Activity: DIY Board Game
Taking part, and playing is a big part of our current exhibition, Assemble + Schools of Tomorrow: The Place We Imagine.
What’s your favourite board game?
This activity encourages you to design and create your own board game, using things you might find outside or around the home.
A piece of cardboard or the back of the cereal box would be perfect to start drawing your board game design on.
Think about what your game might be.
What is it about, does it have a story? Are there challenges, or rewards, and are there any consequences? Thinking about these will help you design your game. You might want to explain it to a grown up who could help you write it down, to make the instructions on how to play.
Decide a START and FINISH point on your board, draw a pathway between, and mark out steps from one to the other. It could be a grid, a series of circles, a ladder, or even stepping stones.
To help set up your rules, imagine what would happen when you land on each step. You can select some of the steps to have set rules or tasks and leave the others empty, some might even connect.
Once you have drawn or written the rules on your steps, you can now colour in your design.
You might need counters to represent each player. How many people can play your game? What can you use, or make, as a counter for each player? Maybe you can design and make some characters?
You will also need a counter, like a dice or a spinner to help with moving along the path of your game. You might want to try wrapping up a cube shaped box to make your own cardboard dice. You can print out a counter sheet here and roll a stone or an object over it to see where it lands?
Have you; completed the board, written the instructions, set up your rules, and made your counters?
You are now ready to play!
If you have enough floor space, you could try using masking or electrical tape to make big grids on the floor or carpet, you can then all step in it and be the characters in your own game.
We would love to see your board game designs; We might even play your game with you! Bring it along to our family activities this Half Term when we will turn The Space into a game swap space!
Do share your images on our social media #NCmaking
Tips at home:
- Use or make Character pieces bigger if there are little people around.
- Characters in different colours make them easier to remember which one is yours.
This activity was created by Play and Learn Facilitator, Milee Lee