Gist: Use a giant version of the classic game board to complete a worksheet.  Students complete the worksheet items that correspond to their space on the board.

 

Why Do It?  Students rarely care much about the work they do on a worksheet.  Playing Candy Land gets them up and moving, narrows down how many problems they have to do, increases engagement and motivation, and generally breaks the doldrum of a regular school day.

 

Materials: 

-plastic sheeting (4 MIL or thicker)

-Sharpies, large size, 6 colors

-square cardboard box OR index cards

-construction paper (optional)

-dry erase or overhead markers

-worksheet

-clipboards (optional)

 

 

 

Directions to Make the Game Board:

1. Lay out your plastic sheeting.

2.  Make a template out of cardboard the shape and size of your game spaces.  Should be large enough for a student to sit on.

3.  Plan out your board.  To use with a whole class or standard worksheet, you need 30 spaces.

4.  Trace your template with Sharpie in the color pattern order you desire for your board.

5.  To make a giant die, glue or tape a piece of construction paper for each color on your game board onto the outside of the box.  See below for special instructions if you want to use your box to store the game board when not in use.

OR

Make a set of color cards by coloring one color on each index card using the same 6 colors as the board.  Students will draw a card and move to the next corresponding color on the board.

 

Set Up:

1.  Flip the board over so the sharpie is on the back side.  This protects it since dry erase marker erases Sharpie.

2.  Number each space using dry erase or overhead marker.  Overhead marker tends to erase better.  If you have more spaces than worksheet items, you can make bonus or hazard spaces.

3.  Copy or digitally distribute your worksheet.  Have the answer key ready for you.

4.  Have a class roster ready to keep track of turns.

That's it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Play:

1.  Students roll the die OR draw a card to select a color and move to the appropriate space.  The student is the game piece.

2.  To get to stay at that space, they must answer the corresponding worksheet question correctly.  If they are incorrect, they go back to their previous space.  Students may sit on their space when it's not their turn.

3.  Keep track of turns on your roster since students will be out of order on the board.

4.  Students should record their answers on the worksheet as they go.  See VARIATIONS below for more ideas.

5.  The game is over when the first student reaches the end.  See VARIATIONS for more ideas.

 

Caution and Tips:

-If using the box die, make sure students understand and stick to your expectations for how it will be rolled.

-If students pile up in one area, they may leave their clipboard on their space and sit along the edge.

-To keep students on-task between turns, you can require them to complete the problems thier CLASSMATES do as well.  This encourages them to stay focused during other students' turns.

-If students cannot behave according to your expectations during the activity, they can be sent back to their desk to complete the entire worksheet on their own.

 

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Variations:

-Students can complete only the problems they land on, and then when the first student wins, they have to walk around and talk on-task to get the rest of the items completed from their classmates.

-Students can complete the rest of the worksheet on their own.

-Or students can just complete the problems they did in the game.

-Have an Exit Quiz of the same questions after the game to hold students accountable and gauge their learning.

-The game can be played until ALL students make it through the game board.  Students who finish can move on to another activity.

-You can keep track of right and wrong answers on your roster so you know who may need extra support at the conclusion of the game.

-You can write actual questions on each game space to play without worksheets.

-Do it backwards!  Write answers on each space, and students have to correctly guess which question matches it.

-Have students generate questions for the spaces, write them on, then tell students who land there if they're right or wrong.

-Play in small groups or teams to cut down on the number of people on the board.

-You can create a deck of content review cards, labeled with the colors like a typical Candy Land deck.  Each card would have one test prep question on it, and to advance to that colored space, the student would have to answer the question correctly.  Number each card and include a key so a classmate or teacher can check the answer.

-For primary students, you can number each space to practice counting numbers and one-to-one correspondence, do the ABC's, sight words, etc.

 

To Use Your Box to Store the Game:

-You may want to laminate the paper for the opening side to make it more durable.

-Cross the box flaps 3 ways.  Glue or tape the paper to the edge of the outermost flap.

-Use adhesive velcro to close the flap to the one beneath it.