Create A Board Game
Here's What To Do
(Optional) If you have a simple board game like Candyland or Chutes and Ladders at home, play the game for 10 minutes.
Tell your child(ren) it's their turn- now they get to make their own board game. Together, brainstorm ideas for your new game. What will it be about? What are the rules?
Make your game on poster board and make playing pieces out of paper. To know how many spaces to move forward, you can use dice, or make a spinner out of a paper plate, fastener, and paper clip. For game pieces, use coins or small toys.
Play your game together!
Put PEER Into Action
Pause:
- Smile and do a big stretch together before settling into this activity.
Engage:
- Suggest ideas for the game by saying, “I know you like…maybe you can create a game based on it. I can draw the spaces, then you can add all the other art."
- Ask your child how the players will move around the board. Will anything happen that makes them lose a turn or move backwards? How will they know how many spaces to move forward or backward?
Encourage:
- The game may not be logical or make sense, so keep the focus on playing and having fun.
- When playing the game, encourage your child to count the number of spaces they need to move.
Reflect:
- "Was the game we invented any fun? How can we make it better?"
Not quite ready?
Focus on playing existing board games to help your child learn the rules of playing games.
Ready for more?
Ask your child to invent a physical game (like 'tag' or 'freeze dance') but with their own rules.
As your child masters this skill...
They will be able to collaborate with others and establish rules that help to sustain play.