Activity 30

Tens

This is a kind of solitaire. It helps kids learn all the pairs of numbers that add up
to 10.

Deck: Take all the jokers and face cards out of the deck.
Use the cards from ace to 10 only.

Layout: Lay the cards out face up. Start with 1 card; lay 2 cards on top of it, so that all 3 cards show, but the second row covers the card in the first row.

Then add another row, this time using 3 cards.

Keep adding rows. Each row will take 1 more card than the row before.

Make 6 rows. The last row will take 6 cards.

You will be left with a pack of cards in your hands.

3 playing cards laid out 6 playing cards laid out 21 playing cards laid out

Play
Your job is to take away free cards from the table in sets that add up to 10. A card is free when no part of it is covered by any other card. Look for sets of 2 cards that add up to 10, for example, 5 + 5, or 1 + 9, or 3 + 7, or 4 + 6, or 8 + 2. 10 does not need any other card, since 10 + 0 is 10. Whenever you see a free 10, you can add it to the other sets you have made. If you clear all the cards from the table, you have won!

To make a set, you can take 2 cards from the table, or 1 from the table and 1 from the deck in your hand. As you use the cards from the bottom row, you will free the cards in the next row, and you can use those cards to make sets that add to 10.

If you lift up a card and that frees the card in the row above, you can use both cards to make a set.

First check the layout to see if you can make sets with any free cards. Then turn over the first 2 cards from the deck in your hand. If you can use the turned up card to make a set of 10, you may do so, or you may decide not to. Your choice. If you use the top card, you can then use the next card, if you like. Then turn over the next 2 cards from the deck in your hand, then the next, and so on. When you have come to the end of the deck, turn it over and start again from the top.

Make it easier
Turn over the cards in your hand one at a time. Set out only 5 rows instead of 6.

Make it harder
Turn over the cards in your hand 3 at a time.