Free Integers Activities for Teaching 6th and 7th Grade Math

Teaching integers can be tricky, especially when students are first learning how positive and negative numbers work together. They may understand negative numbers on a number line, but adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers can take a little more practice.

If your 6th grade or 7th grade students need extra practice, these free integer games and activities are easy to work into your math lessons. Most require little preparation, and you can adjust them depending on whether your students are just learning about integers or reviewing integer operations.

I've included activities for partners, small groups, and the whole class. You'll also find a free set of printable adding integers task cards that you can use for math centers, SCOOT, or independent review.

Free Integers Activities for Teaching 6th and 7th Grade Math

One thing I've found helpful when teaching integers is giving students plenty of opportunities to explain their thinking. It's easy to memorize rules about positive and negative numbers without really understanding why those rules work.

These integer activities give students a chance to practice their math skills while talking through their answers, comparing strategies, and catching common mistakes.

1. Integer Partner Challenge

This is a quick integer game that works well for math warm-ups, partner practice, or those last few minutes before class ends. All students need is a piece of paper or a small whiteboard.

How to play:

• Pair students and give each student a whiteboard or piece of paper.
• Write an integer problem on the board, such as -3 - (-6).
• Both students solve the problem independently.
• When both students are ready, have them show their answers.
• Students compare their work and explain how they solved the problem.
• Continue with several more problems, changing the operations as needed.

For a little friendly competition, you can award a point for each correct answer. I would still have students explain their work, though. Sometimes a student gets the right answer without understanding why, and that's something you want to catch early.

Teaching tip: Start with adding and subtracting integers before mixing in multiplication and division. You can also have students create problems for their partners to solve.

2. Human Integer Number Line

If your students are having trouble understanding how integers work on a number line, this activity lets them see and act out the math. It's especially helpful when you're introducing adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers.

You'll need a little open floor space and a number line marked with integers. You can use pieces of paper numbered from -10 to 10 or make a number line with painter's tape.

How to play:

• Place the integer number line on the classroom floor, with zero in the middle.
• Choose a student to stand on zero.
• Give the student an addition problem, such as -2 + 5.
• Have the student move two spaces left to -2.
• Next, the student moves five spaces right because they're adding a positive 5.
• Ask the class where the student landed and have them explain why the answer is 3.
• Repeat with different integer addition problems.

Once students understand the movement, try subtraction problems. For example, with 3 - 5, students start at 3 and move five spaces left to -2.

I would begin with simple problems that stay within your number line. You can introduce more challenging integer operations once students are comfortable with the basic idea.

Teaching tip: Have students predict where their classmate will land before the movement begins. This gives everyone a reason to think through the problem, not just the student standing on the number line.

3. Integer Target Practice

This integer activity is another easy way to practice adding and subtracting integers on a number line. It works well as a whole-class review or with students working in pairs.

How to play:

• Draw a large number line on the board, including positive and negative integers.
• Write an integer equation, such as -4 + 7.
• Ask students to solve the problem and decide where the answer belongs on the number line.
• Invite a student to come to the board and mark the answer.
• Have the student explain how they used the number line to find the solution.
• Continue with different problems, including subtraction of integers.

To make it more of a game, divide students into two teams. Give each team the same problem and let them work together before choosing someone to mark the answer.

You can also have students draw number lines on their own paper or whiteboards so everyone practices instead of waiting for a turn at the board.

Teaching tip: Watch for students who confuse the direction they should move when subtracting a negative number. Those are good problems to stop and discuss as a class.

4. Positive or Negative Integer Game

Before students solve an integer multiplication or division problem, they should be able to predict whether the answer will be positive or negative. This quick game gives them practice with the signs without requiring them to calculate every answer.

You don't need any materials for this activity, although students can use whiteboards if you prefer.

How to play:

• Write an integer multiplication or division expression on the board, such as -4 × -2.
• Ask students to decide whether the answer will be positive or negative.
• Have them show a thumbs up for positive and a thumbs down for negative.
• Ask a few students to explain their choices.
• Reveal the answer and review the rule if needed.
• Continue with a mixture of positive and negative integer expressions.

For example, students should recognize that -4 × -2 has a positive answer because multiplying two negative numbers gives a positive product.

You can also use expressions such as -12 ÷ 3 or 5 × -6 to practice finding the sign of a quotient or product.

Teaching tip: Include a few problems with zero. It's a good opportunity to remind students that zero is neither positive nor negative and that division by zero is undefined.

5. Integer This or That

This is a fun way to review integer operations while getting students out of their seats. It's also a quick way to find out which integer rules your students may still be confusing.

