Junk Mail to Gameboard

Place Value - Disney

Ones - Tens - Hundreds Places

Sorry that this is blurry. I didn't realize it until I uploaded it and, of course, it was now too late since it had all been torn apart.

Here is the junk mail we received to join a Disney video club. We get packets like this regularly. So I decided it was time to actually use this for more than letting the three year old have fun with the stickers.

Using a couple punches I have, I got these pictures off the informational pages. I will use them to be the theme of the game.

Sorry this is also a little blurry. I will have to be more careful.

There was a page of stickers. These were the movies that could be chosen. I will use them for the spaces along the path. At first, I thought I would cut off the numbers, but changed my mind. We will use the numbers for another type of game. (see below.)

Here are the stickers and the punched pictures forming the path. 

Thinking that the gameboard path looked a little difficult to follow, I added some simple lines to make the path clearer to follow.

GENERIC GAMEBOARD - Using this as a generic gameboard was my first intention and it will work well for almost any skill. I think younger children will enjoy seeing some of their favorite Disney characters and movies along the path.

PLACE VALUE DISNEY - Following the format of Duck Pond we will drill the ones, tens, and hundreds places using the numbers on the movie stickers. All I needed to add were a number to the START space (I chose the 3-digit number 123) and a spinner. The spinner will have just 3 spaces on it instead of four like shown on the Duck Pond game.

This means we all have to look at "junk mail" a little differently from now on. There are game possibilities everywhere we look. 

Generic Board Games - Part 2

Here are some more generic gameboards. See original post on Generic Board Games for explanation on what these are and more on how to use them.

Ocean Treasure

Ocean Treasure

 This easy-to-make gameboard used pictures cut from a children's book. Yes, I do cut books. Check out my blog on that topic. 

Who Wants to be a Millionaire

Who Wants to be a Millionaire

Any skill cards can be used here. Age levels can easily be mixed as each child gets questions from his own selected skill cards. Children may even be reviewing/drilling very different subjects. Check out here how to make and play this fun game.

Oregon Trail

Oregon Trail

This quick and easy-to-make gameboard was created to review a book on ....you guessed it - The Oregon Trail. 

The cute wagon is from bulletin board border strip. The path path is Avery 3/4" brown circle stickers. The special spaces along the path a filefolder label stickers.

I don't know if you are able to read the special spaces, so here are what we chose to put on them. In order that they appear along the path:

Big River - need even number to cross.
Sight Buffalo - lose one turn to hunt.
Indian Attack - lose one turn.
and finally: Oregon Territory.

Animal Mania

Animal Mania

The pictures were again cut from a book. This book was a favorite for cutting animals. It was an old Golden workbook, the kind we would find near grocery check-outs. I still on rare occasions find this at garage sales--often in FREE boxes as all the pages have been done. But the pictures are so nice for games and other projects the children enjoy. 

Notice that the stickers that were once white have changed over all these years, but the game is still a good one. Children always love animal related games, even if we are drilling "boring" multiplication tables. 

Cutting Books to Make Games

Yes, you heard me right!

I do cut pictures from books. 

Many of the books are children's workbooks. They often have the best pictures. Especially if you are looking for pictures for a phonics game, grab a phonics workbook. I save pages from the children's workbooks when they have good pictures on them. I have taught the children to be careful of writing on the pictures. Even when I taught in the classroom, the students were careful to not mess up the pictures. They knew that I would use some of the pages to make games for them to play.

I love when I find some of my favorite workbooks at garage sales and often in the FREE box. People feel because the pages have been done, the books are worthless. Even if I only can use a few of the pictures, I am sure to grab it.

I will also buy books, knowing I am going to put them straight into my cutting box. These, of course, I hope to get for 25 cents. 

Generic Board Games 101

What is a Generic Game Board?

The simple answer is it is a game playing board that has no educational skill directly a part of the board.

As example, if you are working to teach your child colors and needed a simple game, you would probably choose Candyland. The colors are on the skill cards and also a part of the playing board.

