We use fractions, decimals, percentages and degrees to measure portion sizes and relative values. Yet many adults don't understand these everyday math measurement systems. This could handicap your kids too. Make sure they understand these critical systems and give them a head start!

Now at last there’s an easy way for kids and adults to master these everyday math concepts, a revolutionary new playing card game called Pizza Pursuits™. Each playing card represents one portion of pizza and is packed with everyday math information to promote associative learning.

"A number-3 Cheese Card is packed with everyday math facts!"

Why revolutionary? Your kids can use these cards to add and subtract fractions, decimals, percentages and degree values visually without knowing or doing any math! That's quite revolutionary, isn't it?

Focus on fun. Don’t get too serious. Let your kids play any game that gets them playing with the cards. Associative learning starts naturally.

They can start by playing Pizza Pursuits™ versions of popular fun games for kids that they already know and love.

Here are some fun games for kids to unleash the power of associative learning and start your kids on the road to everyday math mastery.

1. Pizza Portion Wars!

This is a variant of the popular kid's game 'War' for two players. The aim of the game is to win all, or most of, the cards. Suits or toppings are ignored in this variation.

	Share cards equally between the two players place both stacks face down on the playing surface.
	Each player takes one card from the top of their stack and places it face up on the playing surface so both players can see both cards.
	The player with the highest* ranking card wins this play. The winner collects both cards and adds them to the bottom of their stack. The sequence repeats.
	If the cards are of equal rank, players may either pick up their own card, return it to the bottom of their stack, and play another card. Or leave the card on the table and play a second card on top. Winner collects all cards played.
	Play ends when one player has all the cards, or an agreed time limit has been reached. In this case, the player with the most cards is the winner.

*Here's the wrinkle, and where fraction learning starts. The highest ranking card in Pizza Pursuits™ is the largest portion size, and not the highest card number. The card number is the divisor, so the higher the card number, the smaller the slice of pizza.

For example, a number-5 card (one-fifth of a pizza) is four times larger than, and so ranks higher than, a number-20 card (one-twentieth of a pizza).

1b. Pizza Topping Wars!

Older kids can play a more interesting variant. Here the toppings are ranked in alphabetic order as follows:

	Cheese ranks #1 (top)
	Pepperoni ranks #2 (2nd highest)
	Sausage ranks #3 (3rd highest)
	Veggie ranks #4 (lowest rank)

So a number-4 Pepperoni beats a number-4 Sausage card, etc. Or set your own ranking order.

2. Snap!

The aim of this British game for two or more players is to win all the cards.

	Share cards equally amongst all players.
	First player places one card face up on the playing surface for all to see.
	The next player places a second card on top of the first, and so on in turn.
	When consecutive cards match, the first player to shout ‘Snap’ wins the entire card stack and adds all these cards to their hand. The next player in turn leads with a new card to restart play. The sequence repeats.

Players drop out as they run out of cards leaving eventually the winner holding the entire deck of cards. The game ends if no one calls 'snap'. Reshuffle the cards, deal and start again.

3. Slap Pizza!

You can play a Pizza Pursuits™ variant of the popular US Slapjack game. Just substitute another card for the jack in Slapjack. For example, use a number-six card and play 'SlapSix'.  

The object of this game is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards. The game uses card numbers only -- ignore the suits.

	Deal all cards in clockwise rotation. Sort cards in hand into card number groups (3’ s, 4’ s, 5’ s, etc). Players take turns to lay down number-cards in clockwise rotation starting on the dealer’ s left in ascending sequence.
	Starting with card number-3, the first player on the dealer’ s left calls out a specific number of 3’ s and lays the corresponding number cards face down to form a pile on the playing surface. For example, first player lays down four cards and calls out 'four 3’ s!' This may be true or false. There could be 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4 number-3 cards.
	Other players may 'accept' or challenge the play by calling 'cheat!'
	If no-one challenges the play, the next player in sequence lays one or more number-4 cards, say two, face down on top of the pile and calls out 'two 4’ s!'
	Play continues in card number order with 5’ s, 6’ s, 12’ s and 20’ s and then restarts with 3’ s, 4’ s, etc.
	When challenged, a player must turn over the cards just played for all to see. Any player caught cheating must add the entire pile of cards to their cards in hand. If they were truthful however, the accuser must add the card pile to their hand instead. Play resumes as before until the winner uses all their cards.

First player to get rid of their cards is the winner.

5. Old Maid!

The object is to avoid ending up with the 'Old Maid' or the last number-12 card. Note that the Queen’s rank in a regular card deck is twelve.

	Put aside the jokers and any one number-12 card leaving only 51 cards in play.
	Deal all cards in clockwise rotation as usual.
	Players sort their cards and place all pairs (two cards of the same rank, e.g. two number-5 cards) face-up on the playing surface for all to see.
	The dealer fans her remaining un-paired cards and holds them out face down to the player on her left.
	This player takes any card at random and adds it to their hand. If it makes a pair, the player discards the new pair.
	In turn this player fans his cards face down and then offers his hand to the player on his left, and so on.

You are safe once you’ve got rid of all your cards. Play continues until the last player -- the loser, ends up with the unpaired number-12 card, the 'Old Maid'.

The object of this game is to collect the highest number of matching card pairs.

	Lay out all cards face down on the playing surface.
	Players take turns to turnover over two cards at a time for all to see.
	Collect matching pairs, e.g. two one-sixth cheese cards.
	Replace unmatched cards face down in their original positions.
	Try to memorize the locations of each unmatched card.

