Growing Up—Choices & Challenges

Should I buy a new bike or save for a car? Will I get grounded or win that scholarship? Answer these questions as you design a cool, new game about growing up—with your own personal twists.

• 1.

  In small groups, list and compare favorite board games. Read and discuss books such as Enders Game by Orson Card or The Egypt Game by Zilpha Snyder. Brainstorm common factors found in the games such as paths to follow, bonus or challenge cards, obstacles, rewards, consequences, game pieces, random number generators, and other attributes.

• 2.

  With Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils, write a list of immediate and future goals for your life. Think about 6 months to perhaps 20 years in the future. Also list obstacles or challenges that might interfere with reaching those goals, such as the need to practice 3 hours a day or to go to college for 8 years. Create another list of possible rewards and consequences, such as an allowance increase or being grounded for a week.

• 3.

  Decide on the design of your game board. How will players move from start to finish? Sketch your ideas on scrap paper. Try different configurations to make sure everything will fit on your board. Determine the basic rules for your game so you know what parts to make. Here are some ideas to get you started.

• 4.

  Create an eye-popping game board by using white Crayola Color Explosion™ Markers and Paper to create a path leading from start to finish. Cut out stepping stones for the path. Glue the decorated shapes to dark construction paper. Glue the base to larger brightly colored paper to form a border.

• 5.

  Make spinners and game pieces with Crayola Model Magic® compound. Try swirling Model Magic colors, adding dots or stripes, and stacking colors to make your game pieces stand out on the board. Model Magic dries to the touch overnight and dries completely i

• 6.

  Use the lists you created to add another layer of fun to your game. Create reward and consequence cards connected to your challenges and obstacles. Decorate cards with symbols that match those used elsewhere in your game. Write words with Crayola Fine Lin

• 7.

  Have fun playing your games with friends and classmates! Compare and contrast the features of your games.

Benefits

• Students connect the objectives of familiar games with their own goals for the future.
• Students apply traditional game features to the development and creation of their own board game about growing up.
• Students participate in game playing with their classmates, and then verbally compare and contrast the features of classmates' games with their own games.

Adaptations

• Brainstorm ways to expand game objectives by addressing worldwide issues such as green living, global warming, and limiting carbon footprints. Use a larger, television-like format. Develop teams, rules, and team strategies. Create a fun game area or back
• Create journals by designing new covers for composition books. Record notes, sketches, poems, and conversations that relate to growing up goals. Add uniquely designed index tabs spaced throughout the journal to mark special sections such as challenges or
• Assessment: As a group, develop a rubric to assess the quality of the games. Decide on three or four categories and then three or four levels of performance for each category. Possible categories could address: clarity of directions; visual appeal; playing enjoyment; and goals, challenges, or choices embedded in each game.