Ways to use this list
- First five minutes: spin as students come in, and the warm-up is under way while you take the register and hand back work.
- Same routine, new numbers: number talks and estimation work all year if you change the numbers to fit the current unit.
- 3rd and 4th grade: press Grades 3–4 and keep the numbers friendly; Number of the Day with 24 brings out 4 × 6, 30 − 6, two dozen and the hours in a day.
- 5th and 6th grade: Always, Sometimes or Never? works well for fractions, because "multiplying makes a number bigger" is only sometimes true.
- Substitute plans: leave the wheel on the board with No prep needed pressed, so any adult can run a warm-up without your notes.
- Mini whiteboards: every student holds up an answer at the same moment, so you see the whole class rather than the quickest hands.
Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.
The full list (30 entries)
- Number Talk – show one calculation, such as 25 × 12, and share different ways to solve it mentally
- Which One Doesn't Belong? – show four numbers, shapes or graphs; students argue for any one of them
- Estimation – estimate a quantity in a picture or jar, giving a too-low and a too-high guess first
- Number of the Day – show the day's number in as many ways as possible: sums, products, words, pictures
- Math Would You Rather – compare two deals, such as 3 bags of 12 or 4 bags of 9, and explain your choice
- Make the Target – use four given digits and any operations to reach a target number
- Fact Fluency Minute – one minute of times tables, addition or division facts; then beat your own score
- Guess My Number – ask yes-or-no questions: is it even, is it greater than 50, is it a multiple of 3?
- True or False? – decide whether an equation such as 7 × 8 = 54 is true, and explain why
- Find the Mistake – a worked problem with one error; find it and fix it
- Number Line Placement – place numbers such as 0.6, 3/4 or 120 on an empty number line
- Same and Different – two numbers or shapes; list the ways they are alike and the ways they differ
- Problem of the Day – a short word problem that reviews yesterday's lesson
- Dot Images – flash a dot pattern for three seconds; how many dots, and how did you see them?
- Counting Circle – count around the room by 3s, 25s, tenths or fractions
- Fraction of the Day – show one fraction as a picture, a decimal and a point on a number line
- Always, Sometimes or Never? – judge a statement such as "multiplying makes a number bigger" and give examples
- Missing Number – solve a number sentence with a gap, such as 36 ÷ _ = 4
- Real-Life Math – questions from the day: how many minutes until lunch, how many chairs for two classes?
- Shape Riddle – give clues such as "four equal sides and no right angles" until someone names the shape
- What Comes Next? – continue a growing pattern and describe what the 10th step would look like
- Mixed Review – three quick questions from earlier units
- Magic Square – arrange 1 to 9 in a 3 × 3 grid so every row, column and diagonal adds up to 15
- Measurement Estimate – estimate the length of the board or the mass of a book, then measure it
- Graph Talk – show a simple graph; students write three things it tells them and one question
- Mental Math Chain – start with a number and follow quick steps: double it, add 5, halve it
- Around the World – two students race to answer a flash card; the winner moves on to the next student
- Rounding Race – round the same number to the nearest 10, 100 and 1,000
- How Many Ways? – find as many answers as you can to _ + _ = 20 or _ × _ = 36
- Coordinate Hunt – name the coordinates of points on a grid, or plot points to reveal a hidden shape
📖 Related guide: How to pick students at random, fairly
Questions people ask
How long should a math warm-up be?
About five minutes, ten at the most. It should get students thinking and talking rather than teach new content, so pick one routine and stop while they are still keen.
What is a number talk?
A short routine where you show one calculation, such as 25 × 12, and students solve it in their heads. They share their strategies while you record them on the board, which builds mental math and number sense.
How does Which One Doesn't Belong work?
Show four numbers, shapes or graphs. Students choose one that doesn't belong and explain why. A good set has a reason for every option, so there is no single right answer, only good reasoning.
Should warm-ups match the day's lesson?
Not always. Many teachers use warm-ups to revisit earlier units so skills don't fade, then use the last minute to link back to the topic of the day.