Game-a-thon

I feel great! It's like I'm a real person connected with other people.

-- 4th grader

Run your own Play.Create.Share. project then enhance it with one of our ongoing Game-a-thons. We are on a mission to produce a free family math night kit featuring only student-made work. Submit your own games for a chance to be featured! See our Student Cork Board for examples. 

Past Game-a-thons

Kinder - 1st
kraal cows1

Kraal Konfusion

Until May 31, 2021

Create your own twist on Kraal Animals or Kraal Cows that make your school admin act silly and that kids can win.

(Bonus) Make number cards besides just spots and stripes.

See Memorize for an example.

2nd - 3rd
weight-2x

Achi Alliance

Until May 31, 2021

Make your own multiplayer math twist on Achi that where kids can win against adults.

(Bonus) Add twists to the game that offer cool ways math helps us win.

See Teleportation Double Stack or play Achi then Tsoro Yematatu for examples.

4th - 5th
turtlesums

Tricky Turtles

Until May 31, 2021

Design the most addictively tricky turtle puzzles that your school's janitorial staff won't put down even when frustrated.

(BONUS) Move beyond addition, the numbers 1 - 9, or even squares.

See Turtle!Turtles!Turtles! for an example.

MathMINDs Game-a-thon logo v-2

Run a Game-a-thon

Run your own Game-a-thon challenge in your classroom, school, or community.

1.

Play.Create.Share
2.

Game-a-thon Checklist
3.

Share student-created games! 

 

Student Cork Board

Check out past student examples. Send us your work at gameathon@mindresearch.org to be featured.

 

Mass STEM Week 2020

Aquarium Challenge

Kinder

Memorize

This kindergartener created a memory game using household items.  This let's the game be about as simple to DIY as possible.  

Study the items, cover them up and describe them in as much detail as possible.  

Highlight: Excellent DIY while keeping the game tricky, but fun.

2nd grader

I Sea My Gameboard

A game of addition and subtraction that wasn't quite right the first time.  

Highlight: Iteration

Quote by the game maker:
My first idea was to make a game with an aquarium background. Then, I needed to focus on the game first, and the look after.

5th grader

Save The Turtles

Designed by a 5th grader for the entire family to play. Ideal for 1 to 5 players, use math to be the first to the finish line and save your turtles.

Highlight: Level playing field so adults and kids can play together.

5th graders

Turtle Mania

Made by several students, this multiplayer game involves building expressions and offers an interesting use of a turtle's ability to be on land and in the water. Get stuck in the pond and your turtle needs to roll a 6 to get back to land.

Highlight: Multiplayer game. Leveraging a real-life connection (amphibians ).

5th Grader

Turtle Run

Instead of creating an "ideal" game in this student's mind, this student created for a 7-yr old brother and 6-yr old sister.

Highlight: Designed for a specific, authentic audience.

Quote from the game maker: 
I didn’t really make the game I wanted to like a super hard mind blowing game. I wanted to be able to play the game with my siblings.

Orange County 2019

Math Maker Challenge

4th Grader

Teleportation Double Stack

In this twist of the numeric version of Achi, certain locations allow for teleportation and others for double stacking.

With these twists, the number combinations for both winning and blocking completely change, making the game tricky and fun.

Highlight: Great strategic math twist

Middle School

Turtles! Turtles! Turtles!

A team of middle schoolers trying out their own turtle puzzles.

Highlight: rapid iteration by keeping it simple - iterate first, make it pretty later.