Game Based Learning – Create Your Own Board Game

Family Playing Board Game, Make Your Own Board Game for Homeschooling Families

Game Based Learning: Create A Board Game

Samantha Matalone Cook

Game Based Learning

Game based learning is an engaging and innovative way to transform traditional education into an interactive experience, where students can learn through play. By incorporating game design elements into the learning process, students can enhance their creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking. Whether designing a simple roll-and-move game or an intricate deck-building challenge, the process of creating and prototyping a game offers valuable lessons in strategy, teamwork, and adaptation. Through the exciting journey of game development, learners gain a deeper understanding of both the subject matter and the mechanics of games themselves.

Five Steps to Creating Your Own Board Game

1. Select a theme. For example, your game could be based on your favorite animal, subject, or fandom. Once you have some ideas, stop and read all the instructions for this project. Understanding the entire process will help you at each stage of your game design journey. Once you’ve done that, come back and focus on your game development in each of steps 2-5.

2. What kind of game are you creating? Is it a roll and move game or a deck-building game? Area control game or legacy game? You can look up the different kinds of board games for inspiration. What is the objective of the game? Is it cooperative? If not, how do you win? How many people can play the game? Who is this game designed for? Start writing down rules and game play ideas you have. Keep it simple at first, you can always make it more complex as you prototype your game.

Prototype: this word means to make a preliminary, or first, model of something. You create a prototype, and then test to see how it works. You can continue making new prototypes until you have the final version of what you are making (in this case, a game). Prototyping is important because it allows us to see how our design works and what changes need to be made in order to get the best possible version of our ideas.

Child Playing Homemade Board Game - Game Based Learning - Make Your Own Board Game

3. Sketch out what you think your game might look like and make temporary board pieces and cards as needed so you can protype your game. How a game looks will depend a lot on how it is played. You may want to look at games you already own, or that are on the shelf at the store. Games are designed to appeal to players, and the visual art of a game is just as important as how interesting or fun it is to play.

4. Next, take your prototyped rules and sketches and play your game a few times. You can play by yourself (if your game is multi-player, you can play the role of one or more others) and then play with your friends or family, using them as testers. What works? What doesn’t? Is there information missing? Does anything need to be changed on your sketches? What materials should your game pieces and board be made of to hold up to being played with and to make playing fun? Play as many times as needed to collect as much feedback and information as you can. You may need to create new protypes in order to get to the best version of your game. Redesign and prototype as many times as needed. When you feel your game is ready, go to step 5.

Homemade Battleship Game - Gameschooling - How to Make Your Own Board Game

5. Now you are ready to make the final version of your game! Use higher quality materials to make your board, game pieces, cards, and any other part of the game. You can use art supplies, computer programs such as Inkscape or Illustrator, and machines such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and Cricut machines to make a more polished version of your game. If you are using a laser cutter or 3d printer, Thingiverse is a great resource for free pre-designed pieces. You could also re-purpose objects or old game pieces from around the house for your game. Type or write up a manual for your game that includes a description of the game, the rules, any tips you have on playing the game, and a game developer biography (that’s you!). You may also want to create a box (you can use a shoe or shipping box if that’s easier) to contain your game. Don’t forget to design the outside of the box to advertise the game within. You can look at games you already own for examples. Finally, share your game with others. Perhaps throw a game launch party and have friends over to play!

Enjoy your new game!

Meet the Author:

Samantha Matalone Cook, MAT, is an educator, historian, writer, maker, and speaker. She has almost three decades of experience in education, program development, and the arts and has worked with both small and large organizations to create educational programming that centers and connects the learner to concepts and skills. She has taught in classrooms and in private workshops, mentored other educators, and worked for and with many museums including the Smithsonian. Samantha has two teens and one preteen, all home educated; the oldest of whom has recently fledged into college. To see her past and current projects, including her blog, her book on Project-Based Learning, and Pandia Press History Odyssey curriculum, please visit www.samanthamatalonecook.com

samantha matalone cook, about us, seahomeschoolers.com




Homeschool Science Fun: Candy Rock Cycle Activity

Homeschool Science Child Sitting at Desk Examining Table Full of Rocks

Homeschool Science Fun: Candy Rock Cycle Activity

Blair H. Lee, M.S.

Looking for Something to Do with All That Leftover Candy...

