Game-based elementary education -

[rafiki]

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[Guest]

Hi Michele -- as you know dd had a non-textbook curriculum that heavily featured games throughout elementary school. Some we liked that aren't in your list:

 

ThinkFun's games are wonderful for spatial thinking, logic, strategy. Dd liked RushHour Safari, some 3-D mazes, River Crossing. They have a lot more games out now than they did when she was little, and they're usually in Barnes and Noble.

 

We had a game called MapTangle, which was a large world map on a huge sheet of plastic and a set of cards with countries, landmarks, cities, etc. It was basically a Twister-type game: you call out the cards, and the kids have to put a hand or foot on the place. We used this in co-op classes as well and it was an enormous hit.

 

You can also take a world map from an old National Geographic and make your own sets of cards to go with it depending on what kinds of things your son likes: find the locations of shipwrecks or natural disasters, the largest diamond mine, Fort Knox, battle sites, etc.

 

Scrambled States of America is a fun card game.

 

We also had those cards hooked together like a fan -- I can't remember their maker or name -- but there are presidents, animals, artists, etc. After dd played with them a while, we cut off the pictures and played our own timeline game by hanging them in chronological order on a clothesline.

 

Klutz used to have a lovely set of math toys/tools similar to the Learning Wrap-Ups, which are a great idea but visually kind of boring. The Klutz ones were beautifully done, brightly colored, and dd loved them.

 

Klutz, in fact, is a terrific source for games that aren't strictly academic but are great fun. We love their book bound with three balls and lots of ball games, their card games book, the string games, and the juggling set.

 

By the way, I saw you had The Touch in your wish list -- we nearly wore that game to bits!

 

I hope I'm remembering things from about the right age!

[nukeswife]

My kids love playing games and my youngest (5.5 year old doing K work when he's willing) has picked up a lot from playing them with us or watching us.

 

We recently got all of the "10 days in ..." games for geography and they are pretty fun.

 

I also got the Pizza Box Math games from http://www.reallygoodstuff.com and they all really enjoy those. I haven't tried the phonics ones, but thought about getting them.

 

I also have a wide assortment of games from Lakeshore Learning which we really like.

 

I usually like to plan a game day for us where we do nothing but play games as our school work for the day. I do that about once a month, but we play these games at all times, many times a week too.

 

I don't see a problem with using them until your son is ready for more, as long as he's learning, he is progressing forward in my view.

[kwickimom]

:bigear:

[swellmomma]

Favorites around my house currently are

 

Department store math

Create-a-story

Life

Cranium

Scabs & Guts

Go to Press

5 W's

Monopoly(we have 7 or 8 versions now, they are all well loved)

Any and all Professor Noggins games are hits

Trivial Pursuit- my ds12 is jsut starting to get into this

 

 

We do not use only games for school but we play them a lot to reinforce or strengthen concepts etc

We have tons more that we have not even opened yet, but those will get played in the new year

[MamaSheep]

My kids enjoy Totally Tut (which is a math game, in spite of its Egyptian theme). And what about one or more of the Ticket To Ride games?

[Mallory]

We also enjoy Quick Pix games. They have a nice animal sorting one, and science games seem to be less likely than other topics.

 

And they only take a short time to play:D

[phathui5]

We got a game from Rainbow Resource called "Spill Your Guts." It's a great game for learning about the body.

[stripe]

What a fantastic thread.

 

I wonder if you are also interested in games that are not board games per se.

[Poke Salad Annie]

 

 

I feel like I need a system though. Perhaps Monday Math games, Geography games on Tuesday, Word games on Wednesday, Thinking Thursday, and Fun Friday?

 

 

I had the very same intention of doing this the first semester of this school year, but we became very busy working hard on skill areas and I let it slide.

 

I'm glad this was brought up, as I'm penciling it in. We have oodles of games, many we haven't played yet.

[kathkath]

two great math games that are good for addition facts are these:

 

double shutter

http://www.amazon.com/Distribution-Solutions-LLC-4102606-Shutter/dp/B001454DQM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293304645&sr=8-1

 

can't stop--this is one we used to play as kids

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=can%27t+stop&_sacat=See-All-Categories

 

DH and I still like to play it when the kids are asleep :lol:

[Farrar]

I'm sure there's a million more. Does anyone know of a good list of educational games sorted by subject? If it was really good it would have some ratings for them as well. Anyone?

 

Anyway, a few I didn't see mentioned...

 

Mastermind (do NOT get the kid version - it's made extremely poorly and you can turn the regular version simpler by removing 1 or 2 colors and/or covering up one of the slots with a line of tape)

Pairs in Pears

Appletters

Math Dice

Quirkle

Sleeping Queens

 

We also have a marginally educational game called Chomp, which is about simple food chains (you have to remember who eats what so you can slap the cards).

[Tabrett]

Happy Phonics is a phonics curriculum based on games. You play a game to teach each phonogram.

 

RightStart Math Games book has lots of math games.

My dd loves the RS games.

