Last Updated on October 13, 2023 by Editorial Team
Most of us when learning about factorization would wonder how would it come into use practically. Well, when a set of items needs to be split into equal smaller sections, LCM and HCF come to the scene implicitly. Comprehending these notions can be taxing for some. Fortunately, fun learning-based games and activities can unravel the pedagogy. Further, you may be bewildered in search of righteous activities for your little ones.
Here, in this post, we will dig deeper into some relevant custom-tailored activities and games for young aspirants.
Engaging activities and online games for learning LCM and HCF
1. HCF and LCM by transum.org
With six levels, this game focuses on the practice aspect of the concepts. It makes the application part of factorization a lot more fun. It inculcates the topic by questioning students about finding the highest common factor or HCF, also called the Greatest Common Divisor, and the Lowest Common Multiple or LCM.
The questions start with easy numbers like finding the HCF of 8 and 12, 2 and 4, 7 and 21, and go on to higher numbers like finding the HCF of 189 and 135, 224 and 84. As the levels progress, the questions become more application and statement-based than direct ones.
2. GCF and LCM by That Quiz
This online game is in a quiz format that tests a player’s ability to solve GCF and LCM questions. It offers great flexibility in terms of setting the number of questions in the quiz, selecting a difficulty level, playing with a timer on, and more. Students can even select which topics they want the quiz to cover. For example, it can have questions exclusively related to prime factors, GCF, LCM, or a mix of all topics.
There is also an option for players to receive immediate feedback on their answers so they can know if their answer is incorrect and what the correct answer is. A brief overview of the overall performance is also provided after the game is over.
3. Factor Game
Optimized for both desktops and tablets, the game is specially designed for children of classes third to eighth. This is an interactive multi-player game. In this game, player 1 first chooses a number on the gaming board.
The second player then finds and clicks on all the proper factors of player 1’s chosen number, except the number itself. The game continues until there are no numbers left and the player with the highest total is the winner.
This game enables the students to explore and learn about the factors, which number has the most factors, which has the least one, what is the best move, and what is the worst one.
4. Factors and Multiples Game
Factors and Multiples is an interesting game that lets students identify the factors and multiples of a given number in a ‘jeopardy’ style format. It lets the students understand and apply the basics of factors, multiples, GCF, and LCM.
The different kind of concepts that are explored in this game include: Determining whether a given whole number in the range of 1 to 100 is prime or composite, whether a whole number in the range of 1 to 100 is a multiple of a given one-digit number, finding the greatest common factor of two whole numbers till 100 and more.
With a single-player as well as a multi-player feature, this game can be played on any device that you own.
5. Multiples and Factors
Sometimes games and activities may need to furnish hints to aid pupils to infer the strategy clearly. Multiple and factors game lubricates the same by offering multiple choices to the students as they address a new query. Thus, it can be absolute for those who are aspiring to make rigorous practice. The interactive user interface and transitions make this further engrossing.
For every question, a train with multiple options (generally four) is displayed. The player needs to choose one right answer among them. This game is an endless expedition and is probably befitting for academic practice too.
6. Snowball Fight
A cute interactive game that makes practicing LCM a fun endeavor is the Snowball Fight. In this game, players must hit the bear hiding behind the correct answer with a snowball. When you hit the right bear, you move on to the question. However, hitting the wrong answer will allow you a few extra tries.
But mind you! These attempts are not unlimited. If a player needs more than a set amount of tries, it would mean they are too cold to play outside. So they must head back for a quick break, warm up a bit with a hot cup of cocoa, and try again later!
7. HCF, LCM True or False Plenary
Another game that tests a student’s understanding of the concepts of HCF and LCM is this one by Wordwall. It is a true-and-false game wherein players must read the colorful tiles given on the left side and drag and drop them to the relevant section. Tiles with true statements must be placed under the ‘True’ section, and those with false statements go under the ‘False’ section.
There is a timer to record the time a player takes to finish the entire task. Upon submitting the answers, players receive a score and can see where they stand on the leaderboard. They can even go through the right answers by clicking on ‘Show answers’ to learn about their areas of improvement.
8. FactoJump
This is a classroom activity and it makes factorization a much more collaborative learning process where all students participate together and compete with each other. Ask all the students to stand in an open space with at least an arms-length distance between them. Call out numbers such as ‘75’ or ‘21’.
The students will have to decide if the number announced is composite or prime. If it is prime, they should stand up, if composite they should sit down. The student who failed to make the correct choice will have to give the factorization of the number. The students will assess themselves and their friends and have fun while doing so.
9. Factor Chits
In this game, ask students to take out a small sheet of paper and a pencil. Make them write numbers from 1 to 50. Take the chits from the students and redistribute them randomly. Make the students write the factors of the number they got on the back of the chit.
This exercise would encourage the students to participate more and get excited if the class gets too theoretical. It would allow the children to have that little bit of practice with a twinge of fun!
10. Factor Bridge
To play this game, make multiple index cards with prime numbers from 2 to 23. Spread them on the ground in a few columns. Make index cards with composite numbers that can be factored into the prime number cards that you have already made.
Now, divide the students into groups of four or more. Give each student a composite card and ask every group to send one person across the bridge of the prime numbers. But here’s the twist: the student will have to get across the bridge and will only be allowed the number of steps that represent their composite numbers factorization.
For example: if a student received 27, he has to get across using 3 prime index cards (3,3,3). The first team to cross the bridge wins.
Learning factorization with activities and games: The significance
The most significant benefit that these games would provide students is that they would enhance their ability to understand the concepts better. Moreover, students would learn to explore, observe, and infer at their own pace.
It enables them to break their learning process into small fragments which makes it a steady and consistent process rather than something that overwhelms them. Not only does this help the students, but it also opens a new way of assessing them which eases the burden from teachers’ shoulders.
The teachers are able to understand and evaluate the doubts and confusion of students more effectively and solve them at the right time before the problem accumulates and becomes big.
Summing up!
No matter how many examples we show to students of how HCF and LCM are used in our daily lives, these mathematical concepts can be taxing and arduous for the students. However, introducing the game-based learning environment can make a huge difference in the way they approach the subject completely. It would make way for strong fundamentals that would remain consistent the whole lifetime if learned properly.
Sometimes students can get so afraid of math and develop math anxiety that the simplicity of a concept fails to reach them no matter how hard they try. Using games to understand the subject better is the best way to remove the fear students and help them love math like they are supposed to.
An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’,