We Are Teachers; Games 4 Gains; Education.com

It’s so important that 5th grade students master key math concepts like fractions and decimals as they prepare to move on to advanced math classes. These 5th grade math games can help with those skills, along with coordinate planes, calculating volume, and more. Plus, they’re a lot of fun! Choose a few to try in your classroom or for practice at home.

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Hands-On 5th Grade Math Games

Playing cards laid out face up with red markers to turn them into decimals
Mrs. Hansford’s Classroom

1. Flip cards to compare decimals

In this version of War, students flip three cards and place a chip as a decimal point. Then, they compare their cards to see whose number is greater. The winner takes all the cards.

Learn more: Decimal War

Student holding a handful of playing cards
Math Geek Mama

2. Make a buck to get practice adding decimals

Money is a useful way to give decimals real-life application. In this game, students use playing cards to represent amounts and work to get their hands to equal exactly one dollar. (Find more math card games here.)

Learn more: Make a Buck

Two circles of paper with a decimal number written in each, with a printable score card
Classroom Freebies

3. Have a decimal snowball fight

Each student receives a stack of decimal “snowballs.” They each flip one over and compare their numbers. The student with the larger number keeps both snowballs.

Learn more: Decimal Snowball Fight

4. Turn students into decimals

Even 5th grade math students aren’t too old to enjoy human number lines! Lay out the line on your floor, using a playground ball for a decimal point. Then try this: Choose 10 students and give them each a large card numbered from 0 to 9. Have another student secretly write down a number to the thousandths place, then provide instructions to get the numbers to stand in the right places. For instance, “Number 3 is in the hundreds place. Number 6 is in the hundredths place.” See how quickly students can get into the right place in line!

Source: Human Number Line

Where Is It decimal math game printable worksheet with card
Math Geek Mama

5. Try to guess Where Is It?

One player secretly plots a decimal on the line. The other player guesses a decimal and plots it on their own number line. The first player tells them whether their guess is larger or smaller than the correct number. The players keep narrowing it down until they’ve correctly identified each other’s numbers.

Learn more: Where Is It?

Printable board game and playing pieces for practicing adding and subtracting decimals
You’ve Got This Math

6. Add and subtract decimals to win the game

Print this free game at the link, then have 5th grade math students roll the dice, move their pieces, and add or subtract the numbers shown. The other student checks their answer on a calculator. If they’re correct, they stay there. If not, they move back. For extra practice, they can use base 10 blocks too.

Learn more: Decimals Game

Printable board game and playing pieces for fraction and decimal practice
Math Geek Mama

7. Give bingo a decimals twist

Convert fractions to decimals and see who can be the first to hit bingo in this free printable game.

Learn more: Fractions to Decimals Bingo

Cards showing fractions with several plastic spoons (Fifth Grade Math Games)
Games 4 Gains

8. Grab some spoons

If you’ve played Spoons before, you know the drill. Match four of a kind (this time using free printable fraction cards found at the link below), and you get to grab for a spoon—and so does everyone else! The loser takes one letter of the word SPOON, and play continues.

Learn more: Equivalent Fractions Spoons

Three piles of four counter chips each, one pile red and two yellow
The Math Maniac

9. Use counters for fraction practice

Grab a handful of counter chips of two different colors and lay them out. Then challenge students to a variety of fraction activities: What fraction do they make? What are the equivalent fractions? Repeat the activity a few times and add, subtract, multiply, or divide the fractions.

Learn more: Counter Chips Fractions

Multiplying Domino Fractions mat with three dominoes laid out to form an equation
Deceptively Educational

10. Multiply and compare fractions using dominoes

Fifth grade math students do a lot of work with fractions, and dominoes are perfect manipulatives! In this simple game, each student draws two dominoes. They multiply and reduce, then see who has the larger number.

Learn more: Domino Fractions

Printable board game and playing pieces for practicing adding and subtracting decimals
You’ve Got This Math
Dominos laid out to represent improper fractions, with equivalent mixed numbers written on a whiteboard
Runde’s Room

12. Play Fraction War with dominoes

Each player flips a domino and turns it so the larger number is on top, making an improper fraction. Then they write the mixed number and reduce it if needed. The player with the larger number keeps both dominoes.

Source: Domino Fraction War

Student jumping while others watch and measure
The Teacher Studio

13. Jump to gather line plot data

This is such a fun way to practice gathering data and using it to make line plots. A long-jump contest gets kids up and moving. You can also measure your wrists or your feet.

Learn more: Line Plot Jump

Score sheet and printable game board for Race to Six with pattern blocks in some spaces
Math Geek Mama

14. Build with pattern blocks to be the First to Six

Pull out your pattern blocks and have 5th grade math students use them as they work on adding mixed numbers.

