Number Plate Games With Numbers

Get into that car and teach your children mathematics, by playing any variation of the number plate game. All that is needed is a few interested participants, some imagination and some traffic (not too much though). This list is not an exhaustive list, but it is meant as a start for those who have not experienced them before.

1. Sequence Game

Monitor the sequence of the numbers - are they increasing or reducing as the journey progresses?

2. Odds and Evans

If there are more two people playing, then one could count the even numbered cars and the other the odd numbered cars. The winner is the one who reaches the agreed number (say 20 on a short trip and 100 on a long trip)

3. Prime Game

Count the number of cars that have a prime number on their number plate. Can be played solo or each person selects alternate cars and gets a point if it is prime. The winner is the first to get to the agreed number of point.

4. Fadic Game

Work out the FADIC number of the Number Plate and see if there is a pattern over a long journey. The Fadic number is a number between 1 and 9, and is found by adding up the digits until they are reduced to a single digit, for example the number 684, becomes 6+8+4=18, and 18, becomes 1+8=9, so 9 is the fadic number of 684. Over a long journey there should be an equal number of cars that have either 1, 2 or 3 etc.

5. Number Game

If there are more than two people, each chooses a number and counts that number of times that number appears on plates - first to an agreed number (say ten on a short trip and 50 on a long trip) is that winner.

6. Multiplication Game

The numbers on the plate a multiplied out in some fashion, without the use of a calculator, for example each digit, like 684, becomes 6x8x4=192, then for some further mental arithmetic, find the fadic number, ie. 192, becomes 1+9+2=12, and 12 is 1 +2 = 3 alternative business records and the highest score or multiplied fadic gets one point. The winner is the first to say 10 points.

Select food items to the length of the journey and the concentration of the participants. However, your imagination, you can go and invent new games. You'll be surprised how easy it really, if you try

It seems that the important thing to do is agree on the rules before the game and, if possible, a neutral arbitratorcan help children to see why.