Games, resources, activities and ideas
for youth, children (and adults!)
Paper & Pencil Games
Battleships
A game for two players.
Each player requires a pen or pencil and a copy of the sheet with both maps. Each player then places their sheet of themselves so it cannot be overlooked by his opponent. Each player has the following forces:
|
2 Heavy gun batteries |
4 Squares each |
|
|
1 Anti-aircraft |
5 |
Any 5 adjacent squares |
|
1 Ammunition dump |
7 |
Any 7 adjacent squares |
|
1 Battleship |
5 |
|
|
2 Cruisers |
4 |
|
|
2 Submarines |
3 |
|
|
1 Aircraft Carrier |
8 |
|
|
4 Aircraft |
4 |
|
as in
Each player marks the position of his/her own forces on the upper map by outlining the squares in any position they choose. Each force may be placed vertically or horizontally but once the game has begun the positions can not be altered. Also forces can only be placed according to the following rules:
HOW TO PLAY
Players now take one shot each, in turn, (player to start being decided by the toss of a coin). To take a shot. a player calls out the co-ordinates of the square he/she wishes to hit by using the number and letter reference of that square. for example the reference F-11 will strike the bottom left hand corner of the land peninsula. His or her opponent must then inform him whether the shot was a hit or miss depending on whether that square is occupied by one of their forces. The player firing the shot then marks the square in question on the lower map using a stroke "/" or "-" for a miss or an "H" or star for a hit. The opponent may also find it useful to keep a record on their own upper map of where their opponent has fired.
As soon as a force has been completely destroyed. That is every square of that force has been hit. The owner of the force must inform his/her opponent what it is that has been destroyed.
All forces must be completely demolished by hits into every square of each of the forces. The winner of the game is the first player, to demolish the whole of his enemy's forces. Therefore a total of 63 actual hits is required to complete a game.
Variations:
Blockbuster
At any stage of the game, as his/her turn to play, a player may in place of his normal shot, elect to drop a "blockbuster" into one particular square. Each square touching that square is covered by that one shot thus the "blockbuster" shot covers nine squares. Only one blockbuster shot may be fired by each player in each game.
Salvo - battleships
This is a faster version as each force available on the map can fire a shot in a single turn (that is at the start 14 shots can be fired). Each time a force is completely destroyed they are no longer able to fire a shot and reduce the number of possible shots that can be fired in each go.
Battleships - Navy only
Players create their own map by marking out two 12 by 12 square grids and numbering the columns 1-12 and the rows A-L. There are only ships used in this version so no land has to be drawn in.
Each player then secretly places his fleet on his grid.
| 1 Aircraft carrier | 5 Squares in length |
| 1 Cruiser | 4 Squares |
| 2 Destroyers | 3 Squares |
| 2 Minesweepers | 1 square each |
Each ship should be marked out by shading the appropriate squares on the grid. The battle now begins with players alternately lobbing shells at each other by calling out single squares, e.g. 3D, 1OG, 8L and so on. If a shell lands on a ship the loser must say so and cross the square out. The accurate firing player will continue to fire at the target until he has sunk it an eventuality which the loser must declare. The game continues until a player loses all his fleet.
Bingo
aka
Lotto
Bingo/Lotto is used as a fund raiser and readily adapts into an educational game and has been used educationally since the 1800's.
Bingo is well known in the UK for its association with seaside amusements and now a bigger business as seen with the Bingo Halls in Europe, Australia and the US. Bingo derives from the Italian lottery Lo Giuoco de