Draw a Snowman–Math Game

Having a strong number sense is critical if our students are going to be proficient in math. To develop a strong number sense, students must be immersed in number play, yet it can be difficult to find a variety of ways to make extended practice and exposure to numbers fun. This dice game was created to strengthen number sense while incorporating my students’ love of drawing. 

Since this isn’t art we care about saving, we use scrap paper when playing the game.

The first version uses one die and has a picture of the die patterns. The goal is for students to begin to recognize the number without having to count the dots each time. We are using the game to draw snowmen, but you could easily make a version to go with any season. If a player rolls a number they have already rolled, they skip their turn. The winner is the first person to complete a snowman.

The second version uses two dice. This version helps build simple addition fluency. If students roll a number they have already rolled, they draw a snowflake. Students often like to use the snowflakes to help them figure out how many turns it took them to win. You can print one that is already colored (a helpful picture clue for some students) or print the uncolored version and add the colors you like best.

Because I didn’t want players to feel like their snowman had to look exactly like the sample, each game board has four different student-drawn snowmen on the back. They love looking for the game board that has their illustration on it.