Queen of 10s ⋆ DREME Family Math

Activity Summary

The goal of this 2-4 player game is to find cards that add to 10 and put them in a saved cards pile. The player with the most cards wins.

Instructions

Setup

Take out all face cards except the Queens. Aces count as 1.
Be sure to shuffle the cards.
Give four cards to each player.
The four cards are put in a row with numbers showing.
The rest of the cards are put in a pile face down in the center.

Play

How a turn begins:

A player finds two cards in their row that add up to 10, or they can choose a 10 card. The Queen card is special because it can be used as any number from 1 to 10. So the Queen can be combined with any other card from 1 to 9, or she can be used on her own as a 10. But you have to say out loud what number the Queen is pretending to be.

How a turn ends:

After choosing the cards that add up to 10, the players put them in their own pile of saved cards. When the player doesn’t have any way of making 10, they discard one card from their row of four and put it at the bottom of the center pile of cards. At the end of each turn, the player fills in any empty spaces in their row of four cards by taking cards from the top of the center pile.

How the game ends:

The game ends when the center pile of cards is gone or when there are no more ways for any of the players to make 10. At the end of the game, each player counts their own pile of saved cards. The player with the most saved cards wins.

Tips

Read the Mini Story

Read this mini story together to make playing even more fun! The Queen loves 10. She is always thinking of different ways to make 10 from smaller numbers. When she can’t think of a way, she sometimes pretends to be a certain number just so she can make 10. You’ll see how when you play this game.

Support Learning

Show your child how to look for numbers that add up to 10. For example, select a number card in your child’s row and say, “You have a 6 here. How many more do you need to add up to 10?”
Show your child a way to count more efficiently by counting up from the card with the highest number rather than counting all the numbers on both cards. For example, if your child has one card that’s a 6 and one that’s a 4, teach them to say “6.” Then have them put the 6 card to the side. Next, they count up from 6 using their fingers, saying, “I start with 6, so four more fingers are: 7, 8, 9, 10. So the total of 6 + 4 is 10.”
Try reminding your child of a related math fact that you think they know. For example, on the last turn, your child might have selected 5 + 5 to make 10. Then you could say, “You know that 5 + 5 = 10. So what number needs to be added to 6 to make 10?”

Adjust the Challenge

Make It Easier

Take all the Queens out of the deck.

Make It Harder

Have players add more cards in their row.
Have players look for many different ways of making 10 on each turn from the cards in their hand.
Suggest using more than two number cards on each turn to make 10.
Look for cards that add up to totals other than 10, such as different ways of making 7 or 12.
Try subtracting from the larger number. For example, look for numbers that differ by 3 (4 – 1, 5 – 2, 6 – 3, etc.).

What to Play Next

If your child is still practicing the skills in this game, then continue having fun playing this game! Try the tips to support learning and ways to adjust the challenge. When your child is ready for a new game, play The King Pops Up.