Target Math Games with Sticky Darts

Do you ever see trinkets in the dollar bins at Target or Walmart and know you could use them for a learning activity? That’s how the idea for these target math games came about. I was perusing the Valentine section at Walmart and happened upon these sticky darts. They make for a great activity to practice addition and subtraction or even just simple number recognition.

Play target math games with sticky darts to practice addition and subtraction.

Target Math Games with Sticky Darts

I suggested the target math games to my son. He thought using the sticky darts sounded like a fun idea. I designed the activity for him to practice adding two digit numbers. I drew the targets on two white boards.

Play target math games with sticky darts to practice addition and subtraction.

Throw a sticky dart at each of the targets. (Here’s where you could practice simple number recognition. What number is the dart by?)

Play target math games with sticky darts to practice addition and subtraction.

Add the two numbers together. I provided a third white board for Aiden to write on.

Play target math games with sticky darts to practice addition and subtraction.

After practicing numbers that end in 0, we changed one of the boards to have numbers that end in other digits. Then, Aiden asked to practice subtraction. He had his dad pick a random number larger than 100. He threw the dart at the target to get the second number. He continued asking for numbers and throwing darts for quite a while. I like that he was practicing math skills without it feeling like a chore. That’s a win for a simple little toy from the dollar bin. I found the sticky darts in the Valentine section at Walmart. They also have them now in the Easter section.

More Math Games for Kids

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