Fractions can be a challenge to teach. That’s why it’s important to have a wide array of activities on hand to help kids learn this tricky concept. These fraction games are a fun way to give them practice, in the classroom or at home.
1. Sort sticky notes
Divide sticky notes into sections, then have kids sort them onto anchor charts. We especially love using fun shapes like hearts or stars!
Learn more: Smitten With First
2. Connect fractions to learn and win
Repurpose a Connect Four set to play fraction games! The goal is to match not only your colors but the fractions themselves. For instance, you need four one-fourths in a row, but only three one-thirds, so there’s strategy involved, too.
Learn more: No Time for Flash Cards
3. Explore the Fraction of the Day
Fractions are one of those math concepts we actually use quite a bit in everyday life. Make them part of routine practice by posing a new Fraction of the Day question each morning.
Learn more: Runde’s Room
4. Grab the fun of fraction Spoons
If you’ve played Spoons before, you know the drill. Match four of a kind (this time using free printable fraction cards found at the link below), and you get to grab for a spoon—and so does everyone else! The loser takes one letter of the word SPOON, and play continues.
Learn more: Games 4 Gains
5. Get them in order
Comparing fractions is definitely a bit of a challenge. This simple free printable game tasks kids with putting a series of four fractions in order from smallest to largest. They can race to see who finishes first or just challenge themselves to get the right answer.
Learn more: Get Them in Order/Math Geek Mama
6. Fight it out in a fraction war
Your kids probably already know how to play War with cards. This version just adds a fraction aspect. Students deal two cards: a numerator and a denominator, and then determine whose fraction is the largest. The winner keeps all four cards, and play continues until the cards are gone. You can also play using these free printable fraction cards.
7. Noodle around with fractions
It’s so easy to make these pool noodle math manipulatives, which you can then use for all kinds of fraction games. Learn how to make them and get ideas for using them here.
8. Build excitement with LEGO fraction games
Visualizing what fractions represent is easier (and a lot more fun) when you use LEGO bricks! Lay them out side by side or build towers. No matter how you play, this is a sure-fire hit.
Learn more: JDaniel4’s Mom
9. Try making paper plate fractions
Such a fun, colorful way to play with fractions and equivalencies! Get the full instructions here.
10. Boogie down with newspaper fractions
Turn the music up! Start out with a full paper as each student’s dance floor, then fold down to one half. Continue folding the paper into smaller and smaller dance floors and watch kids get creative as they try to stay on the paper.
Learn more: Mrs. King’s Music Class
11. Move onto Fraction Avenue
This is such a fun activity! Grab the free printable street scene at the link. Then, have kids follow the directions to add details. For instance, 2/8 of the homes have dogs outside. Ask kids to reduce the fraction, then draw the correct number of pups.
Learn more: Ashleigh’s Education Journey
12. Jump into fraction hopscotch
It’s hopscotch—with a fraction games twist! Draw a hopscotch board on the playground (or outline one with tape on your classroom or hallway floor). Label the squares with fractions instead of whole numbers. Kids throw a marker and jump to where it lands, then name the equivalent fractions for that square.
Learn more: Capturing Classroom Ideas
13. Turn your name into fractions
Who knew there were so many fractions hiding inside your own name? Pose these questions to students, and ask them to find their own fractions too.
Learn more: Tunstall’s Teaching Tidbits
14. Have a fraction picnic
Provide a variety of food images cut from magazines or printed out from the Internet. Students plan a picnic and choose the food they want to bring along. Using a ruler and scissors, cut portions of their food choices and glue them to a paper plate. Finally, label each item with the fraction name. Bon appétit!
Learn more: Fraction Picnic/E is for Explore
15. Put a spin on the fraction fun
Kids get a kick out of stuff that spins, so they’ll love these free printable fraction games. Since the spinners are just pencils and paper clips, every kid can have their own as they practice their fraction skills. Get the whole free set of games here.
16. Color your way to fraction bingo
There’s learning and strategy involved when you play fraction bingo. Kids color in portions of the circles in an effort to get five in a row, based on the fractions the teacher calls out. Of course, the best part is getting to shout “BINGO!”
Learn more: School Time Snippets
17. Reduce fractions and race to the finish
Kids draw a card (the free printable cards and board are at the link below) and reduce the fraction shown. They then move along the board to the next square that matches. First to the end wins!
Learn more: 123Homeschool4Me
18. Draw on their creativity with fraction Pictionary
Can you draw a fraction—without using any numbers? That’s the challenge of this fractions game. Kids can draw single objects divided to represent fractions or be more creative. For example, they might draw three apples and two oranges to represent three-fifths.
Learn more: Fraction Pictionary/E is for Explore
19. Get into a fraction fiasco
Once they get the rules down, kids will be adding fractions and checking each other’s work in this free printable game. You’ll find all the instructions and the game board at the link below.
Learn more: Learn With Math Games
20. Do the math with domino fractions
Dominoes are like ready-made fractions! Multiply (or add, subtract, or divide) them and reduce the results. Turn it into a race to see who can finish—correctly—first.
Learn more: Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational
21. Play with pattern blocks
If you’ve already got pattern blocks on hand, put them to good use in some fractions games. In this one, kids spin to find out how many blocks they get to add to their board in an effort to be the first to build six complete shapes.
Learn more: Pattern Block Fractions/Math Geek Mama
22. Shake it up with number bonds
All you need is a plastic cup and two-sided counters. Kids shake the cup and pour the counters on the table, then count how many of each color landed face up. For example, if 13 counters were rolled, six red and seven blue landed face up. Six and seven are both parts of thirteen (the whole). Have students write the number bond and fractions for each color.
Learn more: Number Bond Fractions/E is for Explore