Don't Let the Cows Out!

A few years ago in an effort to find an engaging way for the students to practice math facts, I created a game called "Don't Let the Cows Out!" In this game, the students sit in a circle on the floor and take turns throwing two large foam dice into the center - we call the dice "cows." The first student to add the two numbers together stays in the middle and competes against the next player. The students are the fence and we have a rule that if the "cows" get out of the fence, you lose your turn and have to go clean up after the cows...you know, "cow patties." Yes, I realize this is strange but the kids love it!  And, it discourages the students from throwing the dice all over the room. I have no idea why this idea came to me but it surprisingly works and the kids love it! Now that the students are well-versed in the rules and expectations of this game, I can assign a "trail boss" to monitor the game while I provide other students with small group instruction in math. The students who are not in the middle provide encouragement with cheers and by pretending to make food for players who have been in the circle for a while. It keeps the students active while waiting their turn. We try to play this game at least fifteen minutes per math period to spiral in math facts but they would play all day if I would let them. They love it so much they ask to play it when we have indoor recess.