Students are learning a lot in second grade math: adding and subtracting, navigating the hundreds chart, comparing numbers, evens and odds, and skip counting. Make these skills more fun than a worksheet with these interactive games.
Pairs of students play this mind-on game. One student holds the ball and reads aloud a number from a list, then the next student adds or multiplies it with another number in a circle.
Addition
Addition is one of the key skills students need to master in second grade. They can sharpen their addition skills in a variety of ways, from learning to skip count by fives to figuring out how to carry ten. They’ll also be able to apply these skills with money math and other types of problems that require them to add.
Students can learn to improve their mental math skills by playing games such as Sum Swamp, where they race against the clock while collecting numbers and meeting swamp creatures. They can also develop their multiplication facts by practicing with the eSpark Multiplication Game or using games that help them practice addition and subtraction on their iPads, laptops, or phones.
Another way to keep students’ brains awake is by pitting them against the teacher in a mind-boggling jump game. Have them stand if the answer to an equation you read aloud matches the number, and stay seated if it doesn’t match. Students can take turns playing this game, or have the entire class compete against the teacher to see who can get the most correct answers.
A fun way to make measuring more engaging is by grouping students into small teams, giving them metre sticks, and asking them to find two to four items that add up to one meter. You can then ask them to write these items down on a line graph. Another measurement-based game involves allowing students to play with shapes, and have them keep a tally of how many of each shape they can find in the classroom.
In addition to sharpening their addition and subtraction skills, students in second grade will be ready to move onto other basic math concepts. They’ll need to understand place value, be able to read and use money, practice their graphing and tallying skills, and know how to tell time on an analog clock.
With our collection of interactive math games, students will have a blast playing on their iPads, laptops, or phone, and will build the foundational skills that they need for future success in all subjects. We’ve got games that teach them everything from how to add and subtract to multiplication, division, and more. And, best of all, they won’t even realize that they’re learning!
Subtraction
As kids begin learning subtraction, it’s important to give them a variety of concrete ways to make the process easier. They can act it out on a human-sized number line, or use ten frames to learn to subtract with regrouping. Another fun way to learn subtraction is with a bowling activity. Kids can stack a number of cups or paper towel rolls and roll a ball to knock them over, then solve to see how many are left standing.
Students can also work with a number line worksheet, like this one on Twinkl. It helps them learn the relationship between addition and subtraction by encouraging them to count back on a number line to find an unknown addend, such as 20 – 3. This method makes it easy for children to understand that adding one less is the same as subtracting one more.
Alternatively, you can play an equation card game, such as this one on Twinkl, to help students develop their understanding of subtraction and addition. This is an easy-to-prepare activity that you can adjust the difficulty for different groups of learners. Students choose a card and stand up if the answer matches the number on the card, or sit down if it doesn’t.
Other fun activities that you can do with your class include making a 3D ten frame out of cardboard boxes, or using Ping-Pong balls to learn about subtraction in this wacky math activity. You can even bring a hungry penguin to life by creating a paper fishy buffet, or read the story Five Little Monkeys to incorporate counting and subtracting.
Of course, there are always lots of classic practice games that can be used to help students build their subtraction skills. For example, you could create a race to school in which students solve subtraction problems on their journey through the classroom. This game is perfect for working on multi-digit subtraction with regrouping, and you can even customize the problems by setting them to your students’ abilities. Another great option is Drag ’N’ Drop Math, an online workshop that lets you easily create and deploy problem sets for your students. You can see their progress on the free teacher dashboard too.
Multiplication
As kids move into second grade, they start to learn about multiplication and division. It is important for them to practice these skills with fun games that help them grasp the concept without being boring or overly challenging. They also need to understand these math operations in a more complex way than just memorizing the times tables. Online math games allow them to engage with larger numbers and learn these concepts in a fun way that helps them grasp the meaning behind them.
One of the best ways to do this is with the game Prodigy Math. This free program allows students to log in and play games that are customized to their specific skill level. Students battle a “wizard” by answering questions in each round of five 90-second rounds. If they beat the wizard, they move on to a new round and gain a new power. Teachers can track student progress through a teacher dashboard that provides free reports and data for each child.
Another fun math game is to have your kids use a tetris type of puzzle app with a number grid that does not include rows or columns for zero. This lets them see the symmetry of the multiplication table and understand that the order of the numbers in the groups does not matter (i.e. 3 x 5 = 15). This is an excellent way to help them understand the commutative property of multiplication.
When learning division, it is also important for children to have a strong understanding of fractions and place values. One of the best ways to do this is through fun games that challenge them to find fractions by comparing shapes or sizes. One such game is Spring Crack the Code where children answer addition and subtraction questions to reveal spring-themed words.
Other fun math games for 2nd grade include ones that require them to make graphs or keep count or tallies. These can be a great way to help students with word problems on adding, subtracting and multiplying as well. Practicing these skills through fun games is a much more effective way than using boring flash card apps.
Division
As students progress through the second grade math curriculum, they’re ready to take on more advanced concepts like division and subtraction. Luckily, there are lots of fun math games that make these topics more engaging for kids. They’ll be able to build fluency with basic addition and subtraction facts, work on multiplication and division using dice, learn about place value and even practice time-telling skills.
Addition is a key foundational skill for 2nd graders, so it’s important that they learn to add numbers together quickly and accurately. To help them do so, try this fun baseball game that allows them to add doubles while also avoiding errors. Another great addition game is this colorful Halloween math racing game where kids will have a blast adding three numbers to 20. When it comes to subtraction, kids can get a little more strategic by learning to subtract with a calculator. This online calculator is a helpful tool to give kids more practice subtracting from larger numbers while ensuring that their answers are accurate.
Dice games are a great way to make practicing subtraction and addition more interactive and engaging. These cool math games for 2nd grade let students roll two dice and carry out a math operation based on the number they get. This simple game will help them build their addition and subtraction strategies while promoting more independent play. If you’re looking for more challenging dice games, try this one that lets students roll up to four dice. This requires more problem-solving and higher-order thinking as students work to figure out what the total number of all their dice is.
For even more challenging multiplication and division activities, check out this awesome app called Reflex. This app is perfect for helping kids build their math fact fluency while also giving you free reports and data on each student’s progress. It’s a fun and engaging alternative to boring flashcard apps!
Teaching second graders about money and place value doesn’t have to be a dreaded topic. This fun summer math game helps kids learn about the concept of money while having a lot of fun! Another great way to teach and reinforce these important concepts is by playing this baseball division game. It will have your students excited to learn about fractions while boosting their fluency and comprehension.
