Do you like getting packages in the mail?  Have you ever thought about people's jobs in the post office?  This is a simple game that lets YOU feel like you're working in a post office.

To play this post office measurement game, you need to read a ruler, scale, and table.  You might need a pencil and paper, unless you can remember two different numbers for a couple minutes.  Also, the measurements are metric, which means:

Lengths are in centimeters
Weights are in grams and kilograms

I found a couple more great fraction websites this weekend that we'll look at after the Book Fair:


The first is a Build a Fraction tool.  It's different from the fraction bars site because you can quickly make ANY fraction just by sliding to the number you want as your numerator and denominator.  The bars appear for you. 

Then, you can click a button (see where it says "length?") to turn them into:

• Fraction circles
• Arrays, or
• Other images in a set. 

You can create improper fractions and mixed numbers too.  Again, this isn't a game, but it's a great tool for seeing what fractions actually look like.

The other fraction website I found is a game!

First, when you go to this Fraction Game, under the word "Levels" you need to click on the box near the fractions (some of the other levels are for little kids). 

Next, under the word "Games," you can choose a difficulty level.  If you want an EASY GAME where you match the fractions to each other, click on the 8 that's in an open window (see how above, all the windows are open?).  If you want to play game that will CHALLENGE your memory, click on the closed window (all those windows above would be closed, and only open when you click on a pair).   

Finally, under "Players," you can choose two player mode if you want to play with a family member!  

What better way to spend 100s day, than with a math game?

In order to practice 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication, you got 100 problems to solve.  The class was split into 2 teams, red and blue.  Each team had a mix of kids who wanted help with the steps for multiplying two digits by two digits, and those who can do it on their own.  Everyone picked a problem to solve, got it checked, and if they got it right, it was colored with their team color.  If it was wrong, they had to give it to a person on the opposing team. 

Here are the results:

Before we had our tie-breaker, I asked everyone to think about why we did this activity, instead of plenty of others that feature the number 100.

• It let you practice 2x2 digit multiplication.
• It got you ready for the math MCAS.
• It made you practice working as a team.
  

So for the tie-breaker, I wanted to see which team had members who really took the time to teach their teammates who needed help learning how to multiply. 

Everyone was given 1 problem to solve independently.  And the team who gave the most help to each other, and had the most members who could solve that problem correctly was the blue team!  Congratulations!

3D Blocks Count contains 3 dimensional puzzles to solve.  You'll get a rectangular prism (like a cube, but with rectangles, not just squares) that looks like it's made out of pop cubes.  You have to figure out how many pop cubes make that figure, and type it in the box.

Number Block has puzzles to solve too, but they are 2 dimensional.  It shows you a picture of a figure that is build out of blocks.  You need to assemble the same exact figure as the picture.  Your blocks have numbers on them to help you know the exact sizes, even though the given figure doesn't have numbers. 

I hope you all had a great winter break and you're ready to get back to school on Wednesday!

Hooda Math's Multiplication Game is interesting, but hard to explain!  You might want to just go on and try it out.  Basically, you need to earn 4 squares in a row (like tic tac toe) on the board to win.  The way you earn a square is to choose two multiples of that number from the number line below.  The trick is, you can only move your pointer to one multiple at a time.  The computer gets to move one of them in its turn too. 

For example, if the computer goes first, it might choose 1.  If you want to earn the 5 square on the board, move the other pointer over to the 5, because 5x1=5.  The computer will then move one of the arrows to a new number.  If they leave a pointer on 5 and move the other to 2, they earn the 10, because 2x5=10.

We're running out of days, so I'm giving you a bonus game today!  It's another from Hooda Math, and it's another Pac Man knock off.  It give you a number, and you need to eat all that number's factors.  This was one of my favorites!

A few years ago I used to play Sudoku a lot!  It's fun because it starts out seeming impossible, but the more numbers you fill in, the easier it gets.  For me, it's exciting to feel more and more like, "I've got this!  No problem!" 

To play Sudoku, you need to use the digits 1 to 9.  Make a row of those digits, using each digit once.  If you look at the top row, you'll see that the number 1 is missing, and so is the number 3.  You also need each column to have the digits 1 to 9 only ones.  If you put the 1 in the third box of the top row, it's wrong, because there's already a 1 in that column.  And, if you look closely, there are 3 by 3 medium grids inside the big grid (the lines are bolder), and you need to have each digit 1 to 9 in there as well.

The regular version of Sudoku is here but if you want an easier version, there's one here. 

I like this game so much that I took down one of my blog drafts so that I could fit it into the 12 days! 

In Build a Snowman, you need to read a word problem, and figure out if it is solved by adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing.  If you select the right answer, the computer solves the problem and a part is added to the snowman.  That's right; you don't need to solve it, you just need to know what operation is needed to solve it!  And of course if you build the whole snowman he dances for you.

If you like timed games, The Timernator lets you practice your times tables.  Type your answer to the question and click the ??? to see if you're right.  Try to get as many right as you can before the minute is up, and then play again to try to beat your best score. 

Remember, if you try this game, post a comment below with your high score!

Have you ever played Zuma?  The one where you're a stone frog, colored balls roll around you on a track and you have to shoot the same colors at them?  Well in X Factor, it's the same type of game play, but the colored balls have numbers on them.  You have to shoot the balls that have factors of the number on your shooter. 

For example, your level might require all factors of 12.  The ball in your shooter might have a 3 in it.  You need to shoot a ball on the track that has a 4, because 3x4=12.  Your next ball in your shooter might have a 2, so look for a 6 to shoot at because 2x6=12.

Don't worry if you make a mistake; you don't lose a life.  And if you have a 2 in your shooter but can't find a 6, you can shoot the ball off into the distance without penalty.  You'll notice that the colors vanish when they line up a certain way, so your goal is to clear all the balls before they get to the end.

Today's game is not a math game!  Geography Venture Capital is about state capitals.  You can play:

Choose It, in which you see a state and have multiple choices to pick from to match the capital.

In Spell It, you have to type the capital of the state shown.

In Locate It, you have to click the spot on the state where the capital city is.

Remember, if you try this game, post your high score in the comments below.