Back to School Math Games for First Graders

Few months during the year are as busy and hectic as back-to-school time. Sure, the end of the year rivals this, but getting set up for a new year and helping new students learn all the routines is a whole other kind of busy! Since I know this time of year is always a little more difficult to manage, I’m super mindful of the types of activities I plan for my firsties during those first few weeks. If you’ve been searching high and low for math activities that will engage and excite your students – without soaking up hours of prep time, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s talk about my favorite back-to-school math games!

Balancing The Load During Back to School Time

The beginning of the year is something else. If you’re a primary teacher, you probably already know that this exciting time of the year brings many emotions. On one hand, I’m always thrilled to welcome a brand-new crop of firsties. But as fun as this is, I also tend to get a little overwhelmed this time of year too. After all, there is SO much to plan, prep, and organize before the first day of school! Not to mention, I need to find ways to work in those essential beginning-of-the-year activities like teaching routines, learning class rules, and reviewing important materials. It’s a lot to balance, am I right?!

With so much to do to get ready for the school year, consider utilizing BOOM Card activities like back to school math games to take a little off your plate while still giving meaningful opportunities for your students to review and practice key math skills.

Knowing all of this, I also try to keep my priorities in mind. As a first-grade teacher, my number one priority during this time is to ease in on a positive note. I want my classroom to be a lively, joyful, and engaging space. I want my students to walk into my room that first week of school and get a feel for how much fun they’re going to have in the year ahead. This is so important to me because it sets the tone for the year and helps build those student relationships right off the bat.

So, what’s a teacher to do? How do we balance the load of all the things during back to school time, while planning meaningful and fun lessons for our kiddos? If you’ve asked yourself this question a time or two – I’ve got good news! Today I’m sharing a tried and true, trusty trick for making learning engaging, low-prep, and fun for everyone… Back to school math games for the win!

My Favorite Back to School Math Games

So, what are these back to school math games anyway? So glad you asked! My favorite math games for the beginning of the year are Boom Cards. If you’re new to Boom Cards, prepare to be amazed! These digital task cards can be used to practice any subject under the sun and require zero prep. Hello, lifesaver during the busy back to school season! Here are some more key benefits of these activities:

Back to school math games like these Boom Cards are great because they are self-correcting, perfect for review, simple and fun, and best of all.. no prep for you!

self-correcting
perfect for review
engaging and fun for kids
super simple to differentiate
fantastic for facilitating independence
a great option for centers or partner games
the perfect way to introduce and teach technology procedures at the beginning of the year

Pretty spectacular, right? I know it sounds a little like an exaggeration, but Boom Cards have totally transformed my teacher life. They make it super simple and easy for me to sneak in a review on any subject, reduce my prep load, and make my students excited to learn! I mean really, what could be better? Because of this, I always incorporate my go-to Back to School Math Games into my lesson plan at the beginning of the year. They’ve become a no-brainer way to ensure my students get the practice they need while keeping my prep plate manageable.

Skills to Target with Back to School Math Games

Wondering what types of skills my students focus on with these back to school math games? Inside the Back to School Math & Literacy Games Bundle, there are a total of 9 different decks that address first grade math and ELA standards. When it comes to math, we focus on:

Back to school math game boom cards target counting to 20, counting on, addition and subtraction to 5 and missing numbers to 20.

Counting to 20
Counting on
Addition and Subtraction to 5
Missing Numbers to 20

These topics are perfect to start the year off with, as many of these skills will be a review from kindergarten. After summer vacation, it’s essential to start here. Let those firsties get their feet wet again, review skills they’ve likely already learned, and give students some time to acclimate. And don’t forget, depending on if kindergarten is required in your state – this might be your students’ very FIRST time working with these concepts! Luckily, the game-like style of these back to school math games will snag student attention and keep it! Let’s take a closer look at each one.

Counting to 20 Back to School Math Games

First up, counting to 20! Th is deck of back to school math games is perfect for the beginning of the year. It’s a fun way for students to review counting and practice in a fun way.

Counting to 20 boom cards are the perfect beginning of the year activity.

To use, students will count the objects on each card and click the number to tell how many are shown. There is also a direction card with sound that students can listen to before they begin. This option makes it perfect for morning work or center time to help foster independence.

Before I use these in centers though, I actually like to display this deck on the interactive whiteboard and complete a few cards as a group. I encourage students to count aloud with me and say the answer as a group so that no one feels shy “on the spot”. The beginning of the year can be a little overwhelming for everyone, so making this a fun group activity the first few times we use it is always a safe bet!

Each card in the deck features fun back to school pictures as well, which works perfectly for the beginning of the year. The students love to count pencils, books, and other school supplies together.

Counting On Addition Games

This image shows the counting on addition boom card game for first graders.

Counting on is another essential skill that first graders need practice with at the beginning of the year. I like to use this deck of back to school math games to make that practice simple and fun. To use these activities, students will look at the number displayed and then count on from there. Each card shows a different number and has a different number of objects to count on.

Once they do this, they click the correct number to show their answer. If they answer incorrectly, the card gives them another opportunity to try again. I love this feature because it means that my students will identify mistakes as they go. This is really helpful for first graders! There’s nothing worse than answering questions incorrectly all day without knowing it. This self-correcting feature helps deal with that that right away!

Fact Fluency Back to School Math Games

Our firsties need lots of practice with addition and subtraction within 5. These Fact Fluency Boom Cards make it easy to weave those skills into the busy back to school season. Kiddos will look at the equation displayed on the card, solve it, and select an answer.

Fact fluency boom cards are essential for back to school review for first graders.

Additionally, this deck includes a direction card with sound so students can listen to the directions before they begin. I love that each card offers a fun and engaging way to work on addition and subtraction! My students love the school theme on each card as they work to solve the equation. Also, since these cards provide immediate feedback, they’ll know right away if they answered correctly. This is so helpful in allowing them to learn as they go, especially when it comes to addition and subtraction, which can be a little tricky.

My favorite way to use these cards is as partner activities. I like to set students up with a classmate and have them take turns answering questions to encourage teamwork. They love working with a partner, and I love that they can learn from each other as they work through the deck. Plus, it’s a great way to promote communication and sharing, something we’re often working on at the start of a new school year!

Missing Numbers to 20

Last on my list of engaging back to school math games are these that focus on identifying the missing numbers in a set. I love this deck because this is often a tricky concept for first graders at the beginning of the year.

Using these cards makes it fun and easy to practice as a whole group and independently in centers. Each card shows a school bus with a set of numbers displayed on the windows. Kiddos will look at the set and figure out which number is missing. Then, they select their answer at the bottom.

Just like the other back to school math games mentioned in this post, this one also includes audio directions. This feature is very helpful for back to school time in first grade since my students are typically not reading yet. They simply click the speaker, listen to the directions, and answer each card! This is a great morning warm-up activity to complete as a group, or an easy technology center to set up for students.

Back to School Math Games and MORE!

These back to school math games have truly simplified my life when it comes to ensuring my students stay engaged and on-task at the beginning of the year. Plus, they have proven to be the perfect solution to balancing my never-ending prep load at the beginning of the year! But the fun doesn’t have to stop at math! Inside the Back to School Math and Literacy Bundle, you’ll find all of these math games plus, 5 additional decks geared towards first grade ELA. That’s a total of 9 math and literacy Boom Card decks that I know you and your students will love! Check out the bundle and make planning your back to school lessons a breeze!