These games are great. My clients are burrowing away on their mental arithmetic skills and they don’t even know it. They are just trying to win!

My job involves play-based learning for numeracy skills. I invented a couple of card games which have proven themselves to be great for developing mental arithmetic skills. Elevens is a great introduction. Fifteens can be a taxing game, even for adults.

Elevens (2-4 players)

• Card Values: Ace = 1, King = 10, Queen = 1, Jack = 1, Joker = any number (1-10), number cards = face value.
• Setup: Deal 3 cards to each player and place 3 face-up cards in the center (the bank).

Your Turn

1. Make elevens by combining cards to total 11 (e.g., King + Queen, or 7 + 4). You must use at least one card from your hand.
2. Replenish the bank and your hand from the draw pile. If adding multiple cards to the bank, place the first one unseen, then put the rest into your hand and choose which card(s) will go into the bank.
3. If you can’t make an eleven, add one card from the draw pile to the bank.

Game End & Winning:

• The game ends when the draw pile is empty and no more elevens can be made.
• The player with the most cards in their elevens pile wins!

FIFTEENS (2-4 Players) – How to Play

• Card Values:
  • Ace = 1, King = 10, Jack = 1, Joker = any number (1-10), number cards = face value.
  • 2 can be +2 or ×2.
  • Queen is a minus sign.
  • 3 can be +3 or ×3 (Optional rule)

Setup:

• Deal 3 cards to each player.
• Place 3 face-up cards in the center (the bank).

Your Turn:

1. Make fifteens by combining cards to total 15 (e.g., King + 5 or 9 × 2 -(Q) 3).
   • You must use at least one card from your hand.
   • Any order of operations is allowable. (You can add before you multiply.)
2. Replenish the bank and your hand from the draw pile.
   • If adding multiple cards to the bank, place the first one unseen, then put the rest into your hand and choose which card(s) will go into the bank.
   • If the bank already has 3 or more cards, don’t replenish it.
3. If you can’t make a fifteen, add one card from the draw pile to the bank.
4. If you use all six cards from your hand and the bank, you claim the reward of the entire hand of your opponent (for 2 players), 2 cards taken at random from each player (3 players), or 1 card taken at random from each player (4 players.)

Game End & Winning:

• The game ends when the draw pile is empty and no more fifteens can be made.
• The player with the most cards in their fifteens pile wins!

It’s gratifying to watch children who are bored with mathematics get into this game and puzzle their way around complex combinations (for ‘Fifteens’.) It’s even more pleasing to be beaten by a student!