Are we there yet? When are we going to the park? How much longer before lunch?? Are we there yet???
It seems that my children get a little more impatient in the summer. They can’t wait to do the next activity and frequently ask when that will be.
In honor of their impatience, the next game in our series is Minute Solitaire, game C12 in the Math Card Games book. This is a fabulous game to help your child learn the minutes on a clock as well as practice their multiples of fives.
This game can be played independently or with two players. I tend to play the first round with my child to be sure she understands how to play. Then I leave her to play and practice on her own or with her siblings. If you have a child who is struggling with using the minute hands of the clock, you will want to observe while your child plays to be sure she is placing the cards in the correct positions.
You will need one deck of minute cards, shuffled, and Clock B from the Math Card Games book appendix, page 14, shown below. You can also have a geared clock available for reference as your child is learning to play.
The goal of this game is simple: put the cards in the correct positions around the clock.
The player will draw a card from the deck and place the card in the correct place around the clock. For example, if your child draws the :20 card, she will place that card by the 4 on the clock.
When that card is correctly placed on the clock, the player will draw another card. If two players are playing the game, the second player will then draw a card and place it on the clock.
Continue drawing cards and placing them around the clock until all the cards have been played.
Activity Variation:
If you have a child who likes to move around – or if you would simply like to add physical aspect to the game – go outside and draw a very large clock on the driveway or sidewalk.
When the child draws a card, start at the top of the clock and run around clockwise to place it in the correct location.
Or write numbers on rocks and use the rocks as the markers! This variation is particularly fun with more than one player.
Once your child has mastered this game, you may want to look at the Placing the Minute Card, game C13 in the Math Card Games book. It is similar, fun, and adds some competition!
If you have enjoyed learning about this game, you may be interested in checking out the other math card games shared on our blog page. If you have a favorite game that you enjoy playing or if you would like to request a specific game to be included in this blog series, please comment below. We would love to hear from you!
