideas and a free printable), and measure each in a different way: inches, centimeters, feet, yards, meters, and so on. For even more math practice, use a line graph to show the rankings for each event.
Learn more: Bloglovin’
18. Hop along a number line to solve equations
Make a life-size number line on your classroom floor, then print the free equation cards at the link below. Second grade math students take turns drawing a card and hopping back and forth on the line to solve the equations.
Learn more: Proud to Be Primary
19. Guess My Number to practice number sense
Evens and odds, comparing, place value … there are so many second grade math skills covered in this one simple game! Kids take turns asking questions, and the one who guesses correctly chooses the number for the next round.
Learn more: Guess My Number/Amy Lemons
20. Match up time-telling eggs
Plastic eggs have so many uses in the classroom. For time-telling practice, draw analog clocks on one half and write times (in words or digital time) on the other, then have kids match them up. (Too late for Easter eggs in the stores? Grab them on Amazon here.)
Learn more: The STEM Laboratory
21. Practice telling time with Rush Hour
This time-telling game has kids racing to move their toy clock ahead exactly to the next hour, but it’s all determined by the roll of the die. Make sure they practice their clock skills by saying each new time out loud as they go along.
Learn more: Enza’s Bargains
22. Assemble coin-counting puzzles
Print these free puzzles for a simple but fun way to work on coin values. Kids match up the pictures with the amounts shown. There’s also a blank version where kids can add their own coins to the squares instead.
Learn more: Fantastic Fun and Learning
23. Fill a Big Piggie with coins
This whole-class math game is perfect when you have a few minutes to fill before moving on to your next activity. Draw a big piggie on your whiteboard and set a goal number, then have students add coins until they reach the right amount. Try challenges like finding the fewest number of coins that will work, or not using any nickels, etc.
Learn more: Inspired Elementary
24. Add up dollars and cents with Dollar Dash
This simple game has kids rolling dice and adding up a running total in a race to reach one dollar. You can change the target amount for more practice too.
Learn more: Dollar Dash/Primary Theme Park
25. Play Kaboom! with coin sticks
Second grade math students should be fluent in working with money, and this fun game will challenge their skills. They draw a stick and add up the plastic coins glued to it. If they get the right answer, they keep the stick. If they draw KABOOM! all their sticks go back in the cup. See how it works in the video at the link.
Learn more: Lucky Little Learners
26. Go bowling to measure and graph data
Snag a mini bowling set from the dollar store for this second grade math game. Kids bowl and graph the number of pins they knock down on each turn. So fun!
Learn more: Bowl and Graph/Amy Lemons
27. Compete at Tic-Tac-Graph
Creating good graphs is important, but so is knowing how to read them and interpret the data. This free printable asks kids to answer questions based on the information shown in a simple bar graph.
Learn more: First Grade a la Carte
28. Recognize 3-D shapes in Mystery Bags
Place a 3-D shape block into each numbered bag. Kids work in groups or on their own to identify each shape only by touch (no peeking!).
Learn more: Susan Jones Teaching
29. Partition Play-Doh shapes
Second grade math students begin to work with the concept of fractions by partitioning shapes into equal shares. Play-Doh is perfect for this activity, giving kids hands-on practice in breaking shapes down into pieces.
Learn more: Smitten With First
30. Spin and build cookie fractions
Second grade math students begin working with basic fractions as a part of a whole. This free printable game helps them build those skills.
Learn more: Mrs. Ricca’s Kindergarten