Red or Black Game

Mathematical Foundations

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Topics Covered:
Counting and comparing
Understanding rules of games
Shape and Colour Recognition
Using good tactics in games (Selecting who to steal from with the ‘aces rule’

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Equipment needed:
A Pack of playing cards (doesn’t matter if some are missing)
Around 20 counters, buttons, pieces of pasta (anything you can use to keep score)

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Overview:
Playing games with set objectives are one of the best ways to develop your child’s problem solving and independent thinking skills. Through games children will learn to make correct decisions to help them reach the objective (normally winning). Maths is often present in all sorts of games and at an early age using counting and number to compare and work out what order people come in is a great way to add real life context to number. This game teaches children to follow some simple game rules over a number of turns and then count up points to determine who has won. It is basically a game of pure chance with a few tactical decisions coming in if you play with the Ace Rule.

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Instructions:
Set up the game by mixing up the cards and placing them in the middle of all the players, face down. Take it in turns to pick a card hoping to collect the most counters possible.
On your go pick a card and do the following based on the suit of the card you select:

Heart or Diamond (red card) – Take a counter
Club – Put a counter back (if you have one)
Spade – Nothing happens

Put the card you selected out of the game away to the side and then end your turn.
Continue playing until all the cards have been picked and then count up the counters to see what order everyone has come in.

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Extension:
The Aces Rule – If you select an Ace ignore the suit and you are instead allowed to steal a counter from any other player.

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#activityoftheweek
#mathematicalfoundations