Learn more: First to Six

Whiteboard with text Can You Make written on it, with sticky notes showing different numerals
Games 4 Learning

15. Write equations to play Can You Make It?

All you need for this simple 5th grade math game is some sticky notes. Set a target number and provide numerals to work with. Challenge kids to use a variety of operations, including brackets.

Learn more: Can You Make It?

Student using a ruler to measure a small pile of LEGO bricks
Teaching in Room 6

16. Build with LEGO bricks to measure volume

Fifth grade math students encounter volume for the first time. LEGO bricks can be a great way to introduce the subject and help them see how it works.

Learn more: LEGO Volume Activity

Worksheet showing pictures of base 10 blocks and three statements about those blocks
Teaching Ladybug via TPT

17. Play Two Truths & a Lie

Working on volume? Pose a “Two Truths & a Lie” puzzle, then challenge students to come up with their own!

Source: Volume Two Truths & a Lie

Chart showing a 3-D cube and its dimensions, with sticky notes calculating the volume added to it
Middle School Math Man
Worksheet for playing Connect Four in a coordinate plane
Five J’s

19. Connect Four in a coordinate plane

Coordinate planes are another new concept in 5th grade math. This simple game helps kids learn how they work as they try to be the first to graph four in a row.

Learn more: Coordinate Plane Connect Four

Lego minifigures standing on a coordinate plane made of Lego bricks, with coordinate plane worksheets
iGameMom

20. Track Minifigs on a coordinate plane

Here’s another way to use LEGO bricks for 5th grade math. Kids locate the hidden Minifigs using coded coordinates. So cool!

Learn more: LEGO Coordinate Planes

Printable worksheet for playing the game Battleship on coordinate planes
Go Science Girls

21. Reveal the truth about Battleship

Remember when you realized that the game Battleship was really all about coordinate planes? Time to share that with your 5th grade math students! Play the real game, or get free printables to use at the link below.

Learn more: Coordinate Plane Battleship

Students standing on a classroom floor marked to represent a coordinate plane
Math File Folder Games

22. Make a human coordinate plane

Does your classroom have square floor tiles? Use them to make a life-size coordinate plane! Then have kids stand in one spot and jump to a new one. When they arrive, they must announce their new coordinates. You can also call out instructions like “Move ahead two on the X-axis and back three on the Y-axis.” Kids will think and move at the same time, reinforcing the learning.

Learn more: Human Coordinate Plane

Penguin coordinate plane printable worksheet to create a picture of a penguin
Mrs. Thompson’s Treasures

23. Solve a mystery picture

Coordinate-plane mystery pictures are fun and very popular. You can find lots of options available on the web. Try this for free at the link.

Learn more: Penguin Mystery Picture Graphs

Online 5th Grade Math Games

Illustration of a soccer goal, with a pop up box reading
Coolmath Games

24. Penalty Kick

The game is simple enough: Each player takes a turn kicking a soccer ball or defending the goal. When they’re successful, they get to solve a multi-digit multiplication equation for a chance at a bonus point.

Play it: Penalty Kick

Cartoon puppies racing with a fraction math problem underneath the online math game
Math Playground

25. Puppy Chase

Click the equivalent decimal from the fraction given. The faster you find the answers, the more you move ahead to win the race!

Play it: Puppy Chase

Screenshot from online math game called High Stakes Heist, showing a safe with a combination lock students can open by solving a math problem using order of operations
ABCYa

26. High-Stakes Heist

Crack the safe by solving an equation, one step at a time, using the correct order of operations. If you make a mistake, you can go back to the previous step to fix it.

Play it: High-Stakes Heist

Screenshot from Algebraic Reasoning at the Sweet Shop online fifth grade math game
Math Playground

27. Algebraic Reasoning Sweet Shop

Using the stacks of various candies that add up to certain amounts, determine how much each individual candy is worth. This can be done as mental math or by writing out and solving equations.

Play it: Algebraic Reasoning at the Sweet Shop

Boat Coordinates Math Nook Online Math Games
Math Nook

28. Boat Coordinates

Enter the coordinates to send the boat on its way to the finish line. Stop along the way to pick up coins, but be sure to avoid obstacles. You have a limited amount of time, so think fast! This game can be customized with single-quadrant or four-quadrant boards.

Play it: Boat Coordinates

Screenshot from online math game Build a Pool to learn area calculations
Education.com

29. Build a Pool

All kids dream of having their very own pool. In this game, they’ll practice area models and multiplication as they design their perfect swimming setup.

Play it: Build a Pool

Screenshot from online racing game where players solve fraction addition equations to advance
Math Playground

30. Speedway Fractions

It’s a race to the finish as players add fractions as quickly as they can to advance their car.

Play it: Speedway Fractions

Looking for more? Check out these Fifth Grade Math Word Problems of the Day.

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