[MamaSheep]

Depending on the age range, reading ability, and how you feel about video games, these are some computer games we've found fun and educational:

 

Crazy Machines 2

Spore

Zoo Tychoon 2

Civilization

Oregon Trail

[Crimson Wife]

I don't remember seeing these mentioned, but my kids really like:

 

Zeus on the Loose

Equate (with Jr. tiles set for younger ones)

Sequence Numbers

I also adapt regular games to practice math facts. For example, Chutes & Ladders with having the child do the addition in his/her head rather than counting; Sorry with the child rolling 2 dice & following the instructions on the card matching the sum.

[NanceXToo]

I just want to say that I think this is a really awesome idea :) Too bad you can't go borrow board games from the library or something huh?

[Poke Salad Annie]

I just want to say that I think this is a really awesome idea :) Too bad you can't go borrow board games from the library or something huh?

 

I agree, it is sad that there are no loans from the library, but I find plenty of board games at thrift stores. I don't know if you have access to any, but it is well worth your time if you can find a few to browse.

 

A used Trivial Pursuit board game could become a make-your-own game by making cards to go along with the colored pie pieces. It might take some time, but you would have a tailor-made game to match the year of studies you're working with.

 

You could really take any old board game and make it your own as others have mentioned above. I look up thrift stores any time we travel and always try to manage at least one stop if time allows. I have always come away with many treasures. Do you have any within a 5 or 25 mile radius of where you live? If so, it might be worth your time and effort to check into them. Pack a lunch or some snacks and then go on the hunt. I hope you can find some goodies to add to your collection on the cheap. If not, look for board games after the holidays on the super mark-down. That would be worth your time in the hunt as well. Good luck and best wishes in the hunt for treasure!

 

One more thought would be organizing a game swap with your homeschool group or friends.

[Jamee]

My boys LOVE:

Scrambled States of America--the book and DVD too

Zoo Tycoon--DS learned more about animals and habitats from this than anything else

Age of Mythology--spin off of Age of Empires

[shinyhappypeople]

Happy Phonics is a phonics curriculum based on games. You play a game to teach each phonogram.

 

RightStart Math Games book has lots of math games.

My dd loves the RS games.

 

 

:iagree:

 

We're using Happy Phonics right now and my girls have loved most of the games. It's a great way to learn to read.

 

RS hasn't been as a big of a hit, but that's just a personality thing. There's nothing wrong with the games. I would have loved them as a child! :001_smile:

 

I just want to say that I think this is a really awesome idea :) Too bad you can't go borrow board games from the library or something huh?

 

This is an incredible idea. Maybe we should suggest this to the library powers that be.

[Teachin'Mine]

I seldom come into this section as my dd is in 9th, but the title of the thread caught my interest. I think games are awesome for learning!!! We played lots of games in the elementary years and I credit a lot of my dd's good math skills to having done this.

 

I would add in lots of card games too - Spades, Rummy 500 - whatever. Just make sure that adults are never the scorekeeper or the banker in Monopoly. ;) Personally, I wouldn't give any set schedule to when to play certain games. I'd let it be mostly child driven, but you should certainly be able to suggest a certain game be played especially if it hasn't been played in a while.

 

Make it fun, have fun, and let the learning take care of itself. I'd also recommend phasing in book learning too. Maybe it can start as an extension of a game and grow from there.

[stripe]

Ray recommended the bookAre You the King, or Are You the Joker?: Play Math for Young Children by Y.E.O. Adrian.

 

It's got ideas for a variety of card games using a regular playing deck. I am certain I've not gotten as much use out of it as Ray did with his daughter, but there are some interesting ideas in there. And he (the author of the book) does show how he had his daughter (or granddaughter?) keep score.

 

I have no idea why this book is so expensive!

Edited December 26, 2010 by stripe

[A home for their hearts]

Games for. . . by Peggy Kaye are great books with lots of easy to make games for grades k-3.

[shinyhappypeople]

Sum Swamp and Money Bags. Both are genuinely fun and don't take very long to play.

[shinyhappypeople]

Also, this site sells games (sorted by topic and age): http://educationallearninggames.com/

[stripe]

I find plenty of board games at thrift stores. I don't know if you have access to any, but it is well worth your time if you can find a few to browse.

I second this. I found quite a few for $1 each when I popped into one local thrift store. It was rather a bonanza day, I must say. I bought a couple dupicates because, well, who couldn't use a few extra cherries for Hi Ho Cherry-o? And the retro 70s/80s stylings on some of them are pretty entertaining. (At least I wasn't the only one who wore hideous clothes in that era.) Amazingly, almost all of them have all their pieces and are in great shape.

 

Some library book sales have puzzles and games, too.

 

A used Trivial Pursuit board game could become a make-your-own game by making cards to go along with the colored pie pieces. It might take some time, but you would have a tailor-made game to match the year of studies you're working with.

Hey....!

 

One more thought would be organizing a game swap with your homeschool group or friends.

Um, I nominate YOU. :)