Whenever I told my student that I brought a NEW GAME to class, his or her eyes would glimmer with anticipation, wondering what I had up on my sleeve again. When I saw that expression, I would also heave a sign of silent relief as I knew the class would turn out great that day.
After a long day in school, children are usually exhausted by the time they start their after-school programme. I like to make learning lighthearted and fun because I think they should be rewarded for their hard work.
As I reflect on how I am able to keep children interested in my games, I realise that it is the ANTICIPATION of the game that thrills them. I think that they enjoy the games because I MAKE MOST OF MY GAMES.
I would get my inspirations from other bloggers and educators online. Thereafter, I will modify the games to suit the lesson context and the availability of materials. Most of my games are designed to be portable as I have to carry them from house to house.
While they certainly take much more time and effort to create, Do it Yourself (DIY) games are almost always able to get children intrigued and shrieking with excitement.
Today, I will be sharing a versatile game that you can use for almost any subject. This game is best suited for words recognition, sentence formation or simple math problems (e.g. Addition, Multiplication).
Collapsible Bee Hunt
| Benefits: Light, Compact, Portable |
| Suitable / Best for: Words Recognition, Simple Math Problems |
| Material Cost: Less than $20 |
Materials Needed
Essential
- 2cm Velcro with double sided tape attached (recommend 3M) ($5-10)
- Template Files (Free to $0.99)
- Box (Free to $8/6)
- Yellow Felt Cloth/ Construction Paper ($2 from Diaso)
- Scissors
Good to Have
- Laminator $20-$80
- Laminating Pouch $10-$20
Steps
- Cut the Yellow Felt Cloth or construction papers into long strips that are 2cm in thickness.
- Paste the long strips onto the box, using glue, double sided tape or velcro tape. [Tips: I would recommend you to use the glue or double sided tape if you are using cardboard boxes. If you are using collapsible cloth box like the one I am using, velcro tape would be preferred.]
- Print out the templates and laminate them.
- Cut out the laminated templates print-out.
- Attach the eyes and wings onto the box with the black velcro tapes.
- Attach the sticky side of the white velcro tape on the tip of the honey bottle printouts.
- Attach the smooth side of the white velcro tape on the spade template printout.
Video Demo