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.

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.

Capitalization Treasure

Capitalization Treasure is a fun board game for reviewing two of our capitalization rules. You will notice that the rules are written on the board. (Rules 1 and 2 are reviewed in another game.)

Rule 3: Capitalize the days of the week, months of the year, but not the seasons.

Rule 4: Capitalize holidays and special days.

 

To Make: I chose a blue file folder since the pictures I had were of an ocean treasure. I believe we were doing an ocean unit at the same time I made this game so many years ago. Remember many of these games were made for my children and I am now playing them with my grandchildren.

Using 3/4 inch circle stickers I created a path from the whale to the treasure. Each sticker has a letter on it (D, M, S, or H). The picture stickers were some ocean themed ones I had on hand. I chose four of them to place along the path. 

The Cards:  The skill cards are words that may or may not need to be capitalized - days of the week, months of the year, seasons, holidays and just some words like "month," "day," "holiday," etc.  Also, there are four cards that have stickers, matching the four pictures on the board.

To Play:  Douglas and Charles each chose a game piece. You may notice that they chose fish to match the board. This is Douglas and his "things have to match." He is so like his mother was. 

I shuffled the cards for them and am sitting nearby so I can supervise the play and the responses while I work with Wesley on his math. 

In turn, the player draws a card, reads the word, states if it should be capitalized or not and why, then recites the appropriate rule. He then moves his "fish" to the space indicated (D = day of the week, M = month of the year, S = Season, H = holiday or special day). If the word on the card is a common noun word like: "holiday," "day," or "month" he states that is it not capitalized, but he does not get to move. If the card he draws is one of the pictured stickers, he moves directly to that space. This may be a forward or backward move. This is like the play of the game Candyland which is a favorite format of ours to play.