Board & Rule-Based
Grades 1-2
Setup | Opening | Play Time | Closing
Opening Procedure (5-7 minutes)
PEP-UP: Rock Paper Scissors Tournament (3 min)
1. Pairs play best of 3.
2. Winners find new winners until one champion remains.
NORMS (30 seconds):
1. Share the game.
2. Wait for your turn.
3. Be kind whether you win or lose.
4. Make sure you don't damage the games.
More Pep-up Options
2/4
Setup | Opening | Play Time | Closing
Session Name
Game On!
Age Group
Ages 6-8
Session Intention
Children play board games in small groups and practise fair play, turn-taking, and handling wins and losses.
Materials Needed
• Snakes & Ladders (2)
• Ludo (2)
• Pajama Party (1)
• Bus Stop/Shopping List/Catch and Count/Number Bears (1)
• Memory Skills/Mind power (1)
• Jenga (1)
• Dog and the bone (1)
• Oranges & Lemons (1)
• Cover the Shadow (1)
• Pairs - memory game (1)
Classroom Arrangement
1. Form groups of 4-6 from children sitting near each other.
2. Give each group one game. Open it and let them set up on a bench or the floor.
3. Have a second game ready to hand to groups that finish early.
1/4
Setup | Opening | Play Time | Closing
Play Time (~25-28 minutes)
GETTING GROUPS STARTED:
1. Give each group a game.
2. Explain the basic rules in about a minute, then let them figure out the rest as they play.
YOUR ROLE DURING PLAY:
1. Walk between groups.
2. Check the first couple of turns so everyone understands.
3. Answer rule questions briefly. Let groups play independently once they are going.
4. If a group finishes, switch their game or ask them to modify the rules and play again.
STEP IN WHEN NEEDED:
1. Argument about whose turn it is - agree a turn order and stick to it.
2. Someone is not following the rules - Let's play the way everyone agreed.
3. A game is going on for too long and getting boring - Whoever is closest to winning in 3 minutes wins this round.
What You May Notice
1. Children will talk and laugh a lot during board games. This is engagement, not disruption.
2. Some take games very seriously. Others do not care about winning. Both are fine.
3. Turn-taking is still developing. Expect some reminders.
3/4
Setup | Opening | Play Time | Closing
Closing (~3-5 minutes)
1. Announce - Finish this round. Then help pack up.
2. Ask - What game did you play? Did you win or lose?
3. Ask - Did anyone lose today? What did you do when you lost? Take a few answers.
Try Next Time
1. Let children explain the rules to a new group without your help.
2. Try playing Ludo as 2 teams of 2 instead of 4 individuals.
3. Let children be the rule-checker for their group.
4. Ask groups to add one small rule to make the game more interesting.