There’s a reason Around the World has been a staple in classrooms for decades—it turns ordinary flash-card drills into an adrenaline-filled math adventure. Students jump to their feet, race to answer equations, and cheer one another on as they circle “around the world.” This quick, no-prep game builds automaticity with math facts and adds excitement to your math block—no fancy materials required.

Use it as a five-minute warm-up, a math-center rotation, or a high-energy review before assessments. The competition motivates even reluctant learners, while the repetition builds fluency. Encourage students to explain strategies out loud (“I knew 8×7 was 56 because I doubled 4×7!”) to transform speed drills into rich math talk moments. Whether played whole-class or in pairs, Around the World gets every student engaged, moving, and thinking fast.

Around the World Math Game

Around the World: Great for 3rd and 4th grade but also can be adapted for other grades.

MATERIALS: large flash cards

Two Player Instructions:
Have a speed race to see who can go “around the world” with the most points. Each child starts with zero points. Show them each a math flashcard. The quickest correct answer earns one point. The first one to 10 points is the winner.

Whole class Instructions:
Students sit in a circle. Choose a starting person. This student stands behind the next student in the circle. The teacher holds up a flash card. The first student to say the answer stands behind the next person in the circle. If a sitting student says the answer first, the standing student sits down in the winner’s chair.

This process continues until at least one student makes it completely around the circle.

Download this as a PDF on TeachersPayTeachers FREE {Flash Cards Included!!!}

Modifications & Adaptations

• Younger Grades (K–2): Use dot cards, ten-frame cards, or simple addition/subtraction facts.

• Upper Grades (5–8): Switch to fraction equivalence, percent conversions, integer operations, or order-of-operations flashcards.

• Collaborative Mode: Instead of racing, have pairs discuss how they solved it before revealing the answer.

• Home Version: Parent vs. child! Great way to build confidence and connection in five minutes a day.

Teacher Discussion Prompts

• “What strategy helped you get that answer so fast?”

• “Can you explain how you knew 7×8 was 56 without counting?”

• “What’s another way to check your answer?”

• “How could we make this problem trickier?”

• “Did anyone use a pattern or relationship to figure it out?”

Listen for strategies like doubling/halving, using known facts, or decomposing numbers—these insights turn a simple game into formative assessment gold.

Sometimes the simplest games are the most powerful. Around the World reminds us that hands-on, face-to-face math play sparks laughter, confidence, and fluency all at once. No screens, no prep—just the joyful sound of kids shouting answers, cheering for classmates, and realizing that math can be fast-paced fun. Try it today and see who can make it “around the world” first!

Download this as a PDF on TeachersPayTeachers FREE {Flash Cards Included!!!}

Math Voyage: Around the World

Materials: Large Flash Cards (preferably with math problems like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)

Aim: The goal of this game is to improve mathematical skills in a fun and competitive setting. The player who can correctly answer the most flash cards first, hence completing a “trip around the world”, wins the game.

Instructions:

For Two Players:

1. Set a goal for points (say 10 points, or adjust according to the skill level of the players). Each player starts with zero points.
2. Players sit across each other. Hold up a math flashcard visible to both.
3. The player who shouts out the correct answer first earns a point. In case of a dispute, you may use a stopwatch or an impartial judge to determine who answered first.
4. Keep track of the points each player has earned. Repeat the process with different flashcards.
5. The first player to reach the set goal of points is the winner.

Example: Let’s say the flashcard shows the problem “5 x 6”. Both players try to answer as quickly as possible. If Player A shouts out “30” before Player B, then Player A gets a point.

For Whole Class:

1. Arrange the students in a circle. Pick a starting player randomly or voluntarily. This student stands behind the next sitting student in the circle.
2. Hold up a flashcard. The standing student and the student they are standing behind both compete to answer first.
3. If the standing student answers correctly first, they move to stand behind the next student in the circle. If the sitting student answers correctly first, the standing student sits down, and the winner stands up and moves behind the next student.
4. The process continues until a student has managed to move all around the circle by answering correctly first. This student is deemed the winner.

Example: Let’s say there are 5 students sitting in a circle. Student A stands behind Student B and the flashcard “9 – 3” is shown. If Student A says “6” first, then Student A moves to stand behind Student C. If Student B says “6” first, then Student A sits down, and Student B stands up to move behind Student C.