Math Task Cards: 5 Ways to Use Them (That You Haven’t Tried) -

If you do a quick search on Teachers Pay Teachers you will see TONS of task cards. But what are you supposed to use them for?

The thing about task cards is that you can use them for just about anything! Keep it simple by letting students choose a task card from a pile, or get your students up and moving by playing a classroom game with the cards.That’s what I love about task cards–how versatile they are!

If you are looking for ways to use your task cards in ways that your students will love, you’ve come to the right place! Keep reading to learn about 5 games you need to try with task cards right away.

Need some task cards? Grab some 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade test prep task cards here.

1. Relay Race

Having a relay race is my absolute favorite way to use task cards when we’re reviewing for state testing! Take your students outside if the weather is nice, or ask the P.E. teacher if you can borrow the gym for a bit.

Put students into teams of 3-4 and give each team their first task cards, clipboards, paper, and pencils. Have the teams sit about 20-30 feet from you.

When you tell the students to start, they should work as a team to solve the task card. After they have solved it, they should send one student to run to you to show you the answer. If it’s correct, give them their next card and have them run back to their team. If it’s incorrect, they need to run back and try the problem again.

I love this game because it gets students working together and has a lot of movement! It’s also a great opportunity to work outside–which students love.

Snag these directions by downloading the FREE toolkit at the bottom of this page!

2. Quiz Quiz Trade

Quiz Quiz Trade is an “oldie but goodie” that you want to have in your collection of games! The best part about it is how simple the directions are and that it gets students moving.

To play Quiz Quiz Trade, give each student a task card. Have them walk around the classroom and find a partner. Once they have a partner, they should quiz their partner on the card they have. Then their partner should quiz them on their card. And then they trade and find a new partner!

This game works best for task cards that have quick answers, such as vocabulary or math fact questions. That way, students can quiz each other quickly, and it’s no big deal if they see the same question more than once!

Want some printable directions for Quiz Quiz Trade? Download the FREE toolkit at the end of this post!

3. Board Games

Everyone loves a good board game, right? Adding task cards to a simple board game is a great way to get students engaged in math review. All you need are some task cards, a board game template, something to use as game pieces, and some dice.

To play a board game with task cards, split students into groups of 3-4. Have each student put their game piece on the start spot on the game board and have the first player draw a task card. I like to have everyone playing solve the task card. This allows all students to practice, and it’s a way for them to check their opponents’ work.

If the player gets the question on the card correct, they may roll the dice and move forward that many spaces. Students keep repeating this until one player has reached the end of the game board. The first person to reach the end of the game board is the winner!

Snag this FREE game board that’s perfect to use with task cards by downloading the free toolkit!

4. Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is such an easy way to add a little bit of fun and movement to a simple review. There are so many ways that you can do a scavenger hunt, depending on what time of year it is or what age your students are.

The simplest way to complete a task card scavenger hunt is to tape your task cards up around your classroom. Depending on how your school is set up, you could even place task cards in different areas of your school! Get creative—task cards can be placed under a student’s desk, halfway concealed behind a bookshelf, or even attached to you!

5. Kaboom

If you’ve never played KABOOM before, you are definitely missing out! KABOOM is such an easy game to play with any review that you’re doing but it is so much fun!

KABOOM is traditionally played with popsicle sticks with point values written on them. Some of the popsicle sticks have the word “KABOOM” written on them. If you’re like me and too lazy to write things on popsicle sticks, you can also print out some pre-made cards and have students draw them from a cup!

To play the game, put students into teams of 3–4 and have each team take turns choosing a task card to answer. I like to have all teams answer each task card, even if it’s not their turn. Once the team has answered their question correctly, a team member draws a card (or popsicle stick) out of the cup. If the card has a point value on it, they earn those points. But if the card says “KABOOM,” they lose all of their points!

At the end of the game, the team who has the most points wins. Students love KABOOM because it’s competitive, and it has the added suspense of possibly losing all of their points.

Get a FREE set of KABOOM cards to use with your task cards by downloading the free task card toolkit!

Now that you’ve got some new ways to use your task cards, I’ve got a free resource you’re going to love! My free math task card tool kit includes: