It’s a beautiful thing to see students of different ages learning together, and even better when they’re having a blast! Recently, we witnessed a fantastic example of this in action when our Grade 1 and Grade 4 classes teamed up for a lively addition fact game. The energy in the room was palpable, and the benefits for both age groups were outstanding.

The game, Bubble Gum Bump, was simple: small groups of students (a mix of grade 1 and grade 4) were given 3 dice and a game board. The object of the game was to roll the three dice, add up the given numbers, and then place a marker on the spot corresponding to their sum. The game gets interesting when an opposing player gets the same sum and bump their opponent!

For our Grade 1 learners, this game was fantastic for developing addition fact fluency. While the Grade 1s were busy learning new facts, the Grade 4s were gaining equally valuable experiences. Even though they’ve mastered basic addition, quickly recalling these facts under slight pressure (and to help a friend) further solidified their fluency. It’s a fantastic form of active recall.