In my Summer Institute I shared some of my favorite math games. I love simple game boards for a wonderful way to practice counting and 1-to-1 correspondence as they move their game piece. It builds the life skills of patience and waiting.
I found that children love to create their own game boards. It is so much fun! And super easy, super cheap. You can use a variety of materials.
Basically, the children design and lay out the pathway for the game. When I introduce this – I model making a game. After a week or two – I let the children take over the creation of the game board.
My rule is once the game path is laid down – it can not be altered while the game is played. Each player gets a turn to create a pathway. (Two players = two games)
A package of wood discs from the wood craft section of Hobby Lobby or Michael's and you have a game board! Add a dice and two game pieces – you are ready to roll!
Use river rocks to create a pathway for a game.
The large glass discs work well as a pathway on a DIY “movable-changeable” game board.
Another fun game is this: roll the dice – move that many spaces PLUS get that many jewels. Counting and more counting! Woohoo!
Use your imagination! What might make a nice pathway?
Thanks for the great idea! I teach Autistic Support k-2 and this would be a great idea to have the students create their own board game. Eight new board games to enjoy! Thanks so much!
Love, love, love this idea! I also found these really cute mini doilies (about the size of a loonie) at Michael’s (but any flat item will do – felt, button, etc.). The kids could lay them on top of certain board pieces (adds another dimension to the planning stage), and then they can collect jewels (number of jewels based on their roll) if they land on one – great for working out what number they need, to land on certain discs. Now, I have today’s project – thank you!
Awesome, simple game board ideas I can play with my grandkids. Thank you.
I love this idea and it’s so much more open ended, can be done anywhere and kids find the treasure box jewels so rewarding, I would guess. I’ll try this in the fall. I like having a base for games/mini-dramatic play and have used 16×16 in pieces of 14″ wool felt pieces that come in a myriad jewel/earth tones or wood boards that have been sanded down and oiled. It helps define the space and keep the pieces contained. Plus it’s natural materials!
For pathways, I have been collecting flat rocks about an inch or more in diameter and also different kinds of shells.. the shells would be fun combined with little fish markers. Can’t wait to try this!
This is brilliant! Thank you.
I would like to share my blog. It’s my journey as a preschool teacher while working on my M.Ed. (I graduated this past May…woo hoo!). I try to make my own materials, but those that I have downloaded have been cited so you can find them too.
Hope you enjoy it,
Patty Thompson
whelp….it would help if I included the address: http://pumpkinpatch07.blogspot.com
🙂
I’ve got a boy who LOVES board games. I’m always making them for him … why I never thought to let him make one is beyond me?!? This is SUCH a genius idea! I’d love it if you’d share this at the After School Linky Party up on my blog right now (and every Monday): deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com. I hope to see you there!
Wouldn’t it be fun to do a GIANT board game…maybe make dice from 6 or 8 inch square boxes?
So many possibilities! Thanks for keeping the creativity flowing, Sally!
I have done a giant board game!! Oh! I must make a post about it! It is super simple! 🙂
Thanks for this post. My 7 1/2 year old twins love this game. I got all the pieces together last night and they started playing right when they got up this morning. i have left it out again for tomorrow morning!
Thanks!
what a great game! I love the little jewels and I can’t wait to try this with my class. I can picture us changing the game pieces to go with the theme or season. What a fun idea!