I get very excited when I see decimal units in my scope and sequence! I’ve seen so many students gain confidence in math when we begin working with decimals. Lots of kids think math is going to be harder when a decimal point shows up. As long as your class has a strong foundation in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and division, everyone is going to have a great time in math!
Teaching decimal operations is a great opportunity for you to show your students when they’re going to use math in the real world. From word problems to real life situations, your students are going to soon realize what they’re learning has a purpose. Having a strong understanding of decimals also helps students have a strong understanding of fractions.
In this post, you’re going to find a variety of different activities related to decimal operations. These 10 resources are going to save you planning time and give your students lots of ways to show you what they know. So, let’s dive in and find a few new games and activities to add to your repertoire.
- Mazes – Adding & Subtracting with Decimals Mazes + Multiplying & Dividing with Decimals Mazes
- Maze- Decimal Operations (mixed practice)
- Knockout Games (3) – Adding & Subtracting Knockout, Multiplying & Dividing Knockout, and Decimal Operations Knockout
- Decimal Operations Escape Room
- Decimal Operations Riddle
- Decimal Operations Task Cards
- Kahoot – Add and Subtract Decimals
- Kahoot – Multiply and Divide Decimals
- Math Playground – Hungry Puppy
- Decimals Spin Off Game
Mazes – Adding and Subtracting Decimals & Multiplying and Dividing Decimals
Mazes are a great way to give your students more practice in an exciting way. Students love the concept of getting through a maze. You can use mazes as bell work, formative assessments, exit tickets, homework, etc. The sky’s the limit with how you incorporate mazes into your classroom!
Each digital activity maze comes with 3 separate mazes for you to use. These two different resources are great to use throughout any decimal unit.
We love mazes because you have zero prep work to do, all you need to do is print. I like having a few copies of adding and subtracting on hand, as well as multiplying and dividing. You never know when they’re going to come in handy! Plus, you can re-use them later in the year for cyclical review, and students will get the practice they need with decimal operations.
One more feature of these mazes is that in addition to the printable (PDF) version, they’re available in a digital Google Slides version too. The digital version has students drag-and-drop prepared arrows to mark their path through the maze. It’s easily assigned through Google Classroom or other learning management system.
Maze – Decimal Operations (mixed practice)
I told you we love mazes at Math Idea Galaxy! This set of mazes works just as well as our previously described activities. These mazes have all four operations combined throughout the maze. I like using the mixed operations as a review before a unit test or for a quick assessment.
Want to try out a free math maze today? Sign up for the Maze of the Month club and get a free maze on middle school math concepts sent right to your inbox each month. Each maze has 2 versions- a printable & a digital version built in Google Slides (perfect for whatever your classroom looks like!) Plus, you’ll get an adding and subtracting integers maze right away.
YES! Sign me up for the Maze of the Month Club!
Knockout Games (3!)
Knockout games are a fantastic tool to use for a whole class review. You have a lot of flexibility with how you play this game with your class. The game board can easily be projected onto a board and students can answer on their own white boards or answer sheets. This is also a great way to see which students still need more practice and who needs to be challenged.
Because there are so many different combinations of math operations, there are three decimal knockout games to choose from. Decimal Operations Knockout Game has adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing problems. Adding and Subtracting Multi-Digit Decimals Knockout Game has problems that only deal with addition and subtraction. Multiplying and Dividing Multi-Digit Decimals Knockout Game, as you’ve probably already figured out, has a variety of problems with multiplying and dividing 😉 .
These games are great for whole class review, so you’ll want to use them throughout the year to review and sharpen your students’ skills.
Decimal Operations Escape Room Digital Activity
Have you ever been to an escape room? If you haven’t, you really need to go see why everyone loves them so much! I love escape rooms because they make you think outside the box and they’re a great team building activity. Our escape rooms are fun for students because they’re trying to solve a problem. You’re going to fall in love with this fun resource!
Puzzle #1 has students solve six mixed operation problems. Once they have the correct answers, they’ll use the decoder to find the six letter passcode. Puzzle #2 also has students answer six mixed operation problems and uses the answers to find a five letter passcode.