The player with the highest number of pairs at the end is the winner.

Here are some more advanced matching and memory games that involve math!

7.0 Pizza Pig -- No stock!

This game is for three to 13 players. The object is to be the first player to collect one four-of-a-kind set -- one card from each pizza topping, such as four one-sixth pizza cards. You can play with or without a stock.

A four-of-a-kind set comprises one cheese, one pepperoni, one sausage and one veggie card of equal rank (size). Play with three to 13 four-of-a-kind sets, one for each player. Set aside the remaining cards.

For example, play with six four-of-a-kind sets for six players (24 cards): four number-3, four number-4, four number-5, four number-6, four number-12 and four number-20 cards.

	Shuffle and deal four cards face down to each player.
	Players should review their cards, and try to decide which four-of-a-kind set to collect. For example, if you are dealt two number-5 cards, you may start collecting a number-5 card set. If you have no matching cards just wait to see how the game develops and decide later.
	There are no turns. All players must discard one unwanted card face down to their left simultaneously, and then pick up the discard from the player to their right.
	Repeat this sequence and continue until someone collects four-of-a-kind.
	Cards must be passed at the same time. Never have more than four cards in your hand at one time. Don't pick up a new card from your right-hand neighbor until you've reduced your cards to three by discarding one card to your left-hand neighbor.

Winner: In Pig, the first player to collect four-of-a-kind touches his or her nose, and other players who see this, then do the same -- even though they don't yet have winning hands.

Loser: The loser is the last person to touch his or her nose. Set your own play rules. Losers may be leave the game at once or lose one of say three lives before elimination.

Whenever a player is eliminated, remove the winning four-of-a-kind set from the deck before starting the next round.

Play with 48 cards (to even out the odds): two number-3, two number-4, two number-5, two number-6, two number-12 and two number-20 for each suit or pizza topping. Deal four cards to each player. Use the remaining cards to form a stock.

Play as above, except that the player on the right of the dealer places unwanted cards face up for all to see on a discard pile next to the stock pile. The dealer (only) may draw the top card from the discard pile on display if desired, or draw from the stock. The winner deals the next hand.

Spoons is played exactly like Pig except that instead of touching your nose, you grab a spoon (or knife or fork) from the playing area!

Place one spoon in the center of the playing area for each player less one -- for example, use four spoons for five players. The winner grabs the first spoon, and so on. The loser is the one left without a spoon.

If you play without a stock, you must remove one spoon after each losing player is eliminated.

The object is to collect as many card pairs, e.g. two number-6 cards.

	Deal six cards to each player. Stack remaining cards face down to form a stock.
	Players sort their cards and stack their card pairs face-up on the playing surface for all to see before play starts.
	Player to dealer’ s left starts by asking another player by name for any rank of card such as a number-4 card, independent of suit. If the player has the requested card they must hand it over. First player may use this new card to lay down a new pair. The first player continues play by asking another player by name for a card.
	If the person asked doesn't have the requested card, they reply: "Go Fish!" When this happens, the first player must take the top card from the stock to complete their turn. Then the turn to play passes to the player saying: "Go Fish!"
	However, if the card drawn from the stock is the requested card, show it to the other players, lay down a new pair if desired, and continue your turn.
	The game ends when the stock runs out. The player with the most pairs wins.

There are many game variations. You can collect 3-of-a-kind or 4-of-a-kind, and not just pairs. You can ask for all cards of a specific rank, not just one card. You can continue play after the stock has run out until all cards have been paired (or grouped in 3’ s or 4’ s).

Here's a more advanced version. You must ask for a specific card number and suit, e.g. a number-3 cheese card, not just any number-3 card. Decide whether players may ask for a card they already hold. If so, players may deliberately mislead others into thinking that they don’t hold that card.

8.1 Pizza Manners!

You may play a version of 'Go Fish' in which a player asking for a card must say 'please', and a player receiving a card must say 'thank you'. Anyone who forgets to do this must give back the requested card (if it has been handed over) and the turn passes to the player they were asking.

Discard the jokers. Use the number-3 and number-4 cards as the 'Pay' cards, and the number-5, -6, 12 and number -20 cards as ordinary cards. Follow the rules for Beggar My Neighbour!

Or make your own variations. For example, use any two number-3, -4, -5 or number-6 cards as 'Pay' cards.

Discard the jokers. Remove one number-12 card from each suit. Divide the remaining 48 cards into two groups of 24 cards. Follow the rules for Camicia. Use the number-3 and number-4 cards as 'Attack' cards.

Discard the jokers and remove one number-6 card from each suit leaving 48 cards only. Follow the rules for Crazy Eights (a.k.a. Crates, Switch, Swedish Rummy, Last One or Rockaway) using the four remaining number-6 cards in the deck.

12. DIY Games!

You can make up your own variations of other popular card games. Check out Pagat.com's incredible online directory of popular card games. I think this is the most comprehensive and authoritative playing card game source available online.

Any of the above fun games for kids should familiarize your kids with the Pizza Pursuits™ math cards. They can graduate to fun math games for kids at their own pace and grow everyday math skills using associative learning. 

I wish you and yours countless hours of fun and learning. Enjoy!

PS: All you need do is introduce your kids to these cards to unleash their powers of discovery and association-based math learning. Order your set now and help secure their future today.