Kings and Quadraphages

Today we played Kings and Quadraphages - This is a game where there is a 9x9 board with squares on it. Each team has a pawn and a bunch of tokens - they place the tokens on the board and move their pawn, trying to trap the other team into a position where they have no moves left. This was not one of the most popular games - I think it had to do with the fact of the having your guy get trapped - no one seemed to like that aspect of it.

I took a vote at the end of the day, and everyone said that they liked Calla the best - so we will play that next time.

Also, I brought in the Treasure Box. I give a sticker when I notice good sportsmanship and at the end of the day, those with stickers get to pick out a treasure. These are used toys that my son donated to the class. If your child would like to donate a used toy (one that you would be taking to Goodwill anyway) that would be welcomed to the box!

I told all the kids that not everyone will get a treasure every time, but eventually, everyone will get to go to the box. I took notes of who got a treasure, and will make sure that everyone has the same amount of times to the box.

With the exception of our Bingo game today, we don't give prizes for winning or loosing, but instead of exhibiting good sportsmanship. All the children have really done a great job being good sports and good friends to each other - I'm very proud of how they helped each other out today.

Just wanted to close with a big Thank You to Joyce, our assistant today. Whitney was out sick, and it was just me and Joyce! Thanks for being there Joyce!!!

I've included a scan of the Boxed In game that the kids really like. You can click on it to make it bigger and print it out. If anyone has any ideas of other paper games that your child likes to play, please let me know and I can be sure to include that.

Thanks!

Update

Hello OHE Math Pentathlon Parents!

My name is Kirsten Brooks, and Whitney Reardon and I are the coaches for your child's math pentathlon group. We've been having a lot of fun these first couple of weeks and I just wanted to give you an update on what we've been doing.

Our first game that we've learned is Calla - this is a game with cubes and pits and lots of strategy and - I think that the kids will tell you, also a practice in patience! You have to wait while the other players take their turns, which can take a long time, depending on how well their choices were during the turn.

Next we played the link game - or Star Track. This game is a little easier - and is a about making 2 choices. The children seemed to enjoy this game. We also introduced a paper game at the beginning of each session. This is a relaxed game, usually with partners, and is "just for fun". We've played tic-tac-toe, boxed in (which they loved), and this week, we'll be doing a quick game of bingo.

We've seen a lot of examples of kids being really good sports, having great patience with each other and themselves, and having fun. We make a point of noticing these "moments of excellence" and are encouraging the kids to notice it in each other. We have been giving small rewards, like stickers and stamps, for these "moments of excellence."

This week we'll be playing "Kings and Quadraphages" - this is a pretty challenging game, and I'm sure that the children are up for it!

Whitney and I have started a blog at:
http://oakhillmathgames.blogspot.com/
and will be posting weekly to it to keep you informed about what we're up to at Math Club.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me or Whitney.

Thank you - we're really enjoying working with your children and are looking forward to the rest of the year.

Kirsten