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Moves Count

Students will design and play an original board game that uses math skills.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Materials
  • Heavy Paper
  • Recycled Cardboard

Steps

  • Step 1

    Ask students to think of board games they enjoy. What is the object of the game? What skills are involved? How is math involved in the game play? Have students form small groups that will design and create a math board game.

  • Step 2

    Challenge each group to come up with a game that will use the math skills your class is learning (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, time, etc.). For example, the playing cards might have numbers on them that players use to add or multiply to show how their game pieces move forward. Teams will create game pieces which would be used by players to move around the board. They can make dice from Model Magic that might have the standard dots or they might display various math signs on the sides such as plus, minus, multiplication, or division signs or, depending the the game's objectives, dollar, cent, euro, or percent signs. The team might write challenge cards that contain math word problems. They might create bonus cards with equations the players will have to solve to continue with their turn.

  • Step 3

    After the teams develop their game concepts they should sketch designs for the game board. They can create the board from a piece of heavy cardboard or recycled foam core. They will transfer their sketch ideas onto the board, first with erasable colored pencils and then finalized with markers. Game pieces could be formed from Model Magic or small craft items. They can use heavy paper to cut and write their game cards. Encourage them to be creative when they use the resources!

  • Step 4

    Have the teams test their game by playing a round themselves. When they're satisfied that the instructions and game play work and that the goals are achievable, have them swap with other teams and play each other's games.

Standards

MATH: Analyze, compare, create, and compose math ideas using written, oral, and drawn lines, shapes, forms, and patterns.

MATH: Create models that demonstrate math concepts and attend to precision. 

Adaptations

Challenge students to create a new game based on history, geography, or any other area of study.

Have students create a math place-holder scavenger hunt. Give students several cards or pieces of papers with directives such as "find a 2 in the ones place," "find a 7 in the tens place," etc. Tell them to take the cards with them when they go to a supermarket with their family or another neighborhood location. Have them write the number they identified on the card and where it was found.