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active challenge:

Design Your Own Game

Suggested Ages: K – 5th Grades

Make (& break & redesign) your own rules as you invent a super-fun game using just 3 types of household materials.  To master this challenge, you’ll need to take the time to test your game and BE REFLECTIVE about what is and isn’t working—and how to make it better!

Active Challenge: Fun, movement-oriented games and activities to spark innovation and creativity

This is no ordinary DIY activity for kids: It’s a step toward becoming an innovator.

 

Every Galileo Active Challenge gets kids moving and teaches the same mindsets that professional designers, engineers, artists and athletes use in their work. With skills like these, we believe you can change the world.

Get Involved—For Grown Ups

Materials list:

Find these materials or a close substitute: 

 

  • A selection of 3 types of objects that are moveable and won’t break (cups, chairs, books, pens, etc). You can use as many as you want of each type of object.

 

Activity GUIDE:

Refer to these steps to keep young innovators on track as they play:

 

1. Brainstorm actions to do with the objects during the game. (1:20)

  • Ask: What else could you do with this object? How could these 2 objects interact? 
  • Ask: What are actions from other games that you could be inspired by (ex: throw a ball into a hoop)?

 

2. Decide the end goal of the game.

  • Ask: What are end goals from other games that you know?

 

3. Brainstorm challenges that will make achieving the goal harder—Ask: What are challenges or obstacles from other games that you know?

 

4. Test and redesign the game.

  • Support being reflective—If kids aren’t sure what or how to redesign, ask: Does any part feel too easy? Too hard? How could you make it more fun?

 

 

5. Have someone else test the game, then redesign it again.

 

6. Add decorations.

 

 

More Ideas:

Every project presents opportunities to add your own twists or extensions. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

 

  • Step It Up! Try using more or less objects to make the game easier or harder.
  • Innovate On! Make a series of games for your own mini arcade! You can even make prizes people can win or tickets they can redeem.

 

Wrap Up Questions:

Lock in the learning by asking kids these questions about their activity and how they practiced the featured Innovator’s Mindset element: 

 

  • What is your game called?
  • How do you win the game? What challenges or obstacles did you design to make it harder to win the game?
  • Did you change anything about the game after you played it yourself and reflected on how easy or hard it was? What about after watching someone else play the game?

Subscribe Now—It’s Free!

 

With so many changes to everyone’s regular routines, we know you’re likely looking for ways to keep your kids learning (and yourself sane) while schools are closed. Subscribe here and Galileo will deliver a week’s work of activities to your inbox every Sunday to add to your routine!

SHARE!

The last step in the Gallieo Innovator’s Process is SHARE. Great learning can come from sharing successes and failures—to solidify your own experience as an innovator and to inspire others.

 

SHARE WITH galileo

 

Take a video where you explain how to play your game and/or a video of someone playing your game, and share it with the Camp Galileo Anywhere Facebook Community.

 

Share with family and friends

 

Your innovation doesn’t stop with you. Inspire someone else by sharing your project challenge—maybe they’ll try it themselves or maybe your project will give them a new idea.

 

  • Who: someone in your house, a family member, a friend
  • How: in person, on the phone, online
  • When: anytime, starting now!