However, if your child no longer needs this basic skill, Candyland can become a generic gameboard. New skill cards would need to be provided. Maybe the child would draw a card with a letter on it and be required to give the sound it makes, a word that begins with that letter, or the name of the letter. After giving a correct response, the child would draw one of the Candyland cards and that would indicate how far he could move. The skill is no longer a part of the board.

This leaves the possibility that the format (method of play) is still Candyland by its rules, but so many skills could be used to play the game.

Simply grab ANY game skill cards you may have or even flashcards and use the Candyland board and rules and have some fun drilling the skill.

Examples of Generic Gameboards

Save the Princess

Save the Princess

Using a blue filefolder I attached the two pictures. These are notepads I had on hand and seemed a natural for my daughter who was princess crazy at the time. The spaces are 3/4" circle stickers that can be purchased at most big box stores or office supply shops. After attaching the pictures, adding the name to the knight's shield, and creating the path, I covered both halves of the filefolder with clear Contact paper. Next I attached some fun gems I had in my crafting supplies. I notice that a few of the gems have disappeared over the years, but the board is still usable for my granddaughters. 

To Play: Players select a game piece and place it on the knight. In turn, players give a response to a skill card. When they have given a correct answer (even if help is needed), they shake a die and move the indicated number of spaces.

Generic Worm Board

Generic Worm Board

Using a red filefolder, I drew the path using a circle template. I added the simplistic art work and wording. No need to cover this gameboard as there is nothing special to protect. If the gameboard wears out it is easy enough to remake.

To Play: This is a great board for younger players as the spaces are large. It is also a fun time to use some of our larger game pieces. After placing their chosen pieces on start, players would take turns responding to whatever skill cards we had selected for play. Dice or spinners could be used to decide how far a player may move.

Coral Reef

Coral Reef

I chose a blue filefolder to represent water. The stickers along the path are reinforcement stickers for the holes in notebook paper. I like them because they look like bubbles and are something a little different.  Easy to add a fun theme to this game using the fish stickers.

To Play: If you notice that there are some fish along the path this game could be played like Candyland - sort of. Cards with matching stickers would be place among the skill cards. If one of these cards is drawn, then the player would not give an answer, nor would he shake a die to see how far he would move. He would simply move to the corresponding space. This could be a forward or backward move. I usually find that having two of each matching stickers within the cards makes for a fun game. 

The play could simply ignore these sticker spaces and just consider them as added decoration to the game.

Speedway

Speedway

This gameboard was made extra large using two filefolders taped together on the reverse side. The spaces are pieces of colored paper cut and glued to the board in an oval path. I then covered the board using 4 pieces of Contact paper.

To Play: Players begin on START and, in turn, answer a skill card and move after shaking a die. The player then follows the directions on the landed on space. Because of the interesting directions play can go forward and backward, even returning to START. However, because there are 4 WIN spaces on the path the game can be over very quickly or last for quite awhile. Cars make for fun game pieces.

Feel free to join Games For Learning on FaceBook if you have questions about these games. 

I will be sharing some more generic gameboard examples.

Money Train Board Game

For those youngsters learning to count money.

This is a gameboard that I drew. It can be made as simple or fancy as you wish. Here is what I did:

A simple board would to be to find a picture of a train (optional) and just make a path for the train to follow. You can make any theme for your game and give it a different name and have it fit your child's interests or a unit you are currently doing. On each segment write amounts. Higher amounts can be used for children with greater ability.

TO PLAY:

Players, in turn, shake a die (or spin a spinner) to find out how many spaces they will move. They collect that amount (or lose if the space indicates that). 

We use real coins from a mixture for this game.

I like using real coins as I have never found play coins I like well enough. These dollars are great as they look like real money that has been Xeroxed and shrunk.

As they play, I also encourage the children to exchange their small coins for larger coins and eventually into dollars. This helps them practice the equivalents. 

We play to see who has the most money when all players reach the end. We also celebrate each player reaching the end. I don't like putting too much emphasis on having a winner, as there then must be losers....and no one wants to be one of them.

Walk, Swim, Fly, or Hop

A game for the little ones to take a look at the way animals move.

The Game Board:

I usually use colored file folders to make games more attractive, but we need to remember that manila is a color too. In this case it seemed to be exactly the right color to set off the green stickers and the animal pictures.

