Trading Game

The Trading Game from Pattern Press is a hands-on printable math game designed to develop and reinforce concepts of place value while forming a strong foundation for understanding regrouping (carrying and borrowing). Students love to play this game, and as they engage, they naturally begin to discover patterns, look for relationships, make predictions, and solve problems through meaningful mathematical exploration.

From Patterns in Arithmetic:  Place Value - Booklet 2

How to play:

• Start with three blocks as the trading number (base three)
• Play multiple rounds using base three until students are comfortable with the concept
• Change to four blocks as the trading number (base four) for increased complexity
• Continue increasing the trading number as students become more skilled and confident
• Eventually use ten as the trading number (base ten), but introduce two or three dice to speed up gameplay and maintain engagement

As students play, they:

• Discover patterns within number systems
• Explore relationships between quantities and groupings
• Make predictions based on observed outcomes
• Solve problems through repeated hands-on interaction
• Strengthen place value understanding and numerical reasoning
• Develop early foundations for regrouping strategies
• Build flexible thinking and mathematical confidence

Perfect for:

• Homeschool math programs
• Classroom math centers
• Small group instruction
• Math enrichment activities
• Hands-on and kinesthetic learners