Strategy games with paper

Teaching Pre K-8, Mar 2002 by Naylor, Michael

Michael Naylor on Teaching Math

Boost logical reasoning with just a pencil and paper.

Kids love to play games, and games are a great way to learn math concepts such as strategy, thinking ahead, spatial sense and logical reasoning. Here are some games that require nothing more than a pencil and a piece of paper.

Tic-Tac-Toe (Grades preK-2)

This is one of the most basic, classic strategy games. I'm sure you know how to play, so here are a few variations. Eot-Cat-Cit: The "reverse" of Tic-Tac-- Toe. The player who makes three in a row loses.

4 x 4: This version is played on a 4 x 4 grid until all the spaces are filled. The player with the most three-in-a-row sets wins.

Last One Wins: A player marks one, two or three squares (in a straight line) in one turn. The player who marks the last square wins.

Loops (Grades 3-5)

Players draw loops through dots in this game where logic, visualization and careful planning are important.

Object: Be the last one to make a move. Setup: Draw any arrangement of 8-15 dots and decide who goes first.

Play: Players take turns making loops which pass through one, two or three dots. The loops cannot cross any other loops and cannot pass through dots which are already part of a loop. Loops can, however, encircle other dots.

Dots (Grades 3-5)

Also known as "Boxes" or "Capture the Squares," this game encourages geometric reasoning and visualization.

Object: Capture the most squares. Setup: Draw a rectangular arrangement of dots and decide who goes first. The array of dots may be of any size. Try starting with a 6 x 5 grid.

Play: Players take turns drawing one horizontal or vertical line segment to connect adjacent dots. When a line segment completes a square, the player who made the move wins that square and writes his or her initials inside it. That player then takes a bonus move. If the bonus move results in another square, the player takes another bonus move.

Connect Four (Grades 6-8)

This is an adaptation of the game that is played with checkers in a vertical board.

Object: Claim four spaces in a row- horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Setup: Draw a grid at least seven squares wide and six squares tall. Decide who will be "X" and who will be "0." "X" goes first.

Play: Players take turns placing their marks in squares on the board. You must place your mark in the lowest available square in any column.

Sprouts (Grades 6-8)

The player who can think two or three moves ahead will have an advantage. Object. Be the last one to make a move. Setup: Draw 3, 4 or 5 hollow circles, or "seeds." Decide who plays first.

Play: A player draws a curvy line, or "sprout," from one seed to another, being sure not to cross any lines already drawn. Then that player draws a new hollow seed on the line he or she just drew. Once a seed has three sprouts coming from it, the seed is "fully grown." Color the seed in, to indicate that it is out of play.

Michael Naylor is a professor of math education at Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA and a Teaching Editor of Teaching K-8. E-mail: mnaylor@cc.wwu.edu