Free Game Spinner (1-8)

The Big Spin

Preparation:

– students draw up a board like the one shown below

What You Need:

1 game spinner
1 game board for each player 
Scratch paper to keep score
Any number of players

How to Play:

1. Spin the wheel.
2. Players choose a position on the game board for the resulting number. Once placed no digit can be moved.
3. During each game, players can place one of their numbers into the trash. But only ONE and no swapping. THINK CAREFULLY!
4. Play continues in this fashion until all of the spaces on the game board have been filled.
5. Players read the number they have made aloud.  
6. Spin the spinner one more time. If the resulting number is ODD then HIGHEST number wins. If the resulting number is EVEN then LOWEST number wins. 

How to Win:

• The player with the most points after a decided number of rounds wins.

Tips:

• Encourage students to rearrange the digits at the end of each round to check whether it was the biggest number that could have been made.  Compare the two numbers using <, > or =. 
• Play together as a whole group with a shared game board for super-quick set up, or as individuals with separate game boards.  Students can also play together in pairs.
• Make sure that students are reading aloud their numbers after they have made them.  It is important for students to understand the actual number they have made and why it is the biggest i.e. they have a full understanding of place value and don’t just place the digits in ascending or descending order. 

Variations:

• Add a box for thousands to the game board.
• Extend by adding a decimal point to the gameboard, and change the headings to tens, units, tenths and hundredths.
• Begin the game by spinning four times to create a target number for the students to aim for – whoever creates the number closest to the target number wins.