Connect Four Math Game

Connect 4 is one of my favorite board games. It's fun for all ages, and with just a little bit of effort, you can turn the classic game into a math game to build number sense and give students extra practice with basic addition facts.

How to Play: Decide on a sum that you will add to. We started with 10 and then worked on 12 and 15 in subsequent rounds. The basic idea is still to get four of your tokens in a row. However, the sum of the tokens must equal your target number. (Ex: If you choose 10 as your target sum, you could add 3 + 2 + 4 + 1 to get ten.) There is a lot of strategy, problem solving, and critical thinking involved to add to the target sum, as well as block your opponent from getting four in a row.

Supplies: Connect 4 Game & 3/4" round labels

I like these Avery color coding labels because they are easy to print on and removable. I used multiple colors, but you may want to just use the red and yellow labels to match the game pieces. Label the red and yellow tokens with the same numbers. I labeled them with numbers 1-5, but if you'd like to work on sums higher than 15, you will need some larger numbers included. This game is ideal for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students. 

Math Skills: Composing and decomposing numbers, addition, fact fluency, number sense

Speaking of problem solving and critical thinking, I just added this resource to my TpT store. Give students extra practice with multi-step word problems. These could be used for math journals, problem of the day, math centers, or independent practice. You can check it out here!

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