Educational Games: Game 10, Pick a Pet

   
Players answer questions and roll a die to collect pet supplies and ultimately “pick a pet.”

Age Range: 5 to 9
Skills Used: pet care knowledge, factual
knowledge
Number of Players: 2 to 6
Noise Level: moderate
Activity Level: low

Materials:
pictures of pets and pet sup-plies, die, question-and-answer cards, game key

Setup

The game pieces for “Pick a Pet” are laminated pictures of pets and their supplies.
For each pet represented in the game, there should be a picture appropriate for each of
the following categories that will correspond to values on the die: 1—habitat, 2—food and
water, 3—exercise and play, 4—a special item specific to that pet, 5—a vet, and 6—a picture
of the pet itself. Suggested pets are cat, dog, horse, fish, mouse, and bird. The pictures do
not need to be in scale with each other to be used for this game.“Special items” for the six pets listed above
could include:
Cat—scratching post
Dog—leash and collar
Horse—saddle
Fish—tank light
Mouse—chewing stick
Bird—cuttlebone
“Toys” for the six pets could include:
Cat—feathered ball
Dog—bone or tennis ball
Horse—fence to jump
Fish—aquarium cave or treasure chest
Mouse—exercise wheel
Bird—bell or mirror

Game cards should be prepared with a question or prompt on one side and the
answer on the reverse. This format allows for self-checking as players participate in the
game. The content of the questions can suit most any subject, but all cards for the game
should address the same area. Various subject examples include: A spider is an insect—true
or false? (false); On which continent is Egypt? (Africa); 6 +___ = 10. (4). There should be at
least six cards per player.

How to Play

The question-and-answer cards are shuffled and placed on the table with the question side
up. The player who is chosen to go first answers the question on the top card. If correct, that
player rolls the die that corresponds with a picture category as shown in the game key. A roll
of 1 allows that player to choose a habitat and get started collecting the remaining pictures.
If the roll is 2 through 6, no picture is chosen and the next player takes a turn.
Once a player has obtained a habitat, he or she can begin to collect supplies by choosing
items after rolling a 2, 3, 4, or 5 in any order, according to the key. (A roll of 6 in this part
of the game results in a lost turn because the player doesn’t have all the supplies needed to
be ready to “pick a pet.”) For example, a roll of 3 allows the player to take an item meant
for exercise or playing with a pet. Players are not required to take items that correspond to
any particular pet. Mixing items may upset some players, but most will enjoy the silliness
of putting an exercise wheel in a stable or a saddle on a fish. When all the supplies have
been collected on various turns, players must roll a 6 to take the pet picture of their choice.
Any other roll results in a loss of a turn. The first player to “pick a pet” is the winner.

Variation

Adjust the difficulty level of this game by choosing or creating an appropriate set
of question-and-answer cards. These should not be so difficult that players seldom get to
roll the die. The cards could be omitted completely for the youngest players. In this case,
they would simply roll the die on each turn.

Tips

Magazines and pet catalogs are good sources for pictures of pets and pet supplies.
Your local pet store would probably allow you take digital pictures of their pets and supplies.
Players can also be asked to bring in photos of their own pets and supplies. A mixture of
these resources can be used to obtain enough pictures to play this game.

It is helpful to laminate each category of picture with a uniquely colored border to
make game play easier. For example, all habitat pictures can be glued to yellow card-stock
that extends beyond the edge of the picture before laminating. Pictures need not match
in size.

A copy of the game key should be provided during the game. Use the key provided, or
make your own. Include the category, the color of the picture border (if used), and the
value of the die. For example, the key could show “Habitat—yellow—1,” “Food and water
—blue—2,” and so on.


 Source
Alexis Ludewig and Amy Swan, 101 Great Classroom Games New York, 2007.