Head over to Byrdseed.TV and start your trial!

You're trying out Byrdseed.TV!? Be sure to start with The Greatest Hits.

Byrdseed Logo
Start Here Byrdseed.TV Byrdseed.TV for PD Example Lessons Depth and Complexity Depth and Complexity PD

Math Game: Cram

Cram is another simple strategy game that requires only pencil and paper. Unlike Heaps or The Game of 100, Cram also needs a grid, so grab that graph paper. 4×4 or 6×6 grids are great starting points, but students can eventually try larger or even irregular boards.

  • Two players compete, placing 2×1 rectangles onto the board.
  • The last player to successfully place a piece wins.

Here is a sample Cram game played on a 4×4 grid. Red loses since they cannot make a move.

Cramimation

As always, the purpose of these games is to get my students thinking!. I want them to unpack the strategy, not just play the games. Ask students to analyze a finished game and look for any big mistakes. Can they develop a strategy to guarantee wins?

For example, I think Red’s critical error happened on this move. What’s the problem? Where should Red have moved instead?

A mistake in this step.

Enjoy and do check out the entire category of paper and pencil strategy games at Byrdseed.TV!

See the video version on Byrdseed.TV →
With a Byrdseed.TV PD account, you can use these videos in your professional development!

📂 Filed under Games.

Want to share something?
Everything written on Byrdseed.com is licensed as CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. What does that mean?

Privacy Policy • Disclosure

Copyright © 2009 - 2025 Byrdseed, LLC