Fish Math Games for Kindergarten

I love to make math more engaging for students by using review games! As the school year comes to an end and students are looking forward to water play and beach trips, Fish Math Games can be a fun way to review at the end of the year!

When to Use Fish Math Games

These printable math games are such a great option to have on hand because you can use them in so many different ways in the classroom:

• Math review
• Ocean/fish thematic unit
• Early finishers
• Summer school activities
• Math centers

9 Fish Math Games for Kindergarten

Here are nine fishy math games that you can use to add some extra engagement to your math lesson plans!

1. Fish Sticks

This is a fun memory game for reviewing tens and ones! Students will place all of the cards face down on the table and then look for matching pairs. One card in the pair has a base ten blocks that represent a number and the matching card is the corresponding number.

Students will take turns flipping over two cards to look for a match. When they find one, they can keep the cards. Once all of the matches have been found, students can mix up the cards and play again! 

2. Fishing for Numbers

This game is perfect for reviewing the concepts of greater than and less than as students work to compare numbers. For this game, each student needs a fish bowl game mat and something to use as a game marker, like a fish mini eraser or counter. They will also need a stack of numbered fish cards that will be placed in a pile on the table. 

To play the game, students will each pick a card from the card and compare them. The student whose number is greater earns a point and can add marker to their game mat. Students will continue until they have covered all of their fish bowls!

3. Fishing for Tens Facts

This is a fun way for students to practice making ten! Each student will choose four equation cards to place on the table in front of them. Then they will take turns choosing a number card from the pile in the middle of the table. 

If the number can be used to make ten in one of their equations, the student will place the number card on top of that equation. If it doesn’t, they put the number card back. The students can continue to play until someone covers up all of their cards.

4. Just Keep Swimming

We love this addition review game! It’s a great early finisher activity because it’s so easy to set up. All you need is a game board, dice, and small manipulatives to use as markers. 

Students will take turns rolling two dice and adding the numbers to find the sum. They will then cover up that number on their game board. Students will keep rolling, adding, and covering until they have placed counters on all of their numbers.

5. Turtle Tanks

This game is always a hit with students! Each player will decide if they will use a “Greater Than 10” fish tank or a “Less Than 10” fish tank. The “Equal to 10” fish tank will stay in the middle of the table.

Each player will choose a card from the stack and add their numbers together. After they find the sum, they will decide if it is greater than, less than, or equal to ten. They will place the two cards in the correct tank. Students get a point for each set of cards that is placed in their tank. They don’t receive points for any sets that are placed in the “Equal to 10” tank. The person with the most points at the end of the game wins!

6. Go Fish!

This game is a take on the classic Go Fish game, but rather than just asking for a numbers, the students ask for the sum of their math problem. For example, they might say, “Do you have 1+3?”

If the person has the sum, they make a set and keep the cards. The cards have also been color coded so that the equations and answers match. This makes it easy for students to self-check!

7. Roll it, Spin it, Move it!

You can use this game for either addition or subtraction practice.

First, students will roll a die. Then, they will spin the spinner. They can then either add the numbers or subtract the numbers and move the game piece that many spaces on the game board. They will continue until someone crosses the finish line.

8. Spin and Subtract

This crab-themed game is great for subtraction practice! Students take turns spinning each of two spinners and subtracting the numbers. 

They will record their answer on the number mat with manipulatives or a dry-erase marker. The person who covers up the last remaining number is the winner!

9. Subtraction Splash!

This game can help students visualize subtraction as taking away. Students will start with ten or 20 game pieces on their game mats. Then, they choose a number card from the stack and take away that many pieces from their pile. 

If they pick a splash card, they have to put all of their game pieces back in the pile. They play until someone has gotten rid of all of their game pieces.

Printable Fish Math Games for Kindergarten

Would you like to try some of these games in your own classroom? I have put together a set of End of the Year Math Games that includes all of the fish-themed math games from this post. Just click below to find this resource in my shop and take a closer look at everything that’s included in this set of printable games.

Save These Kindergarten Math Games

Be sure to save this post so you can come back to it later! Just add the pin below to your favorite board of kindergarten math activities. You’ll be able to quickly find these games when you’re putting together your end-of-the-year math review.