Teaching Tip of the Week

2/25/02
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The Winning Goal


Here’s an idea for a review game for older children or maybe even teens:

Divide the group into two teams. (The children usually go for the “girls against boys” thing.) For each review question they get right, have the team add either a shape or a piece of a picture puzzle on a flannelgraph board. The team that gets all the pieces up first wins. Simple enough? Add a little twist. When the team gets a question right, let them choose between adding to their side or taking a piece away from the other team.

For scoring, have the team that completes their side first get a preset number of points – no points for either team if no one reaches the goal. This will encourage them to allow the opposite teams to build their side up a bit before starting to choose the take-one-away option. Have a predetermined number of questions so the game doesn't go on forever.

This can also be done with a sports theme if you set the board up like a field and the pieces get them one step closer to making a “goal.” If neither team makes a goal, go into “sudden death” where the first team to miss a question will be the losing team.


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