THE PATH: Using 3/4" green stickers I created a path. I used pictures cut from some animal books to decorate the board. CUT A BOOK? Yes, I do cut books. I will tell all about cutting books in a future post. 

On the spaces are the letters W, S, F, or H. They, of course, stand for Walk, Swim, Fly, or Hop. 

Here is a close-up of the path:

The Cards:

More pictures CUT FROM BOOKS. 

After the pictures are cut and pasted on the cards, I cover the cards with clear Contact paper. Laminating would be good if you have one available.

To Play:

The animal cards are shuffled and placed in a draw pile.

Each player places a game piece at the beginning of the path. 

In turn, players draw a card, name the animal and then decide how that animal normally moves. He then places his game piece on the next space with the letter that begins the word that describes how his animal moves.

This is a good game to introduce children to new animals. Letting them see the pictures and figure out how the animal moves. 

Whales, Whales, Whales

Fun learning board game.

The Game Board

Two blue file folders were taped together on the reverse side. 

I am going to be remaking this board as the duct tape I used has caused a reaction over the years and spoiled the board, though the children do not seem to mind it at all. I have used clear packing tape and it has never caused this reaction, but I was out the day I made this. Lesson learned!

The whales were copied from an old book I owned. I enlarged them a bit. The cute bubble-look stickers are those reinforcements to be used when the holes in notebook paper tears.  NOTICE that the path is a circular one, which means it has no beginning and no end.

Fun Fact Cards

 The fun fact cards are interesting information about the 10 whales on the board. There are 5 cards for each whale.

These cards are also part of the fun facts deck. Even though the cards appear to be a different color, they are not. These are the cards that make the playing so much fun. Our rules are:  

Draw - the player blindly selects a card from other player's fanned out cards.

Give - the player chooses which card(s) to be given.

Exchange - each player chooses which card will be given.

Pass - each player chooses the card to be given. 

Whale Cards 

There are 5 of each of the 10 whales. There are also 12 WILD WHALE CARDS.

To Play:

Both decks are shuffled and placed in separate draw piles. 

Players each select a game piece and place it on any of the whales on the board.

In turn, a player draws the top Fun Face card and reads it aloud. He then follows the directions about moving on the card. Play is in a clock-wise direction.

Every time a player lands on or crosses a whale on the game board, he draws a whale card from the draw pile. If the player crosses on a backward move he draws a whale card. On his next turn if he again crosses the whale he collects another card.

THE OBJECT OF THE GAME:

Be the first player to have one of each of the 10 whales in their hand. (For a shorter game the number of different whales can be lowered.) As soon as a player has the required whales (he may have extras too) he lays the whale cards down. 

THE STRATEGY:

The older children love this because of the extra strategy. If you remember which cards players have drawn from you or you gave them before, it is a wise play to give the the same one again. 

WILD WHALE CARDS:

These whale cards can be used as any whale needed. The children like to play that you can use as many WILD cards in your set of 10 as you need. 

THINK OF THE POSSIBILITIES of this game format. 

The Alligator Game - Greater or Less Than

To compare decimals, fractions & percent

However...it would be great for any skill that requires comparing of numbers...

I used a blue file folder, added a picture of an alligator, and white circle stickers as a path. On the path spaces I wrote the signs for greater than, less than, and equals.

WHY AN ALLIGATOR? Our math book should a cute little bird with its open mouth. The greater than or less than sign was the birds mouth.

The open end of the greater than or less than sign is always towards the larger number. However, the year I made this I had a large percent of boys in my class and when I mentioned an alligator's open mouth, I got their attention...LOL...so the alligator on our gameboard!

To play, a player will draw a card, decide the relationship of the first number to the second and move to the next space with the appropriate symbol.

The cards have things like: .4 ___ .04, .71 _____.8, etc...for
decimal practice.

Another set of cards I made had: 3/4 ____ 3/12, 4/6
___2/3, etc. for fractions.

