You can get flash cards at the dollar store! They’re an inexpensive tool to practice math facts. Let’s steer away from the old, boring drill method and find ways to add in some fun with these 11 flash card games!

If your math book has a section to practice basic facts, try replacing it with one of these flash card games. Get out of the textbook and move around! Having go-to activities like this make it easy to add excitement to learning.

My first grader is using addition and subtraction flash cards. I can do the same activities for my preschooler with simple number/counting cards. You can purchase them through the links or just make a trip to the dollar store and get them cheaper!

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1. Giant Number Line

Create a giant number line. We did this with sidewalk chalk, but you could also tape sheets of paper together. I just love getting outside whenever we can. Number the line based on your flash cards. For example, 1-20 would be good for addition and subtraction for early elementary. If you’re doing multiplication, number it by 2s or 5s…whatever works best.

Have your child pick a flash card and solve it. Place the card on the number line according to it’s answer. So, 2+3 would go on the 5. Some of your cards will have the same answer, and that’s okay. Just stack them on top of each other or in a straight line.

2. The Floor is Lava

Don’t you remember playing this as a kid? Gather as many pillows as you can and place them on the floor. Make sure to spread them out. Place a flash card on every pillow. Your child will jump from pillow to pillow solving math problems. It sounds so simple, but it is SO fun!

Once he/she gets to the end, jump all the way back to the start – don’t fall in the lava!! Since I introduced this game to my girls, they’re always asking to play!

3. Shaving Cream

I’m a huge fan of shaving cream. You’ll probably read about it a lot here, but it’s because you can do so much with it, and it’s a blast. It’s another dollar store treasure! Now, you’ll have to help with this, because you’ll be the only one with clean hands.

Every time I spray shaving cream on the table, I always allow a minute or two of just free play. It helps!

Place 2-4 cards in front of your child. He/She can write the answer in the shaving cream. Erase and repeat.

Change it up: Siblings can challenge each other. Or, have your child write a problem and you solve it. They’re the teacher, so it’s important to check your work. (See what I did there? They’re solving it too!)

4. Dry Erase Pocket

If you don’t have dry erase pockets at home, they are totally worth the cost. Place as many flash cards as you can in the dry erase pocket. Have your child write the answer on the cards. This is great for independent work.

Use manipulatives alongside the cards. For example, print out a ten frame and solve. (Get a ten frame FREE in my shop.)

If your flash cards are double sided, flip the pocket over and do the back!

5. Battle/War Game

This is just like the traditional card game. Two people go against each other and flip a card. The highest card wins. I even had my girls play against each other with different cards. My preschooler had just a number and my first grader had an addition problem. Adjust it so that it works for your children.

6. Scavenger Hunt

Hide the cards around your room/house. Have your child find the cards. Once a card is found, write the problem and answer onto a paper, clipboard, notebook – anything!

The important thing is don’t forget where you hid them! Been there, done that.

7. Squirt the Answer

This will take a minute or two of prep. It’s an outside flash card game using sidewalk chalk and a spray bottle (dollar store! See a pattern?). Write the answers to your flash cards on your driveway/patio. Spread them out to encourage a little movement.

For Addition/Subtraction, I would write 1-20. This would be great for my preschooler as well learning numbers 1-20.

For multiplication, you can write the products.

Now, show a flashcard, and when your child solves it, he/she will spray that number. It doesn’t have to be washed away completely, because it will probably get sprayed again.

You could also do it backwards. Show a number card (Let’s say 8) and your child can spray all of the addition problems that equal 8! (2+6, 4+4, 3+5…and so on!) It’s a great way to memorize basic facts.

8. Exercise!

This is another great activity to get moving. I love exercise activities like these because my children usually forget we are actually learning. They’re having so much fun! You have to be intentional with this one. Pick the right kind of flash cards. I used addition cards and found about 15 cards that had the sum of 1-6. Next, I made a key and gave each number (1-6) an exercise.

Show the flash card and have your child answer. Whatever the answer is, that is the exercise you complete.

You could find cards with the sum of 10-20 if you want to make it more challenging. If you wanted you could do 1-20! You would just have to come up with 20 different exercises.

For multiplication you could set it up to where you give a range. For example, if the product is between 10-20, you do jumping jacks. If the product is between 20-30, you skip around the room, and so on…

Have fun with this! Join in if you’d like – it’s an easy way to add a little exercise into your day. It would also be a PERFECT rainy day activity.

9. Sidewalk Solving (or Driveway)

If you have a sidewalk in front of your house, this could be so fun. We do not, but I was able to set up some giant squares with chalk in our driveway The concept is simple. Give your child some sidewalk chalk and place a flash card in each square. Your child will walk to each square solving the flash cards and writing the answer in the square.

This would also be great writing practice for your preschooler. Place number cards in the squares to practice writing a number.

10. Comparing

This activity compares two flash cards. The supplies needed are flash cards and popsicle sticks. If you don’t have the sticks, use anything with that shape (crayons, sticks, pencils, toothpicks…)

I set mine up around the table. Each spot had two flashcards and two sticks. My first grader solved each card and wrote her answer on a white board to help her remember. Next, she shaped the sticks into the correct comparison sign: greater than, less than, or equal to.

11. Building Blocks

Pick any type of building blocks: legos, wooden blocks, math cubes, PicassoTiles… This is a great activity for addition flash cards or simple counting. Lay a few cards out on the floor/table. Use the blocks to visualize the problem. Here’s an example – The flashcard says 5+4. Pick 5 blocks in one color and 4 blocks in another. Then, solve.