Games

Simple, cheap, paper-and-pencil strategy games are fantastic ways to practice higher-level thinking. Don’t just play the games, but encourage students to notice patterns, develop strategies, and change the rules around.

Game: Ghost

How to play the word-building game Ghost.

Game: Number Scrabble

Let’s play Tic-Tac-Toe with numbers. But instead of three-in-a-row, we’re summing to 15.

Order and Chaos (Tic Tac Toe Variant)

Imagine Tic-Tac-Toe if both players could play as both Xs and Os!

Strategy Game: Chomp

Let’s play the simple (but surprisingly strategic) game of Chomp!

Strategy Game: Sprouts

With Sprouts, students draw a small set of dots and then connect those dots with lines. The first person who can’t make a connection loses.

Math Game: Cram

A surprisingly strategic game played on a simple grid.

Math Game: Heaps

Heaps is a lovely math-y strategy game that requires no more than paper and pencil to play.

Let’s Play Tic-Tac-Toe Variants!

Sure, tic tac toe is too boring for most people. But oh golly are there some fun variations!

Fizz Buzz – A Divisibility Game

Here’s a quick to learn but difficult to master math game. Start with some basic divisibility rules, but then feel free to extend it to any math topic.

Using Games to Practice Thinking

Here’s how playing simple, paper-and-pencil games can go beyond fun and also serve as practice for higher-level, abstract thinking.

Quick Strategy Game: Domineering

Wanted to share another cheap, quick, and simple game that has interesting complexities and connections to math. This game is called Domineering. All you need are paper and a pencil. Graph paper would be a luxury.

Chess Sets Over Time

How did chess sets arrive at their now-standard look? Several recent articles trace the design of the modern chess set.

Beyond Checkers

Even the simplest game takes on interesting new twists when we alter the rules a bit. Let’s look at ways our students can modify checkers and turn this children’s game into something new to explore.

Math Game: The Game of 100

The Game of 100 is a simple game requiring no supplies, yet it opens up a rich world of exploring strategy and a little mental math.

Beyond Chess: Go, Shatranj, and Xiangqi

Advanced learners and chess go hand in hand. In the past, I’ve used chess to introduce systems, introduce depth and complexity, and discuss paradoxes. However, since so many of my students understand the basics of chess, I decided to expose them to some chess-like games from other cultures.