My Favourite Time Filler

 Like most teachers, I often find I have a few minutes to fill in before bell time. If there is not enough time to read a book, I often play a "Guess my Number" game with the children. I have played this with classes from years 3 to 6 and they have all loved it.

Guess My Number  

1.  I write a series of numbers (usually 1-12, 1-15, 1-20 but could be any numbers) on a whiteboard.
2. I tell the class that I am thinking of a number and they have to guess it BUT they can't just tell me a number. They have to give an equation that equals the number they want to guess.
3. I model some examples eg 1 + 1 = 2. The equations can be as easy or hard as they want to make them.
4. I make it clear they have to say the equation AND the answer.
5. They start guessing. I cross off each incorrect guess until the right number is found.
6. The person who guessed the number then gets to come up and pick a number to be guessed.

What I like about this game is that it differentiates itself - the children can make an equation that suits their level - and it requires minimal resources. We also squeeze a little bit more maths into the day which is always a good thing.