The final page, puzzle #3, has another six mixed operation problems. After all six answers are found, students have to place the answers from least to greatest to find the final passcode. To “leave” the escape room, students will need to correctly identify the item, the thief, and the location of the theft.
Decimal Operations Digital Activity (Riddle)
Everyone has heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect.” This statement couldn’t be more true when it comes to math. Our set of riddles gives your students the chance to quickly practice a few decimal operation problems. Riddles can be printed for each student or projected onto a board.
Each riddle has 8 problems for students to solve. Students will add and subtract decimals to find the answer to “What room has no windows or doors?”. To find the answer to “What’s an alien’s favorite sport?” your 6th graders will need to multiply and divide decimals. You can use riddles in a variety of ways, depending on the needs of your students.
Decimal Operations Digital and Printable Task Cards
I think someone really needs to do a parody song called “Task Cards are a Math Teacher’s Best Friend”! Task cards are very versatile and can be used throughout any math unit. I love task cards because I can decide how to best use them based on my students’ needs. This means you can use them differently from unit to unit and from year to year.
The Decimal Operations Task Cards has a total of 24 cards: four vocabulary questions and 20 decimal operation problems. The last four problems can be used as a challenge activity. This set of cards could be used for centers, scoot, partner work, bell work, etc. You can use the first 12 cards for one activity and then use the rest of the problems for a separate lesson.
I have used these cards as a version of scoot in my classroom before. I printed off each card and taped them around the room. Then each student gets a record sheet. I give my class a set amount of time to go around and answer as many questions as they can before the timer goes off. It is a great way for students to move around while staying on task!
Kahoot – Adding and Subtracting Decimals
Kahoot is a great, free resource because students become so competitive and they really want to get the correct answers! This game requires devices, but you don’t need to be 1:1 to use it in your classroom. I’ve found that putting students in pairs or groups with Kahoot helps everyone grow as mathematicians.
This game has nine adding and subtracting problems with decimals. The numbers aren’t very large which means the focus is on place value and understanding the steps. I really like this version because each problem has a cute math pun about decimals. This would be an excellent activity at the beginning of your decimal operations unit!
Kahoot – Multiply and Divide Decimals
My students always ask the same question when we start a game on Kahoot, “Can we put any name we want?” There’s no right or wrong answer to this question, but I like giving my kids the opportunity to have fun during math. My favorite thing to hear is students picking a theme for everyone’s names: food, Tik Tok, Zodiac signs. I highly recommend discussing expectations for Kahoot in your classroom and logical consequences if the class can’t follow your guidelines.
This version of Kahoot has eight questions involving multiplication and division with decimals. Although the game is short, it will take your students a while to answer each question so plan accordingly. This game is a great review after a weekend or as a refresher after a longer break.
Math Playground – Hungry Puppy
Math Playground is a great resource for online math games. I like using their games as options for Early Finishers. I’ve also found some of my challenging students will work harder when they are presented with an online math game.
Hungry Puppy has students practice adding decimals while trying to be faster than the other puppies. When your student logs in, they’ll pick a name and a color for their puppy. A number will be in the center with bones around the number. Each bone also has a number on it. The goal is to click two bones that will create the number in the middle. Students are competing against a computer so they have to think quickly!
Decimals Spin Off Game
This game is recommended for 5th graders but it still has a place in your 6th grade classroom! You can use this game at the beginning of your unit to see what your students learned and remember from the previous year. This also provides students with the opportunity to gain more confidence with decimals and operations.
There are a few different ways your class could play with this spin off game. There are 15 questions to answer. You start by having the wheel spin and then press stop. Whatever number the hand lands on, is the amount of points to be earned. Then there will be an addition problem with four possible answers to choose from. You could have students play this game with a partner, in groups, or as an entire class. **Note: The game always has the same 15 problems every time it is played.
Fun With Decimal Operations
I hope you can use at least one of these resources the next time you teach decimal operations in your classroom! There are tons of great resources available for math teachers, you just have to pick one to start with. I promise your students are going to have fun with decimals, no matter which activity you choose to use!
