Add or Take 19

"Add or Take 19" is an engaging maths game designed to help players practice their addition and subtraction skills. To get started, participants will need a few simple items: a 0-9 dice, a 1-100 number board, and some counters. The aim of the game is to develop a strategic understanding of numbers while having fun. Players take turns to roll the dice to generate a two-digit number. Once they have their number, they must decide whether to add 19 to it or subtract 19 from it. After performing the calculation, players then place a counter on the corresponding number on the 1-100 board. For instance, if a player rolls a 56, they could choose to add 19 and cover the number 75, or subtract 19 to cover the number 37 on the board.

The objective of the game is to be the first player to align three counters in a straight line, which could be horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. As the game unfolds, players are encouraged to observe the patterns that emerge when adding or subtracting 19, as well as the similarities to adding or subtracting 20. This observation promotes discussion about the position of numbers on the board and the relationships between them. For a varied experience, the game can be adapted by choosing different numbers to add or subtract, providing a versatile and educational activity that can be tailored to different skill levels or learning objectives.