This board could be used for so many other math skills as well. For example:

1 week ______ 8 days

17 ounces _____ 1 pound

3.75 ____ 3 3/4

1.5 ____ 150%

IV ______ X

5 + 4 ______ 3 + 6

59 - 17 _____ 47 - 5

Or even for other classes:

Population of Texas _____Population of Wisconsin

Length of robin ______ length of gold finch

Revolutionary War ______ Civil War (The children had the open end to the later date.) This is a great way to help them get events in order without having to necessarily remember exact dates. So they would read their card as "Revolutionary War was earlier or before (rather than later than or after) the Civil War.


ANSWER KEY: To make it so children could play without a parent/teacher, provide an answer key. However, I preferred to just write the correct answer on the reverse of the question card. The question cards were in the pile, face up. After a child gave the response, the card could be turned over to verify the answer. This saves from lost answer keys, and is a much easier way of checking. 

There is a cute little song on YouTube that can be used when introducing Greater Than/Less Than. Check out the Number Eating Alligator Song.

Just Time - a Board Game

A fun board game in a Candyland format.

This board game is so simple to make. Take a pretty colored file folder. Draw some simple shaped spaces to create the path. I used a permanent black marker. I added the little lines between the shapes just to make the path clearer. Add a couple of stickers to a couple of the spaces and write times in the rest of the spaces.  

The gameboard

 The cards can be made from card stock, posterboard, half index cards, or simply use the backs of business cards like I did here. My son happened to have a bunch of these left over and I put them to good use.



The cards

 I used a clock stamp and pen to create the clock cards. Pictures of clocks could be cut from a math workbook, or could even be drawn. Then I made a couple fun cards to match the stickers on the path.

TO PLAY: Play is similar to Candyland. In turn, a player draws a card and moves along the path to the first space that matches the time on the clock he drew. If he draws a fun card, he moves to the matching space on the board. This may be a forward or backward move.



Storing the cards

STORAGE:  I store the cards in a ziplock bag. I punch a hole in the upper left corner of the bag and in the file folder near the fold. I use a paper fastener to hold the bag. I keep the prongs to the inside of the folder so they do not catch on other file folder games. I store all my file folder games in milk crates. I use different crates for different subject so the game I want is easy to find.

#3 - More Questions Answered about Game Making

Here are the remaining questions I was asked:

Other random questions
- What supplies should I always have on hand so I can make a board game or card game at a moment's notice?
- Where is the best place to buy contact paper? Also, you mention patterned contact paper for things like your math cards. Where do you buy that? Is it really expensive?

Taking them one at a time...

- What supplies should I always have on hand so I can make a board game or card game at a moment's notice?

My supplies began as a basket I kept handy. It contained things like:
file folders
Contact paper
cardstock in several colors
3/4" circle stickers
decorative stickers I started collecting
and the usual crafting supplies - scissors, pencils, permanent markers, watercolor markers, colored pencils, rulers, etc.

Some tips about these things. 

File folders - come in a wide variety of colors which make gameboards more fun. Remember that that manilla is a color too! They can be purchased at WalMart (and when I say WalMart I mean any of those type stores). Office supply stores have them as well. You can buy larger boxes of single color file folders at the office supply stores. They cost less this way and there is a large selection of colors. Consider getting with some friends and each purchasing one color and then sharing them. Some friends and I did this with a lot of our supplies.

Clear Contact paper can be purchased in many places. I found my best prices at WalMart. I always had a good supply on hand as I never knew when I would get into a big game-making binge!

Colored cardstock is now readily available in mixed colored packages at WalMart. When I began making games I went to print shops in order to get some good varieties without having to buy a large amount of any one color. Later I started buying reams of different colors at office supply stores - again sharing with friends.

3/4" circle stickers are so nice for making the spaces along a path. They are neat and quick to use. They also come in lots of colors. They can be purchased in multi-color packets at WalMart. To get larger packets and more color selection, check out office supply stores.

Decorative stickers are fun to collect. The children loved checking out stickers every time we would see a display. They add quick, easy, colorful, and fun decoration to a game board. Children love to play a game where they selected the stickers. Stickers may be themed around an interest or unit (such as horses, butterflies, vehicles, or animals). Children like games that are decorated with their favorite characters (Sesame Street, Thomas the Train, Spiderman, or Cinderella). Other stickers may just be pretty or fun (balloons, kites, flowers, or gems). Stickers are inexpensive and your extras can be traded with friends (or given to the children for their sticker collections).