As research for this homeschool science activity, I put a poll in the SEA Homeschoolers Facebook group to learn which candy most people would be throwing out sometime between November and March. What I learned surprised me. It truly was a situation where one person’s trash was another person’s favorite candy. Take Tootsie rolls for example. I was a young child when I decided that Tootsie Rolls were yucky. What could that chewie, fake chocolatey sweet be made of? And why are they foisted on young people as if they are treat? Could it be that they are just inexpensive to make? That’s the answer I settled on. Much to my surprise, we have many SEA members who list Tootsie Rolls as their favorite candy. And licorice, obviously the best candy in the world, was not well liked at all. But no matter what candy you are thinking of throwing out over the next few months, this activity is for you!

Materials

  • Candy: It helps if there’s chewy candy in the mix. This lab is more difficult if all the candy is hard. Even if you would typically eat them, a few Starbursts or fruit rollup pieces, with their low melting points, should be included.
  • Scissors, knife, and/or mallet (depending on the candy type)
  • Plastic Bag
  • Cutting board
  • Microwave
  • Heavy book
Bowls of different types of candy sitting to table top. Hand of child reaching for candy

Procedure

1. Unwrap the candy. On your activity sheet, where it says “Any Type of Rock” draw a picture of your candy pile. 

Homeschool Science - Rock Candy Activity - Pile of Candy on Cutting Board

2. Weather the candy. Weathering is the process of breaking down rocks. Use your weathering tools (scissors, knife, and/or mallet) to break the rocks down. Draw a picture of this in the box that says “Sediments.”

Rocky Cycle Candy Activity - Weathering Rock Pieces ie Cutting and Smashing Candy Bits

3. Divide the sediments into three piles. Take one of the piles and knead it with your hands. Press down on it once it softens, and then knead it a bit more. Press down once more. That compaction of the sediments is how sedimentary rock forms. Draw a picture of this in the box labeled “Sedimentary Rock.” 

Forming Sedimentary Rocks from Candy Bits - Homeschool Science - Rock Cycle

4. Put one of the piles of sediment into the plastic bag. Knead this until it sticks together. Press down on this with the heavy book. Heat this for 10 seconds. Make sure it is not too hot. Continue kneading and folding. And pressing with the book. Fold it at least 5 times. Melting, folding, and cooling under pressure models how metamorphic rock forms. Take it out of the baggie and draw a picture of this in the box labeled “Metamorphic Rock.”  

Metamorphic Rock - Rock Candy Lab

5. Put the last of the piles of sediment into the baggie. Heat this for 20 seconds. Make sure it is not too hot to hold. Knead it until it starts to cool. Press on it with the book in between melting and kneading. Repeat this until the candy is melted and well mixed.  Melting under pressure models how igneous rock forms. Draw a picture of this in the box labeled “Igneous Rock.” 

Forming Igneous Rock with Candy - Rock Candy Activity Lab

Don't Forget to Grab this Homeschool Science Lab Sheet!

Ready to explore the wonders of geology with this homeschool science activity? Be sure to review the different stages of rock formation with your students at every stage of the process to help solidify their understanding. And don’t forget to download the lab sheet to guide you through each step and reinforce the learning!





Homeschool Science: An Edible Fossil Hunt Activity

Homeschool Science Edible Fossil Dig - Little Boy Digging Through Cookie to Find Fossils (Candy)

Homeschool Science: An Edible Fossil Hunt Activity

Blair H. Lee, M.S.

Homeschool Science Activity: Digging into the Past

Excerpted from Real Science Odyssey – Biology 1

Have you ever imagined uncovering ancient treasures hidden beneath the Earth’s surface, finding clues about the plants and animals that lived millions of years ago? If so, you’ve pictured the life of a paleontologist! These scientists are dedicated to studying fossils, the preserved remains of creatures and plants from the distant past. Their work involves more than just digging in the dirt—they also spend time in labs carefully studying and identifying the fossils they uncover.

While many people think fossils are always large, some are so small they can be hard to spot. But don’t worry—you won’t be hunting for tiny fossils today! Instead, you’ll participate in a fun and creative fossil dig at an ancient seabed filled with different types of fossils. In this free homeschool science activity, the fossils are represented by snacks like raisins, M&M’s, nuts, and pretzels. The raisins and nuts represent plants, while the M&M’s and pretzels represent animals. Just like real fossils, the deeper you dig, the older the remains you will find. After your exciting dig is complete, you’ll get to enjoy your edible discoveries as a tasty reward!

Homeschool Science Edible Fossil Dig - Little Boy Digging Through Cookie to Find Fossils (Candy)

Materials

Instructor’s Note: This is more fun if you have baked the cookies before this homeschool science lab begins, without students seeing where the “fossils” are hidden.

