Educational Games: Game 7, Fishy Facts

    
Using poles and hooks, players collect fish and add to their catch if they can successfully answer a question that is written on the side of the fish.

Age Range: 5 to 7
Skill Used: factual knowledge
Number of Players: 2 to 4
Noise Level: moderate
Activity Level: low
Materials: shallow box, such as a soda case box, painted blue; cutouts of fish; short “fishing pole” stick; paper clips; string

Setup

Using sturdy paper or tag-board, cut out 12 to 20 fish that are approximately 6 inches long with tails about 2 inches wide. Write a question on the body of the fish and write the answer 
on the tail. For example, write “2 + 6 =” on the body and “8” on the tail. The fish can also be prepared for learning paired information 
like foreign language translations, antonyms, or definitions of words. You can laminate the fish if you wish. On the back, tape a paper clip to the head of each  fish so that from the front, 
only one loop of the clip shows.Turn the box over so that the bottom becomes the top. Use a knife to cut twenty 2,1/2-inch slits 
randomly in the box’s surface. Slide the knife through each slit several times to make the slot wide enough to easily slide in the fish. Paint the box blue to make it look like water.
Get a small stick to use as the fishing pole. Attach a short string to the pole. For a hook, tie a paper clip that has been bent open at the 
end of the string.

Set up the game for play by sliding the fish—tail first—into various slots so the writing on the body of the fish faces the players.

How to Play

Players take turns choosing a fish to catch by reading or solving what is written on the fish’s body. The player says his or her answer to the other players, hooks the fish, 
and then pulls it out with the fishing pole. If the answer on the fish matches what was said, the player keeps the fish and play goes 
to the next player. If the answer is different, the player slides the fish back into an available slot and it becomes the next player’s 
turn. The game ends when all of the fish are caught or at the end of a set time. The player with the most fish is the winner.

Tips

Find art of a fish online or use an art software program. The art should be easy to cut out. Copy, paste, and resize the fish art in a 
document several times so you can print off a whole sheet of fish. If a color printer isn’t available, run the pages off on different color paper for each skill.

Draw a wide blue line across the slits to make them very easy for the players to see when they are setting up the game. Decorate 
the edge of the box.

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