Guess What I’m Thinking

Kindergarten-Grade 2

Games give children a chance to use math skills and math language in a non-threatening situation.

What to Do

• Let your child think of a number between a range of numbers. Try to guess the number by asking him questions. Here’s a sample:

(for kindergarten children)
Child: I am thinking of a number between 1 and 10.
Parent: Is it more than 6?
Child: No.
Parent: Is it less than 3?
Child: No.
(The child could be thinking of 4 or 5.)

(for first and second graders)
Child: I am thinking of a number between 1 and 100.
Parent: Is it more than 50?
Child: No.
Parent: Is it an even number?
Child: No.
Parent: Is it more than 20 but less than 40?
Child: Yes.
Parent: Can you reach it by starting at 20 and counting by 5s?
Child: Yes.
(The child could be thinking of 25, 30, or 35.)

• After you’ve guessed your child’s number, let him guess a number that you’re thinking of by asking similar questions.

By Barbara J. Feldman

Barbara J. Feldman is a syndicated columnist and the publisher of Surf Net Parents, Surfnetkids.com and 51+ other family-friendly sites. She has been creating websites since 1996, and loves teaching others how to solve WordPress problems.