Read through steps 1-7 of the procedures before making the cookies. 

  • 8in x 8in Pan
  • *Batch of cookie dough (you choose what type – if choosing chocolate chip cookie dough as your base, omit the chocolate chips)
  • 1/2 cup coconut or pretzels (broken into 1/4 inch pieces)
  • 1/3 cup of Red M&Ms
  • 1/4 cup Yellow M&Ms
  • 1/3 cup Peanuts
  • 1/4 cup Walnuts
  • 1/2 cup Raisins
  • Chocolate Bars – Enough to lay side by side and cover the entire 8in x 8in surface area, do not be stingy with this! (You can substitute frosting, if you prefer)
  • 2 Toothpicks per Student
  • Lab Sheets
  • Pen or Pencil
  • 6 Different Colored Pencils – One for each type of “fossil”
  • Knife
  • Spatula
  • Plate

* The ingredients for the cookies depend on the cookie recipe you choose.

Ingredient Add Ins for Fossil Dig Activity - Pretzels, MMs, Chocolate Bars, Peanuts, Raisins, Walnuts
Fossil Dig Homeschool Science Activity Cookie Bars in Pan Ready to Bake

Preparing the Dig Site

  1. Make the cookie dough per the recipe instructions.
  2. Before baking, mix together the raisins, the red M&Ms, 1/3 cup of coconut/pretzels (rest will be used at a later step), and peanuts. Add this mixture to the cookie dough. Do not try to evenly distribute these add-ins.
  3. Spread the dough into the 8in x 8in pan. Even though the distribution is not uniform, make sure that there are some “fossils” in each 4-inch square of cookies. There will be four squares total.
  4. Bake the cookies following the directions for bar cookies from your cookie dough recipe.
  5. Once the cookies have finished baking, sprinkle the walnuts, remaining pretzels/coconut, and yellow M&Ms on top of the cookies.
  6. Lay the chocolate bars on top of the cookies, covering all of the walnuts, pretzels/coconut, and M&Ms.
  7. Place this cookie pan back into the warm (but off) oven until the chocolate on top has melted. The chocolate should be covering all the items to some degree, including those layered on top.
  8. Once chocolate has melted, place in the refrigerator until chocolate has hardened.
  9. Cut the cookies into 4-inch squares to match the grid on page 1 of the lab sheet. *If you need more than four squares, quarter each square for a total of sixteen 2-inch squares. Use a pen and a ruler to change the grid on page 1 of the homeschool science lab sheet and add these to the bar graph. Each of the squares is called a quadrant.
Fossil Dig Cookie Bars Completed and Cut into Quadrants with Homeschool Science Lab Sheets

Digging for Fossils

  1. Use the spatula to take out one cookie square and put it on a plate. Have students answer the first two questions on their lab sheet.
  2. Let the students get to work, using the toothpicks to separate and group the materials. There should be seven piles, one for each type of “fossil”: raisins, red M&Ms, yellow M&Ms, peanuts, walnuts, pretzels/coconut, and one for cookie crumbs. Take note of the layer in which each item is found.
  3. When the students are done with a quadrant, they will make note the number of each fossil found in that quadrant. They will examine all quadrants.
  4. After digging through all quadrants, students will put their results into the bar graph and answer the questions on the homeschool science lab sheet.
Homeschool Science Edible Fossil Dig - Two Children Digging Through Cookie to Find Fossils (Candy)
Edible Fossil Dig - Two Children Digging Through Cookie to Find Fossils (Candy)
Homeschool Science - Edible Fossil Dig - Childs Hand Filling Out Bar Graph
Edible Fossil Dig - Little Boy Digging Through Cookie to Find Fossils (Candy)

Instructor's Notes

If this is the first bar graph students have made, be prepared to help them. You might need to scaffold the instruction by doing the bars in the graph for quadrant A1.

To make cookies vegan: make the base recipe for chocolate chip cookies without eggs and substitute a vegan butter.

To make the cookies dairy free: use a dairy free butter substitute.

In the demo, blue M&Ms were subbed for red because that is what was available. Feel free to swap colors as needed but make sure that the two colors you use are easily distinguishable.

More homeschool science lab fun: Use a search engine to see if there is a dig site in your area and visit it!

Keep the Homeschool Science Fun Going!

We hope you enjoyed participating in this homeschool science hands-on learning activity with your students! If you are interested in learning more key science concepts through an incremental series of lessons and hands-on exploration, be sure to check out REAL Science Odyssey.