Don't Let the Cows Out

In trying to think of a new, engaging way to have the students practice their math facts I came up with a silly game that only kids would love: "Don't Let the Cows Out!". The students sit in a circle and pretend to be a fence while two "cowboys" or "cowgirls" go into the middle to throw the "cows", known to us adults as dice. The first student to call out the sum of the two dice gets to stay in the middle with the cows. The other student goes back to their seat to make "chili" and "beans" for when the "cowboys" and "cowgirls" get tired and hungry from all their math practice. If the "cowboys" or "cowgirls" get to zealous and let the "cows" out of the fence, then they have to go catch them and pretend to clean up after the cows. Although we play with large foam dice, your child can practice the same thing at home with regular dice on the table. It can also be played with subtraction. Below are a few pictures of the students playing: