Integer Match: an integer matching game
A memory game: match sums, products, opposites or absolute values with their answers. A free integer matching game for any device. Grades 6–7.
🧒 Kids: Turn over 2 cards. Find a question and its answer, like −3 + 7 and 4. Find all the pairs!
How to play
- Choose what to match (sums, products, opposites or absolute values) and how many pairs (6, 8 or 10).
- Press Deal the cards. All cards start face down.
- Turn over two cards. If one is a question and the other is its answer, like −3 + 7 and 4, they stay face up.
- If they don’t match, they turn back over. Remember where they were!
- Find every pair in as few moves as you can.
What your child practices
Matching slows children down just enough to think about each sign. Sums practice adding integers (7.NS.A.1) and products practice the sign rules (7.NS.A.2). Opposites and absolute values practice the grade 6 ideas of distance and direction from 0 (6.NS.C.6 and 6.NS.C.7). Every answer in a game is different, so each card has exactly one partner.
Which setting to choose
| Setting | Example | Good for | Learn it first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sums | −10 + 7 and −3 | Grade 7 | adding integers |
| Products | (−4) × 3 and −12 | Grade 7 | multiplying integers |
| Opposites | opposite of −7 and 7 | Grade 6 | opposite numbers |
| Absolute values | |−6| and 6 | Grade 6 | absolute value |
Grade 6 children should start with opposites or absolute values. Grade 7 children can go straight to sums, then products. The answer cards include negative numbers, so read each minus sign carefully.
Once your child can clear 10 pairs in about 12 moves, try Integer Bingo next, which adds a gentle timer.
Tips for parents
- Play together and take turns. Say each card aloud, using “negative” for the minus sign.
- Start with 6 pairs.
- When you find a pair, explain why it matches: “different signs, so subtract: 10 − 7 = 3, and the bigger size is negative.”
- After the game, read the list of pairs on the results screen together.
- Your best (fewest moves) is saved for each setting.
In the classroom
Works well on an interactive whiteboard with two teams taking turns. For a quieter version, children play on their own devices and record their move count. The opposites setting makes a good warm-up before a lesson on subtracting integers.
More integer games and practice
Games: Integer Race · Integer Bingo · all integer games · ratio games · decimal games · all math games
Print it: the comparing integers worksheet and the adding and subtracting integers worksheet, with answer keys, for practice away from the screen.
Practice: integer practice · integer calculator · integers quiz · integer levels
Last reviewed
Questions parents ask
How do you play Integer Match?
Turn over two cards at a time and match each question with its answer, such as −3 + 7 and 4. Find all the pairs in as few moves as possible.
What can you match in this integer game?
Sums with their answers, products with their answers, numbers with their opposites, or absolute values with their values.
How many cards are there?
Up to 20 cards: 6, 8 or 10 pairs. Every answer is different, so each card has exactly one partner.
What grade is Integer Match for?
Grades 6 and 7. Opposites and absolute values suit grade 6; sums and products suit grade 7.
Is there a timer?
No. Integer Match has no time pressure, which makes it a good first integer game.