Need a new board game for family fun? Why not make one right now?
Have you ever heard of the game Mancala? It is one of those games that is fine to play at almost any age. The game is very simple to learn, yet it can be played with a lot of subtle strategy, depending on the skill level of the players.
This game requires no reading, so younger players can get involved. It does require some simple counting, though, so a parent or older sibling may need to help the very youngest players. Because of the county aspect, homeschoolers and teachers may find the game Mancala to be an appropriate addition to their math lessons.
Mancala originated in Africa, where it was traditionally played with using stones. You can use any small set of objects, from marbles to jelly beans (just be sure some of the tokens don’t get eaten!) Other ideas for tokens you can easily find around your house include dry beans, rocks, beads, pennies or pieces from old board games (the cherries from Hi-Ho Cherry-Oh work wonderfully).
The object of the game is similar to that of backgammon. You have to collect as many tokens as you can before your opponent can clear his or her side of tokens. There are different variations of the game, so a google search or a library book should provide you with plenty of versions to try.
Kids Domain Crafts has a great set of instructions on making this game using egg cartons (yes, I am on an egg carton kick, as I am sure you have noticed from my recent blogs) and tuna cans. This project is rated “very easy” to do by Kids Domain, and I have to agree. In fact, if you are very eager to play, you can even skip the painting and decorating part of making the game. The tuna cans can be be replaced by plastic or paper cups.
Let me know how the game turned out for you! I’d love to see photos of your creations.
To go to the Kids Domain Mancala game craft, click here.
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