Board Game Bonanza!

One of my favorite end-of-the-year activities to do with my students is to have them create their own board games. I tell them that on a certain day we will have "second grade fun day" and encourage them to bring a board game from home. We begin by playing a few rounds of their store bought games, then when I see that their interest is beginning to wane, we clean up and go back to our desks. We brainstorm about different games and how they are played and I record their ideas on the SmartBoard. Then I tell them that they get to invent their very own board game! This is met with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm and for some, trepidation. Lol. I have them first make a plan for their game. They have to be able to tell what the object of the game is, how players will move around the board (will you use a spinner? Number cards? Color cards?), and what obstacles, if any, players will encounter. Then the fun begins. I give each student a pocket folder and let them choose two game pieces (I have a basket with hundreds of those cute shaped erasers, which are perfect for this), and a spinner or set of cards. Then they create away! The excitement is usually pretty high in the room at this point, and it's fun to listen to the conversations that take place. Finally, when everyone has completed their games, they pair off and take turns playing them. This is usually when you see a bit of revising and editing, but everyone is having fun. And they are always amazed that they get to keep their creations. Lol. Kids are so funny!