A game for many ages

I played Bing Bang BOOM! mainly with 6th graders, but it would probably work (with modifications) for 4th-8th graders.

This game may already exist under another name; it seems like a simple enough concept that I doubt I was its first inventor.

Anyway ... here's how it works!

Students stand in a circle around the teacher. Starting with a randomly chosen student, and moving clockwise, the students count off numbers, beginning with 1.

Before this begins, the teacher has written three numbers on the board. If a student's number is a multiple of the first number, the student says Bing instead of the number. For a multiple of the second number, the word is Bang ; for a multiple of the third, it's BOOM!

If the student's number is a multiple of more than one of those numbers, the student says all the words that apply.

It may be best just to look at ...

an example.

Let's say the numbers were 2, 3, and 5, and there were five students in the circle. Here is how the counting would begin (if done correctly):

Student 1: One 
Student 2: Bing 
Student 3: Bang 
Student 4: Bing 
Student 5: BOOM! 
Student 1: Bing Bang 
Student 2: Seven 
Student 3: Bing 
Student 4: Bang 
Student 5: Bing BOOM!

... and so on. A common multiple of all three numbers — in this case, the least one is 30 — would demand a cry of Bing Bang BOOM! 
 

Students must give their answers within a certain time period (perhaps 5 seconds at first, less as the game nears its end). Anyone who gives an incorrect answer (or none at all) is out! That student leaves the circle, which thus becomes smaller and smaller.
 

The winner is ...

the last student left!

Once you get down to the last few students, the strategies change. For example, if there are three students left and the numbers are 2, 3, and 5, the same student gets to say Bang every time ... until one of them misses, leaving two students, one of whom says Bing every time. (That student would still have to be ready to add Bang and/or BOOM! as necessary.)
 

A few suggestions

This game is a good way to introduce or reinforce some basic math concepts: "multiple," "common multiple" and "least common multiple." It can also be fun, especially if you bear in mind a few things I've learned from experience:

• Not everyone enjoys the competitive nature of such games; I don't force anyone to play. 
• Students shouldn't try to think too far ahead ("Let's see, if he's 37, that means I'm ... hmm ... 42, which is Bing Bang ."). Students who do that tend to miscount, and they're often not ready for their turn. 
• The teacher's rulings on disputes must be fast and unarguable. (The most common dispute: someone gives an answer and quickly corrects it, causing other students to complain. If the correction is instant, I allow it; if it shows further reflection, I don't. It's a fine line. Anyone who gets too upset about "unfairness" should find something else to do!) 
• The teacher needs to be very good at mental arithmetic! 

That's enough details. Try it — I hope you'll like it!

Dave Gertler