Fixit Maths

Learning from Mistakes

Numberline 4 in a row

A game for 2 or more players

This game gives practise of placing numbers on an empty numberline, which can then lead onto rounding numbers

You will need:

  • Empty number lines
  • Place value dice or 10-sided dice
  • Coloured pens/pencils

    • How to play

    Write the numbers on the end points of the number line, according to the numbers you want to work with:

    • 0 and 100 for 2-digit numbers
    • 0 and 1000 for 3-digits
    • 0 and 10,000 for 4-digits

    The players must then work together to record the other numbers on the line or, for more challenge, they can be left blank.

    Players each choose a differently coloured pen/pencil, then take turns rolling the dice to make a number with the appropriate number of digits. If using a 10-sided dice, they may choose where to record each digit in their number, which encourages more strategic thinking. They then mark this number on the numberline.

    If the number has already been marked by a player, rearrange the digits or roll again.

    The winner is the first player to mark 4 numbers in an unbroken line.

    Variations

  • To play this game with more players, enlarge the numberline to include more space to record the numbers.
  • For a quicker game, particularly when there are more players, the winner is the first to get 3 numbers in a line.
  • Play a decimal or fraction to decimal version
  • Play with number sticks, picking randomly and marking your stick with a coloured dot

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