• 20 pennies per two students
• 5 dimes per two students
• "Penny Flip" Ten Frame for each child (download the .PDF file or print out the HTML version)

Instructions

• Demonstrate flipping a coin to the class. Explain the the front of the coin is called "heads" and the back is called "tails".
• Pair students in groups of two. Provide one student with a red ten frame and one with a blue ten frame.
• Explain to the children that they will take turns being the first to choose either "heads" or "tails". ( Each time the coin is flipped one child will choose and the other will take the opposite choice by default.)
• Both partners then flip a penny .
• The partner who guessed right takes the penny and places it on his/her ten frame.
• When one student has a full ten frame he/she will exchange the pennies for a dime.
• Both children clear their ten frames and start over.
• The first student to win three dimes is the winner.

Extensions

Initiate a class discussion following the game to introduce the concept of probability.

Ask the children if either "heads" or "tails" seemed to come up more frequently in the games they played. Did anyone choose "heads" or "tails" because their partner seemed to be lucky with that choice?

Have the partners play one more round of the game...this time placing their pennies with the winning side of the coin up on the ten frame as they go. Did one side come up more often for each child? Did one side come up more often in each group? Did one side come up more often than the other for the entire class? Count and graph the answers from these questions as a whole class.