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?

Duck Pond - A Place Value Game

Recognizing the value of digits by their place can be so much fun with a game. Here is an easy-to-make game that the boys enjoyed playing.

  The darling ducks and pond were cut from a child's workbook...the type you can buy at many stores. Yes, I do buy books to cut. I find that many are better cut up and made into games that the children will play over and over. Some times the children will do the pages and then I cut them up. I also get some great deals on books for my cutting box at garage sales...even in FREE boxes. Workbooks that are used often still have a few great pictures to use.

 The spaces are 3/4" stickers that can be purchased at most office stores or in office supply departments at stores like WalMart. A friend of mine and I were doing some scrapbooking and she showed me some new punches she had got a great package deal on at a garage sale. I went nuts when I saw one that was a 3/4" circle punch. Eileen was so generous, she gave me the punch. Now I can make perfect sized circles from any of my colored scrap paper. Now I have seen these punches at many crafting stores and I would certainly recommend getting one. You would save the price quickly by not having to purchase these circle stickers anymore...and have the great versatility being able to use all your colored paper scraps. 

 The spaces are labelled with a variety of numbers from one-digit numbers to four-digit numbers. (You could add more digit numbers to the circles for more advanced play. You would also add greater values to the spinner if you did this.)

The game needs a simple spinner. Here I made a square one, then divided it into 4 segments. Label the segments with the appropriate place values being drilled. Now that I have the wonderful clear plastic spinners, I no longer have to attach an arrow to each spinner I make. This spinner was made before I found these great plastic spinners, so I simply removed the arrow I had attached. (These arrows often get bent and often do not spin well.) I now can use the clear plastic one, simply attaching it with a paper fastener before we start the game. (Now we have perfect working spinners every time.)

 Now to play:

Players place their selected game piece on the first numbered space. Then they spin the spinner and find out what place value they are to identify. 

Notice that 602 is the number on our first space. SO...if the player spins "hundreds," he would state that the "6" is in the hundreds place and he would get to move his game piece six spaces. If he were to spin "tens," he would not get to move as there is a zero in the tens place. He also would not get to move this turn if he were to spin "thousands" as there is no digit in the thousands place. 

NOTE: When you are writing the numbers on the spaces, be sure to use a variety of numbers. Including several zeros also adds to the fun of the play. I didn't use too many larger digits (using mostly 1, 2, and 3) so to keep the number of spaces a player moves to a minimum. But putting a few larger digits in adds to the excitement. One of the children's favorite spaces is the "900" one. It is hard to get off this space as you have to spin "hundreds." But, when you finally do, you get to move NINE spaces.

 While Douglas, 8, does not need the drill of this game, he still loves to play it with Charles because knowledge and skill have nothing to do with winning the game. It is all a matter of the "luck of the spin." The fun spaces with zeros, missing digits, and the few higher digits make the game fun to play.

I love games that the boys can enjoy playing together and does not need my input. Since Douglas knows place values well, no answer key is needed. But Charles likes playing with Douglas because he still has an equal chance of winning the game.

Easy as Pie - Fractions

Here is a fun game for introducing fractions or seeing how fractions are equivalent.

To Make:

Cut two large circles and two large squares to be the playing boards. Set these aside. Now cut 3 more of each. All circles should be the same size. It is nice to have these each be a different color. Cut one of these circles into half, one into thirds, and one into sixths. Cut the squares (all the same size) into half, quarters, and eighths. Write the fractions on each piece.

Cut an additional circle to be the spinner. Divide it into eight sections and mark them as shown in the picture. We like to use a clear plastic spinner laid on top and fastened with a brad instead of adding an arrow to the spinner. This plastic spinner works so well. We take it off when the game is over so we can use it on the spinners we have for other games. We got a package of three of these at our local teacher store for about $6. They are well worth the price!!!

To Play:

Each player starts with a blank playing circle and square. The object of the game is to fill each with fractional pieces. 

The fractional pieces have been sorted into piles in the center of play.  In turn, a player spins the spinner and collects the indicated piece. He adds it to his circle or square. If he can't use the piece because he no longer has enough room for it, his turn is over. 

 

If the spinner says he must give back one piece, he selects any piece he wishes and returns it to the center.

Some other possibilities: If a child should spin a fraction and there are no longer any of the indicated pieces in the center, he may collect EQUIVALENT pieces. For example, he spins 1/3 and these pieces are all in use. He may instead collect two 1/6 pieces. We take pieces and lay them on top of each other to help players see that they are equivalent. 

The first player to completely fill both his circle and his square is the winner.

Spin, Count & Move

 
Spin, Count & Move is a good first board game.  This is another game made from a math workbook page. The jar was pictured at the top of the page. The small pictures on the spinner were at the bottom with a space next to each. The child was to count the items they found in the picture and write the number in the space. They would do this one time. Now that it is a game the exercise can be repeated until learned and more than one child can use the game. 

Another benefit is that Diana can play this game, learning the skills of counting objects and transferring that number to the spaces she can move. Diana is only 2 and is unable to write her numbers, so she would not have been able to do the worksheet, yet she can learn the counting skills.

 I started this with Diana playing by herself with my coaching her. Thus she learned how to spin, what to count, and how to move her game piece.

To Make: 

The large picture was cut out and glued to the file folder. A path of 3/4" stickers was made, leaving a space for the spinner.

The Spinner:

I drew the spinner on a sheet of lighter colored card stock, so it would show up. I could have just drawn it right on the file folder. The little pictures were cut from the workbook page and glued to the spinner. The spinner was then glued to the file folder and the whole game board was covered with clear Contact paper. 


Next a hole is punched through the center of the spinner. Originally, I attached a cardboard arrow using a brad (paper fastener). However, I now do something much better.   

I use hard plastic spinners that I found at the local teacher store. I got three in a package for around $5.  I keep these in our game piece box and attach them to the spinner while we are playing the game.

 To Play:


Now that Diana had the general idea, it is time for her to play with another player. So Wesley, who had been begging to play, joined the game. 

Each takes a turn, spinning, counting the indicated creature in the picture, and moving their game piece that number of spaces.

Now Diana is learning another skill...taking turns. A good number of skills learned from one simple game.