Prototyping Materials
Remember, initial prototypes need to be made fast and cheap so you can get ideas to the table for playtesting and feedback as quickly as possible. As such, inexpensive materials are a must!
Education supply stores are your friend. See Links: Resources for Game Designers for links to various fine establishments as well as blank templates.
Boards
I used to buy blank boards, but they're expensive. We use paper and students sometimes will buy their own blank boards or foam core boards for mounting, but that's up to them.
I buy these rolls of square and hexagon grids. Each roll means the sizes can be customized easily for students and you can make a lot of games out of each roll.
Gamingpaper.com has many options for blank grid paper.
Repurposed Game Bits
Monopoly money, dice, poker chips, pawns--anything that can be scrapped from old games, we use.
Eagle/Gryphon games will sell loads of excess bits from time to time, I've bought those, lots of plastic bits
Anything small, durable, inexpensive, high quantity
Glass pebbles, holiday table scatter, tiny mini erasers from Amazon--whatever I can get, I'll use.
Pennies. One of the best game bits ever created.
Math Manipulatives
Learning Resources plastic 1cm cubes--we use these the most. Relatively cheap, lots of color.
1in wood cubes can be used to make dice.
Blank dice
School Supplies
Index cards
Blank flash cards (they come in different colors woooooooo)
Markers
Rulers
Scissors
Glue Sticks
Education supply stores are your friend. See Links: Resources for Game Designers for links to various fine establishments as well as blank templates.
Boards
I used to buy blank boards, but they're expensive. We use paper and students sometimes will buy their own blank boards or foam core boards for mounting, but that's up to them.
I buy these rolls of square and hexagon grids. Each roll means the sizes can be customized easily for students and you can make a lot of games out of each roll.
Gamingpaper.com has many options for blank grid paper.
Repurposed Game Bits
Monopoly money, dice, poker chips, pawns--anything that can be scrapped from old games, we use.
Eagle/Gryphon games will sell loads of excess bits from time to time, I've bought those, lots of plastic bits
Anything small, durable, inexpensive, high quantity
Glass pebbles, holiday table scatter, tiny mini erasers from Amazon--whatever I can get, I'll use.
Pennies. One of the best game bits ever created.
Math Manipulatives
Learning Resources plastic 1cm cubes--we use these the most. Relatively cheap, lots of color.
1in wood cubes can be used to make dice.
Blank dice
School Supplies
Index cards
Blank flash cards (they come in different colors woooooooo)
Markers
Rulers
Scissors
Glue Sticks