The pictures on this gameboard were cut from a children's workbook and the castle from a picture book.

The crafting supplies (scissors, markers, etc.) are things we all usually have around the house. But here I want to make my MOST IMPORTANT TIP....

Make up YOUR OWN SUPPLY BASKET. I had MY scissors, MY markers, MY colored pencils, ...you get the idea. The children knew that they were never to touch MY basket on punishment of ______. I wouldn't even tell them what I might do if they touched my basket. But it inspired them to leave my things alone.  The reason is simple. If you don't have all the supplies you need in one place, you can spend all your time looking for them. I wanted to be able to work on games at a minute's notice. Sometimes I only had a few minutes, but I could make progress if I didn't have to waste time looking for a scissors that worked well.

- Where is the best place to buy contact paper? Also, you mention patterned contact paper for things like your math cards. Where do you buy that? Is it really expensive?

I have already mentioned that I found the best prices usually at WalMart for Contact paper.

The patterned Contact paper was located right by the clear in the same section as the shelf paper in the household department at most stores. I liked to pick a small pattern as it made pretty backs for card decks. It cost the same about as the clear. It would be expensive to purchase a patterned paper for just the backs of one deck. But you have to remember I was making LOTS of games. I bought several different patterns and, again, I would share with friends.

Notice the patterned Contact paper on the back of these cards.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT TIP -- remember to watch for all these things at garage sales and thrift stores. I have found partial rolls of Contact paper for just a few cents. Stickers (both the circle stickers and decorative ones) are often found (sometimes even unopened packages). I also have found file folders.

Don't forget the sharing with friends. This was also a great time for us moms to get together and talk about other things we were doing in our homeschools. We would share supplies, trade game ideas, and cutting boxes....

Oh, speaking of cutting boxes....This is ANOTHER BIG TIP... Keep a cutting box. Old workbooks (especially for phonics) with nice pictures are so helpful when making games. Children's picture books provide awesome pictures for decoration. Yes, I do cut up books. These are often torn, worn out, or duplicate books. I have find wonderful books in FREE boxes at garage sales. Some of the pages may be torn or missing, or all the pages have been done in the workbook, but the pictures are what I want. I have even purchased books at sales or thrift stores just to put into my cutting box because of the good pictures in them.

This game shows pictures from a book I paid full price for....

The pictures in this sticker/workbook were so darling I bought more than one copy of this book. I have made many games using the pictures from these books. I remember being so excited to find a copy in a garage sale FREE box. People often didn't understand my excitement over tattered books I would find...but my friends did when I would share at a game making day.

If you have any further questions, post a comment or email me at cole102486@yahoo.com.

Have fun game making.

Board Games - Some Questions Answered

I received an email with LOTS of good questions about games. I will try to answer all the questions in a series of blogs.

Here are the first set of questions I was asked:

Board games:
- How to protect the stickers/etc. you put on the file folders. Do you laminate the whole thing? Cover the whole face with contact paper?
- How do you organize all your game boards so you don't spend hours looking for them?
- Where do you buy spinners? And do you buy one for each game? Or can you change/modify/reuse them?
One point at a time....

How to protect the stickers/etc. you put on the file folders. Do you laminate the whole thing? Cover the whole face with contact paper?

To protect the stickers or pictures I have put on a gameboard I usually use clear Contact paper. Many of my games are over or nearly 20 years old. They have been used in our home, loaned to friends, used in a classroom (I taught in a private school for a few years). I would cut the Contact paper and just cover half of the file folder at a time (and just the surface with the stickers). I found if I covered over the fold it would often form puckers that I found undesireable. The negative: Some markers will react with the Contact paper and bleed slightly over the years. We still use these games as it was not severe. Also, as we are using some of the older games I have noticed that the Contact has shrunk some (maybe about 1/8")--this is slightly noticeable to me, but again does not cause us a problem.

I have laminated a few games while I was working in a teacher store and had ready access to a machine. The games turn out wonderful. The colors are bright and the game is well protected.

