Fun Addition Games & Activities for First Graders
Hands-on Grade 1 addition games—centers, partner activities, and quick drills using number lines and manipulatives.
Games make math practice enjoyable while developing fluency. When first graders are having fun, they engage more deeply, learn faster, and retain information longer.
Well-designed addition games provide repeated practice without feeling like repetitive drills. They build social skills, encourage strategic thinking, and create positive math experiences.
Game Ideas
Make 10 Memory: Create pairs of cards that sum to 10 (2 and 8, 3 and 7, etc.). Lay cards face down and have students turn over two cards. If they make 10, students keep the pair.
Number Line Hop: Draw a large number line on the floor. Say an addition problem and have students physically jump to solve it. This kinesthetic approach appeals to active learners.
Addition War: Deal cards evenly between partners. Both flip one card, add the values, and the student with the higher sum takes both cards. Continue until one player runs out.
Ten Frame Bingo: Give students blank ten-frames and counters. Draw an addition problem, students solve it and cover that sum on their bingo card. First to get a line wins.