How to play:

• Designate one side of the classroom as Answer A and the other side as Answer B.
• Write an integer problem on the board with two possible answers.
• For example, display -5 + 8 with Answer A: 3 and Answer B: -13.
• Have students move to the side of the room that represents their answer.
• Ask students from each group to explain how they solved the problem.
• Discuss the correct answer before moving to the next question.

I like using incorrect answers that reflect mistakes students commonly make. For example, some students add the absolute values when they should be finding the difference.

You can also play this game without having students move. Just have them hold up one finger for Answer A and two fingers for Answer B.

6. Integer Number Talks

Number talks are a simple way to get students thinking about integers without giving them another worksheet. You can use these during morning work, as a math warm-up, or at the beginning of a lesson.

How to use them:

• Write an integer problem or question on the board.
• Give students a minute to think about the answer without using a calculator.
• Ask students to share their reasoning.
• Encourage the class to discuss different ways to solve the same problem.
• Review any misunderstandings before moving on.

Here are a few integer number talk questions you can try:

• Why is -7 + 3 still a negative number?
• Which is greater, -3 or -8? How do you know?
• Why does -4 × -5 have a positive answer?
• How could you solve 6 - (-2) without a calculator?
• What happens when you add a number and its opposite?

One thing I like about number talks is that students get to hear how their classmates think. Sometimes another student's explanation makes more sense to them than hearing the same explanation from the teacher again.

FREE Adding Integers Task Cards for Middle School Math

If you're looking for a printable activity to go along with these integer games, I have a free set of adding integers task cards in my Promoting Success TPT store.

These FREE Adding Integers Task Cards give students extra practice with integer addition. You can use them during math centers, for partner work, as a SCOOT game, or for a quick review.

Task cards are especially helpful when you have students working at different levels. Some students can work independently while you provide additional support to a small group.

Download my FREE Adding Integers Task Cards here!

More Integer Practice for 6th and 7th Grade

If your students need additional practice with integer operations, you may also want to take a look at my Integers Task Cards Bundle.

This bundle includes 390 task cards and an interactive notebook activity covering integer number sense, identifying integer phrases, adding integers, subtracting integers, multiplying integers, and dividing integers.

You can use the task cards for math centers, partner games, morning work, small group instruction, or independent practice. They're also helpful when students need to review a particular integer skill before moving on.

See the complete Integers Task Cards Bundle here.

Two More Free Integer Games for the Classroom

If you have a few extra minutes during math class, here are two more integer games you can try. Both are easy to adjust for your students, and you won't need to prepare worksheets or task cards.

7. Integer Truth or Bluff

This is a quick whole-class integer game that requires no materials. It's especially useful when students need practice checking whether an integer equation is correct.

How to play:

• Write an integer equation on the board, including an answer. Some equations should be correct and others incorrect.
• For example, display -6 + 4 = -10.
• Students give a thumbs up if they think the equation is true or a thumbs down if they think it's false.
• Ask students to explain their thinking before revealing the answer.
• If the equation is false, have students correct it.
• Continue with several more integer equations.

For the example above, students should recognize that -6 + 4 = -2, not -10.

I would include some problems with mistakes you commonly see in student work. This helps you identify which rules need more review.

8. Integer War with Playing Cards

If you have a deck of playing cards, you already have what you need for this integer comparison game. It's a simple partner activity for practicing positive and negative numbers.

Remove the face cards and jokers, and use the remaining cards. Aces represent 1. Black cards represent positive integers, and red cards represent negative integers.

How to play:

• Shuffle the cards and divide them equally between two players.
• Each player flips over one card at the same time.
• Students compare the integers shown on their cards.
• The player with the greater integer wins the round and keeps both cards.
• If the integers are equal, both players flip another card to break the tie.
• Continue until all the cards have been played. The student with the most cards wins.

For example, if one student flips a red 7 (-7) and the other flips a black 3 (+3), the student with +3 wins because 3 is greater than -7.

For students who are ready for more of a challenge, have each player flip two cards and add the integers together. The player with the greater sum wins the round.

Teaching tip: Remind students that a negative number closer to zero is greater than a negative number farther from zero. Comparing -3 and -8 is a good example to discuss before starting the game.

Making Integer Practice Part of Your Math Routine

You don't need to spend an entire class period playing integer games. Sometimes five or ten minutes of focused practice is enough to help students review a skill or clear up a misunderstanding.

You might use Integer Partner Challenge as a warm-up on Monday, a number line activity during small groups on Tuesday, and Integer Truth or Bluff for a quick review later in the week.

The important thing is giving students opportunities to work with positive and negative numbers in different ways. Some students need to see integers on a number line, while others benefit from partner games or explaining their answers aloud.

Start with whichever activity fits your students' needs, and keep the others handy for another day!

I'd love to hear how it goes in your classroom! Feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or resource requests.

Thanks for all you do for kids!

❤️ Shelly

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