Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Mean Median Mode Poker: Free Printable Game for Year 9
- ForYear 9
- StageKey Stage 3
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Mean Median Mode Poker is a free printable maths game for Year 9 (ages 13 to 14), in Key Stage 3. Players build hands of cards and score their best average. It is for two to four players and needs only scissors and paper. Page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to the players and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children cut out the number cards and use them to build hands of five cards. For each hand they work out the mean, the median and the mode, then compare the results and decide which average gives the best score. The game rewards careful working. A quick guess at the median or a slip in the adding can cost points.
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
A worked example with a different hand
A hand is 19, 11, 22, 14, 14. Find the mean, median and mode.
These numbers are different from the cards on the sheet. They show one clear way to work each average.
Mean: share the total evenly- Add all five values: 19 + 11 + 22 + 14 + 14 = 80.
- Divide the total by how many values there are: 80 ÷ 5 = 16.
- Put the values in order: 11, 14, 14, 19, 22.
- With five values, the middle one is the third value.
- The third value is 14.
- Scan the ordered list for a value that appears more than once.
- 14 appears twice and every other value appears once. So 14 is the mode.
Why teach three different averages?
An average is a single value that stands for a whole set of numbers. The mean, median and mode are all averages, but they answer different questions. The mean shares the total out evenly. The median is the middle value once the numbers are in order. The mode is the value that turns up most often. Choosing the right one is part of the skill.
A card game suits this topic because the data is small and changes every round. Players can see how swapping one card changes the mean, the median or the mode. That builds a feel for what each average tells you. It also makes checking easy, because everyone at the table can work out the same hand and compare.
Skills and curriculum link
- Finding the mean
- Finding the median
- Finding the mode
- Ordering data
- Choosing an average
- Checking calculations
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Statistics | Year 9 |
What children will be able to do
- I can find the mean of a small set of numbers.
- I can find the median by putting numbers in order.
- I can find the mode and say when it is useful.
Ideas that help with averages
- Order firstPutting numbers in order makes the median easy to spot. It also makes it easier to see whether any value repeats, which helps with the mode.
- Mean as a fair shareIf every value were shared out evenly, each would equal the mean. This is a good way to picture what dividing the total is doing.
- Mean sits inside the rangeThe mean is never smaller than the smallest value or bigger than the largest. If your answer falls outside that, check your adding.
- One set, three averagesThe same hand can give three different averages. They are not rivals. Each one describes the data in its own way.
Key words
- AverageA single value that stands for a whole set of numbers. Mean, median and mode are three kinds of average.
- MeanAdd all the values, then divide by how many values there are.
- MedianThe middle value when the numbers are put in order. If two values share the middle, it is halfway between them.
- ModeThe value that appears most often. A set can have more than one mode, or none.
- Data setA collection of numbers that you want to describe or compare.
- HandThe cards a player holds and uses to work out their averages.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the players. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the rules out loud together so everyone plays the same game. Cut out the cards.
- Play the first round together. Talk about each choice and say how you worked out each average.
- Check against the answers on page 2. Take turns being the person who reads or checks.
- Come back another day. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence, and short rounds work better than one long one.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Put your five cards in order before you do anything else. Then the median is the middle card, and repeated values sit next to each other, so the mode is easy to spot. Work out the mean last, writing the total before you divide.
To stretch confident children
Change the rule so the highest median wins. Before you play, predict whether it is easier to build a hand with a high median or a high mean. Play a few rounds, then explain what you found.
Make it a game
Change the rule again: a hand with a mode scores a bonus point. Keep a score table on paper. After three rounds, talk about whether the bonus changes which cards you choose to keep.
Talk about it
- Which average do you think is best for scoring a hand, and why?
- How did you decide which cards to keep?
- Can you build a hand where the mean and the median are the same?
- What happens to the mean if you swap one card for a higher one?
- Why do we put the numbers in order before finding the median?
- When might the mode be more useful than the mean?
Take it off the page
Family survey
Ask everyone at home a simple number question, such as how many apps they use daily. Write the answers down and find the mean, median and mode.
Dice data
Roll a dice twenty times and record each result. Find the three averages. Then guess what you would expect from another set of rolls and test it.
Shopping receipts
Look at the prices on a receipt. Put them in order and find the median price. Then work out the mean and compare the two.
Who it is for
Parents
Read the rules through, then play the first round with your child and let them lead. Ask them to explain each average in their own words. Short rounds work well, and the answers on page 2 let you check as you go.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas and the answers, so you can match the game to mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan and use it alongside everyday data, such as sports scores or weather records. It is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit a few weeks later for revision.
Where this fits in maths
Before this, children have met averages in earlier years of Key Stage 3. They have worked with the mean as a fair share, put data in order and read simple charts. Fluent division and confident ordering of numbers help a lot here.
After this, statistics at Key Stage 4 builds on the same ideas. Students use averages with frequency tables and grouped data and compare sets of data. A secure understanding of what each average shows makes that work easier.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How do you find the median of a set with an even number of values?
- Which average would you choose for this hand, and why?
- How can the mean be very different from the median?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Mean Median Mode Poker for?
It is written for Year 9 (ages 13 to 14), in Key Stage 3. It also works as revision for older children who want to practise finding averages, or as a stretch for confident younger learners.
- What will children practise?
They practise finding the mean, median and mode of small sets of numbers. They also decide which average gives the best score for a hand, so they think about what each average tells them.
- How many people can play?
Two to four players can play. You need scissors to cut out the cards, and paper to write your working and keep score. Read the rules aloud together before you start so everyone plays the same game.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start by putting your five cards in order. That makes the median much easier to find and helps you see repeated values for the mode. Play the first round together, and write out the working for the mean.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No, you do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and you can print it again whenever you like.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas and the answers.
- Can I use it for home education?
Yes. Home educators and tutors can use it on its own or as part of a wider plan. It is screen free, needs only paper and a pencil, and can be printed again for brothers, sisters or revision.
More like this
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.