---

Number and Coordinate Battleship Game

📝 This post, Number and Coordinate Battleship Game, was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with new information and resources.

Years ago I came across a classroom version of Battleship on Pinterest and immediately knew I had to try it with my students. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to track down the original creator, so I created my own version to use in my classroom.

I introduced it to my first graders one morning, and they absolutely loved it. I have to admit, I had just as much fun watching them play! Since then, it’s become one of those games I can pull out for math centers, partner work, or those extra few minutes before lunch or dismissal.

Whether you choose the number version or the coordinate version, this game gives students meaningful practice while feeling more like play than work.

Why Play the Battleship Game?

Battleship is a simple game that encourages students to think strategically while reinforcing important math skills. As students call out numbers or coordinates, they practice careful listening, visual scanning, and paying attention to detail. It’s also a great way to build communication skills as partners take turns making guesses and recording their hits and misses.

The coordinate version provides an excellent introduction to coordinate grids and helps students become more comfortable locating positions using letters and numbers.

Materials

✔ Printable game boards
✔ Cardstock (optional)
✔ Laminator or plastic sleeves (optional)
✔ Vis-à-vis marker or dry-erase marker
✔ Bingo chips or pennies
✔ Folder or piece of cardboard to use as a privacy shield between players

Preparation

Choose the version you’d like students to play.

The Number Battleship version uses numbers to locate ships, while the Coordinate Battleship version uses coordinates.

Print the game boards on cardstock if desired and laminate them for repeated use. If you don’t have a laminator, simply place the pages inside plastic sleeves or print fresh copies as needed.

How to Play Number Battleship Game

Give each player a game board and a dry-erase or Vis-à-vis marker.

Each player secretly draws five battleships on the grid using the following lengths:

✔ 2 squares
✔ 3 squares
✔ 4 squares
✔ 5 squares
✔ 6 squares

Place a folder or other privacy shield between partners so players cannot see each other’s boards.

Player one calls out a number to guess the location of a ship. If a ship occupies that space, the partner announces a hit and places a bingo chip or penny on the square. If not, nothing is placed.

Players should keep track of their own guesses by marking missed guesses with a dot and successful hits with an X.

Play continues until one player has found and sunk all of the opposing battleships.

How to Play Coordinate Battleship

The Coordinate Battleship version is played exactly the same way, except students use coordinates instead of individual numbers when making their guesses.

This version gives students repeated practice identifying and locating coordinates while they play.

Why I Love This Game

One of the things I love most about this activity is how easily it adapts to different skill levels. You can use the number version with younger students or introduce the coordinate version as students become ready for more advanced practice.

It’s also a great activity for:

✔ Math centers
✔ Partner work
✔ Indoor recess
✔ Review days
✔ Early finishers
✔ Those extra few minutes before lunch or dismissal

Students are so focused on finding their partner’s ships that they hardly realize how much practice they’re getting along the way.

If your students enjoy the Coordinate Battleship game, they may also enjoy my Coordinate Memory Games, which use the same coordinate skills in a completely different way. Instead of searching for hidden ships, students use coordinates to find matching pairs while practicing skills like telling time.

💚 Grab the FREE Number and Coordinate Battleship Game here.