Help your students master combinations of 10 with our fun and flexible Take Ten Addition Card Game! This engaging partner or small group activity gives learners repeated practise in recognising number combinations that add to 10 - an essential skill for developing number sense, addition fluency, and flexible thinking. The game format promotes quick thinking, strategic reasoning, and friendly competition, making it a fantastic addition to your maths rotations or small group lessons.

The game is easy to prepare and highly adaptable. Students work in pairs or small groups and divide a pack of cards between them. The cards are placed on the ‘deck’ space of the game board, which is available in both colour and black and white (perfect for printing on coloured card if desired). Players take turns drawing four cards and placing them on the number boxes. If they can make a total of 10 using their cards, they collect those cards and add them to their saved pile. The goal is to collect as many combinations of 10 as possible before the deck runs out!

Take Ten Addition Card Game can easily be differentiated to suit the needs of your learners. You might have younger students focus on making 10 with just two cards, while more capable students can challenge themselves by using three or even four cards to make 10. The game encourages strategic thinking, as students must decide which cards to replace when no combination is possible. This simple twist keeps the game engaging and helps build flexible problem-solving skills alongside addition fluency.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Develop fluency with combinations of 10
• ✅ Strengthen number sense and understanding of number relationships
• ✅ Build confidence and efficiency in mental addition
• ✅ Promote strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
• ✅ Foster collaboration and positive maths talk through game play

What’s Included:

• Take Ten Addition Card Game board (colour version)
• Take Ten Addition Card Game board (black and white version)
• Teacher notes with tips for classroom use and differentiation

Materials Needed:

• Printed Take Ten Addition Card Game board (choose colour or black and white)
• Deck of playing cards (remove face cards as desired)
• Counters or small objects to mark saved piles (optional)
• Pencils or whiteboard markers if using laminated boards to record combinations (optional)

How to Use:

1. Print and prepare the game boards for each pair or small group.
2. Divide the deck of cards evenly between players and place the stack on the ‘deck’ space on the board.
3. Students take turns drawing four cards and placing them on the number boxes.
4. If they can make a total of 10 with any combination of cards, they collect those cards and place them in their saved pile.
5. If no combination of 10 is possible, they replace one card, placing it at the bottom of the deck, and draw a new one to continue playing.
6. The game continues until all cards have been played. The player with the most cards in their saved pile wins!

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use during maths rotations to reinforce combinations of 10 through hands-on practise.
• 💡 Incorporate into small group instruction to support students developing number sense and addition fluency.
• 💡 Offer as an independent or partner task for early finishers to promote ongoing practise.
• 💡 Differentiate by allowing students to use two, three, or four cards to make 10 based on their readiness.
• 💡 Encourage students to verbalise their strategies and number combinations as they play to strengthen mathematical language.

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Laminate the game boards for durability and repeated use throughout the year.
• 💛 Model the game with the whole class before introducing it to small groups or rotations.
• 💛 Provide number lines or ten frames to support students who are building confidence with combinations of 10.
• 💛 Encourage strategic thinking by prompting students to consider which card to replace when no combination is possible.

Take Ten Addition Card Game is a fun, flexible, and highly effective resource for helping students build fluency with combinations of 10. The interactive game format promotes mathematical thinking, collaboration, and confidence - a must-have activity for your primary maths program!