How to Design Game Boards for Learning
File folder game boards are easy to make and be used to teach and reinforce just about any skill. Teacher-made board games can be used daily for many years to teach students of all ages. So, put aside a few minutes and gather a few supplies and soon you will have a new game board to use with your students.
Things You'll Need
- File folders
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Markers or crayons
- Stickers
- Dice
- Index cards
Instructions
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Making the Game Board
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1
Open the file folder and lay it out flat on a table.
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2
Start drawing a line with a pencil about two inches from the outside edge of the file folder all the way around the file folder to make a path.
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3
Begin on the bottom left-hand side of the file folder and draw vertical lines with a pencil every 2-3 inches to create games spaces. Continue drawing vertical lines until the entire path has been divided into sections.
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4
Trace over all pencil-drawn lines with a marker. Write "start" on the bottom left-side space and "end" on the top left-side space with the marker and erase the stray pencil lines.
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5
Color each game space or section with crayons or markers. Use several different colors to make the board more interesting.
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6
Decorate the interior portion of the game board with drawing or stickers. It may be fun to pick a theme for the game board such as pirates, sports or anything else that may interest your students.
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7
Laminate the game board to increase durability.
Using the Game Board
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8
Choose items to use as game pieces. Small blocks or small toys will work fine as long as they fit within one game space. Game pieces from other board games will also work.
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9
Choose a skill to work on. Create or use pre-made flash cards to present to students when it is their turn.
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10
Show the student a card such as an alphabet flash card, addition flash card, multiplication flash card or sight word flash card. If the student can identify the letter or word, or if the student can solve the problem, he will then roll the dice.
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11
The student will take turns answering questions and rolling the dice so they can move along the board.
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12
Continue playing the game until a student reaches the last space on the game board.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Templates for game board can be found online.
Make sure the game pieces are large enough not to create a choke hazard for young children.