I got in the habit of using Contact paper before laminating was easily available. I always had a large supply of Contact on hand and I could complete my game right away. In those days the only place I knew for laminating was a print shop. It was not handy or inexpensive. So Contact won by default.

I still use Contact. I know several people who have purchased personal laminating machines and would go no other way. I have not made a price comparison. The laminating would likely be faster and easier (it takes a little patience to get Contact on smoothly every time.)

So I guess the answer to this is one of personal preference. I will likely stick with Contact paper.

NOTE: I would just love to know how many rolls of Contact I have used over the years???? Actually, I probably do not even want to know...LOL

- How do you organize all your game boards so you don't spend hours looking for them?

I will do a whole blog about organization soon as I have gotten lots of questions about that one.

I store my file folder games in milk crates and have since I started making games back in the early 1980's. The file folders fit perfect, standing up so the tabs are easily readable. The games stay neat and in order. The milk crates are easily stackable which helps conserve space.

Right now my games are not in their best order. Most of my games were stored and many others were loaned out. I have gotten most of them back and have begun sorting through my games to find the best ones to be using with my grandchildren. So right now my file folder games are sorted into four milk crates. One each for: Math Games, Reading, Phonics and Language Arts Games, Science and Bible Games, History and Geography Games. This is only a temporary solution as I continue to go through all my games. This is really more a of sorting process and reaquainting myself with what games I have on hand.

Years ago I had a spreadsheet of all my games. Each game was numbered, named, assigned a skill and level, type of game, how stored.  I could print this out with each item being the sorted topic. It made it so easy to find any game I was looking for in the hundreds I had. It helped me to see how many of each type of game I had. I know this sounds excessive, but I was teaching workshops showing other moms how to make games for their children. So I would have to be able to pack up several boxes of games to take to these workshops. Then, after, I would have to UNPACK (yucky!!) and put all the games back where they belonged so I could find them again. I am again hoping to do some workshops as I love teaching about game making. However, I am thinking that I would like to have all the games for workshops separate from what we use....so that means I will probably be remaking many of the games in order to have two copies. Many of the games are showing their years, but my grandchildren do not seem to mind using them. They love the idea that their mom and dad played on these exact game boards, or with these exact cards...and it reminds me to tell them stories of how the games came to be or the fun we had playing them.

OK...I am really rambling...I do that when I get talking games. And I am just talking to you all now. I am not trying to write in a most elegant way. I am not a writer...I am a talker...so that is what you are getting here.

- Where do you buy spinners? And do you buy one for each game? Or can you change/modify/reuse them?

Spinner have caused more people to give up on games. I have tried all kinds methods to make spinners and make them move more easily.

Now I have a winner. It is some spinners I have purchased. They are clear plastic and can just be set on any drawn spinner and work well. I actually use a paper fastener and attach them too the spinner while we are using it and them remove the spinner when we are finished with the game.

This shows a spinner that has not been attached to any drawn spinner. It comes with the arrow attached to the plastic and it spins so smoothly. I use a paper fastener to attach it to a drawn spinner.

Here are some examples of these plastic spinners being used on games:

This drawn spinner was attached to the file folder. It is under the clear Contact paper. The plastic piece with the arrow was fastened just for the time we played the game - then removed and returned to its storage box.


Here the spinner is completely separate. You can easily see the attached plastic spinner.

I got these spinners at a teacher store. They came in a package of 3 for around $5. They are worth every penny.  I got a couple different kinds, but they are basically the same. I have seen them also used on overhead projectors.  I store my spinners in a pencil box. We have another pencil box that is loaded with a variety of dice. Another pencil box holds all kinds of small items that we use as playing pieces on the gameboards....

You never know if you would like to be a fuzzy bunny, an army man, a jeep, horse, or dinosaur when you play a game...so we have a large selection. I have been known to buy a game at a garage sale just for the cute pieces or the dice it contains...or even the spinner!

Coming Up Next: 

Card games:
- How thick does the card stock need to be to make the cards durable?
- Is it faster to laminate or contact paper the cards?
- How do you organize/label your cards so you know what ways you can use them?